Two Egyptian artists, Wael Shawky and Sherine Gerges, will present their works within a group site-responsive exhibition held at Medina's old town of Al-Ula. Organised collaboratively by Desert X and the Royal Commission of Al-Ula (RCU), the exhibition will take place in the desert of Al-Ula, an ancient oasis in Saudi Arabia.
Curated by Saudi artists Raneem Farsi and Aya Alireza with Desert X artistic director Neville Wakefield, the exhibition will open 31 January and continue through 7 March as part of the ongoing Winter at Tantora, a large scale music and entertainment event held in Saudi Arabia in a variety of locations across Al-Ula.
The event is the first contemporary exhibition of its kind to explore desert civilisations while providing a platform for dialogue between cultures.
In their worksm to be presented during the exhibition, Gerges (born in 1974) looks at the role of cultural memory in shaping the ideas of the present while Shakwy (born 1971) will present a video displayed on a stone wall embodying the historic city that once upon a time was bustling with life.
Apart of two Egyptian artists, numerous names from Saudi Arabia will contribute with their works, including Manal Al-Dowyan, Zahrat Al-Ghamdi, Nasser Al-Salem, Rashid Al-Shishi, along with a number of international names, including Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim (UAE) and Lita Albuquerque (USA). For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
