By Saudi Design Week
From historical buildings wrapped in foil, art and design festivals, to Saudi talents making a splash on foreign waters, creativity has become a signpost of progress in Saudi Arabia.
The Buy-In
The biggest patron of the arts these days is the Saudi government, with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announcing that it will be pumping 64 billion dollars into the culture and entertainment industries. Aligned with this buy-in is the establishment of different institutions that aim to elevate the creative and cultural endeavors of the Kingdom. At the time of writing, the General Culture Authority, established in 2016, has been leading the development and revitalization of the literature, film, music, visual arts, and performance arts sectors.
Another key player is the Misk Art Institute, led by Saudi contemporary artist, Ahmed Mater. It has been behind several art festivals both locally and abroad showcasing Saudi artists, and by 2020 it will be filling the infrastructure gap by opening a cultural center encompassing exhibition spaces and artist studios.
All the way in Sharqiyah, Aramco’s brainchild, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, is taking lead. It played host to the inaugural Tanween Creative last October 2018. The Center has also championed other creative initiatives, partnering with curators and cultural workers, and supporting festivals like the Saudi Design Week.
Independent Patrons and Actors
Grassroot creative communities, curators, and art/culture enterprises in Saudi Arabia pre-date the establishment of these institutions and government entities.
Jeddah, which is heralded as the creative capital, has an art strip consisting of galleries like Athr, Atelier Jeddah, Arabian Wings, and more. It is also the headquarters of the Saudi Art Council, the non-profit organization behind 21’39, a contemporary art festival whose name is derived from the coordinates of its west coast host. There is also an emerging artist neighborhood blossoming as of late, with creative talents building their own hubs and spaces.
There are curators who have done the groundwork and spearheaded privately-led exhibitions both locally and internationally– from Raneem Bukhari of Desert Designs in Sharqiya, Gharem Studio that serves as an incubator for artists in Riyadh, to the independent curators of Jeddah like Zahra Bundakji, Raneen Farsi, and more.
These creative movements are not limited to the art scene of the country. Design as a community has been growing steadily as well through cultural entrepreneurs, makers, and private-led initiatives and platforms like Saudi Design Week. Behind the festival, are Basma and Noura Bouzo, founders as well of the first arts and culture magazine in the Kingdom, Oasis.
“SDW acts as an educational platform that helps designers launch their careers by giving them support through placing them in internships with international designers and giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work internationally. We have previously exhibited SDW designers’ work at the Salone del Mobile, London Design Week, Dubai Design Week, etc. To this effect, we are able to contribute to the overall economic, political and cultural prosperity of Saudi Arabia.
International visitors to SDW are always surprised by how much interest there is in design from local visitors. They are also sometimes surprised by the professionalism of our designers.
“Through SDW, we hope to foster a stronger and more visible local design community. Each year, we pride ourselves in seeing Saudi designers tackle projects that were cultivated through the connections and conversations that transpired within every edition.” Saudi artists, makers, creative professionals alike are cultural ambassadors. Through them we are able to give the world access to our heritage, histories, and social predispositions.
Soft Diplomacy
At the end of the day, the success of the cultural sectors in Saudi Arabia will be a consolidated effort between government entities and community champions. We’ll also be seeing industry leaders wanting to invest in the Vision 2030 programs and participate in what would be a multibillion market in the coming decade.
With that said, the growth of arts and design in Saudi Arabia also acts as a conversation starter with our international counterparts and provides an opportunity for exchange, discourse, and trade.
Saudi Design Week (SDW) is the first and premiere design festival in the Kingdom.
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