Ashraf AboArafe
Proceeding from the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate – may God protect him – to develop the governorate and turn it into a destination for world heritage, the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate announced a plan to launch a project Art”, which is one of the cultural assets of the “Journey Through Time” scheme, which His Highness the Crown Prince launched his design vision in April of the year 2021 AD, to make the region a leading global destination for arts, heritage, culture and nature, in order to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The announcement of this project comes; A translation of the vision of His Highness the Crown Prince, towards developing the province, protecting its natural heritage and sharing its rich cultural history with the whole world.
The area of ”Valley of Art” is estimated at 65 square kilometers, and it is scheduled to be completed in 2024. It will include artworks drawn from the unique nature of Al-Ula by the most famous Saudi and international artists. Creative integrated with the natural environment.
The Executive Director of the General Administration of Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, Nora Al-Dabal, confirmed that “Art Valley” will contribute to enhancing creativity in Al-Ula Governorate, and will provide exceptional experiences for the people of Al-Ula and its visitors, stressing that we will continue to work to enhance the unique legacy of Al-Ula, which will have a major role. In achieving the future vision aimed at building a cultural economy.
It includes the initial program that will be held at the end of 2022 AD, and precedes the opening of “Valley of Art” in 2024 AD; Temporary exhibitions, artist headquarters, and public symposia. The unveiling of the first five artworks will be accompanied by a vital program for visitors, including performances and tours across the valley, as well as educational opportunities for the sons and daughters of the homeland in Al-Ula and the Kingdom.
A selection of the most prominent Saudi male and female artists and artists will participate in the “Valley of Art”, in addition to its most prominent international pioneers, including: Manal Al-Dowayan, Ahmed Mater, Agnes Dennis, Michael Heizer and James Turrell, who will participate in works that discuss several topics, such as collective memory, folklore, civilization and achievement. The importance of light, and these participations represent the beginning of a program that will continue to attract more artists.
Land art is an artistic style that aims to draw attention to the environment and the importance of preserving it, as it appeared in the United States of America in the late 1960s, and seeks not to hold artworks in museums and closed galleries, and instead display them in open museums and galleries located in the heart of nature.
The arts are of great importance in Al-Ula’s vision, as it is one of the main pillars of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, which held the “Al-Ula Arts Festival” last February, with a series of events, the most prominent of which were: “Desert X Al-Ula” exhibition in its second edition, which represents his works. Desert Art” and talks about the concepts of desert mirages and oases.
The authority also launched the Al-Ula art residency program in its first version, which spanned over 11 weeks and gathered six artists to discuss the topic of reviving the oasis and aims to implement subsequent artistic residencies in Wadi Al-Fan, in order to enhance dialogue and cooperation between artists and others interested in arts in the governorate. Deira School at the beginning of the year 2020, which is a cultural center concerned with developing craft skills and the basics of design.
The arts sector is one of the main sectors in light of Al-Ula’s vision, which was inspired by the axes of Vision 2030, and the three pillars: “a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation”, through many initiatives, a number of which have been implemented, in addition to what was included in the scheme “A Journey Through Time” that highlights heritage sites and nature; To promote sustainable development, by investing all available ingredients in order to create diversified economic tributaries.
