ALULA FALLING SERIES
Part of an ongoing series of free-standing walls that straddle painting and sculpture, “ Dark Suns, Bright Waves” is reminiscent of Bridget Riley optical paintings, drawing visitors in with its optical effects. Swiss artist Claudia Compte, for example, has translated the sound waves that are propagated by the valley’s landscape into wave-like patterns painted on a series of staggered walls. A living museum of heritage, arts and nature, AlUla’s interlinked natural and cultural wonders provided plenty of inspiration for the exhibition’s participating artists.ĭisplayed amid a network of canyons at AlUla’s Al Mutadil valley, each installation interacts with the surrounding rock formations in its own unique way. More than a trade crossroads between Asia, Africa and Europe, AlUla’s fertile soil and plentiful groundwater have given rise to numerous civilizations as thousands of ancient sites attest, from rock art and carved inscriptions, to tombs and settlements such as the 2,000-year-old Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Framed by monumental mountains, the valley is a unique desert landscape featuring yellow sand panoramas, sandstone canyons and black lunar volcanic plateaus, as well as palm and citrus groves which historically offered a much-needed respite for travellers transporting spices, myrrh, cotton, ebony and silk. Launched in collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla, the exhibition is running concurrently with the AlUla Arts festival as part of a national master plan to rekindle AlUla’s legacy as a vital cultural destination.ĪlUla represents a long and intimate relationship between people and their environment. Invited to consider these ancient concepts, the 15 participating artists have responded with new works that address dreams, camouflage, fiction, dis/appearance, extraction, illusion and myth, while also examining the dichotomy between the natural and man-made worlds.
Inspired by the palm and citrus groves dotting the desert, this year’s theme revolves around ideas of mirages and oases, and in particular their historic, cultural and symbolic significance. Building on the legacy of Desert X, which has been taking place every two years since 2017 in California’s Coachella Valley, the open-air exhibition draws on principles of land art, offering a profound opportunity to experience art on a monumental scale in dialogue with the spectacular natural setting. Unfolding across the ancient desert valley of AlUla in north-western Saudi Arabia, the second edition of Desert X AlUla shines a light on the region’s natural and cultural heritage through a series of site-specific art installations by 15 international artists.
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