At AlUla Worldwide Airport, a collection of 64 works of art from Saudi, regional, and international artists has been unveiled.
The collection, titled Safar—the Arabic word for travel—includes sculptures, photos, fabrics, paintings, and design items. Significant regional and international artists like Dana Awartani, Shaikha Al Mazrou, and Zahrah Al Ghamdi have works on display.
The Madrasat AdDeera Art and Design Centre in AlUla, which was established by the Royal Commission for AlUla to educate and train the following generation of creatives, is also represented in the collection.
The Safar collection, which was conceptualised by RCU and made possible by Capsule Arts, intends to display artworks that engage with AlUla’s natural and cultural context.
Our Living Tradition is a piece created by Madrasat AdDeera artists that explores the importance of language in traditional arts and civilizations. The paintings have a square grid pattern underneath that is the foundation for textile techniques like Al Sadu weaving, a recent addition to Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage. However, the paintings also have different patterns that come from the various traditional crafts that are practised throughout the region.
“Safar, a significant new collection that follows recent world-class events like Desert X AlUla 2022, the Cortona on the Move artists residency, What Lies Within, and the debut of Wadi AlFann, reflects the depth and breadth of Arts AlUla’s partnership with the arts.
The Safar art collection links historical narratives with modern viewpoints in an effort to depict AlUla’s legacy as a centre of cultural exchange.
The region’s character and identity, as well as the quality of life for its residents and the region’s economic prospects, are all significantly influenced by the arts. We are eager to share it with everyone who visits AlUla.
