The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has launched a new exhibition titled “The Camel Through the Ages” at its Dhahran location, in partnership with the Riyadh-based Layan Cultural Foundation. This exhibit, which will be open until November 1, aligns with the Ministry of Culture’s designation of this year as the Year of the Camel.
In a statement, Ithra highlighted the camel’s enduring significance in Arabian Peninsula societies, including Saudi Arabia, where it served as a vital means of transportation across diverse terrains, akin to the role of ships navigating the seas.
At the exhibition’s opening, Prince Faissal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, founder of the Layan Cultural Foundation, delivered a poignant keynote speech emphasizing the camel’s role in the Kingdom’s cultural heritage as a symbol of strength and endurance.
Prince Faissal bin Abdullah at the opening of ‘The Camel Through the Ages.’ (Supplied)
Ghada Al-Tobaishi, the executive director of the LCF, remarked, “We are very pleased to cooperate with Ithra (on this) exhibition. This academic and cultural project aims to enrich the knowledge of many important facts of cultural heritage of past eras.”
The exhibition draws inspiration from a two-volume Arabic-language book on camels published by the LCF last year in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz Public Library.
Some pieces in the exhibition were specially commissioned, while others were derived from the book. The exhibition is curated by Kumail Muhammed Almusaly, with contributions from Maryam Al-Dossary.
“We, at Ithra, reached out to Layan Cultural Foundation to collaborate on an exhibit specifically for the Year of the Camel,” Almusaly told Arab News. “And it fits very well with the intent of this gallery, which focuses on the history of Saudi Arabia.”
Digital mosaics created at the Layan Cultural Foundation for ‘The Camel Through the Ages.’ (Supplied)
Almusaly elaborated, “We came up with five themes in order to create a journey in which the visitor could flow freely between the artworks — it is not a linear journey.”
The exhibition explores five themes: the camel as an emblem of Arabian identity; the camel as a spiritual or meditative symbol, particularly through Qur’anic verses; the camel’s role in camel racing and family life; its place in oral or folk history; and the camel as a companion during rest and travel.
Upon entering the exhibit, visitors are greeted by a series of paintings, including a notable 2013 piece by Saudi artist Abdulrahman Al-Soliman titled “The Camel is not a Ship.”
“This is a statement by a pioneering artist,” Almusaly noted. “(It’s) a piece that ‘corrects’ our perception toward camels. He is using text over the painting, which states that the camel is ‘not the ship of the desert.’ He wants to convert that perception back to the reality that the camel is a creature — it is not an object.”
The exhibition also features digital mosaics from the LCF, along with artworks by both international and local artists. “There is a part where we switch to how Western artists have looked at Eastern culture — how they are examining the camel and Arabic culture from their perspective,” Almusaly explained.
Following the paintings, the exhibit showcases sculptures, photographs, historical coins, and traditional garments, with many pieces incorporating Arabic calligraphy.
According to Almusaly, the LCF has played a crucial role in “maintaining culture, maintaining history and preserving culture through these materials,” by bringing in experts to examine each object and enhance our understanding of the camel.
The exhibition offers a chance to view the camel through various artistic lenses, reflecting Saudi identity and underscoring the camel’s vital role in the Kingdom’s cultural and economic evolution.