RIYADH: An art gallery in Riyadh has opened an exhibition exploring time, spirit and the changing world through installations by a dozen local and international artists.
The Misk Art Institute’s “Tales of Nostalgia” opened at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Fine Arts Hall on October 2 to showcase conceptual art by designers from Europe and the Middle East.
London-based Ben Cullen Williams’ ‘Cold Flux’ explores the effects of global warming on the Larsen-B ice shelf, which fragmented and almost entirely collapsed 20 years ago. The artist’s installation uses videos taken during his own trip to Antarctica and comparisons with later satellite images.
His images were run through an artificial intelligence algorithm that distorts and transforms the images as the shelf changes and disappears over time.
“I thought it would be interesting to potentially rebuild those landscapes through the use of technology, something that kind of destroyed them,” Williams told Arab News. “Basically, it’s about our changing planet, how our planet is constantly shifting and changing. But it also kind of begs the question, is technology the solution to our current problems? »
‘Novae’, an audiovisual work by French art collective Lab212, uses a recreated star field to explore constellations and the history of astronomy, while sounds of nature and a poem by Prince Badr bin Abdulmohsen , “Khouf wa Sikat”, parts.
Saudi artist Abeer Sultan’s work ‘An Imagined Perpetual Past’ focuses on Medina marriage traditions, the anonymity of the bride and the extravagance of her attire.
“Rewind, Play, Glitch” by Daniah Alsaleh explores nostalgia and the distortion of memory over time through the use of digital photos on a living room wall that change and transform.
The MAI also exhibits various works by artists Muhannad Shono, Ayman Zedani, Asma Belhamar, Sultan bin Fahad, Zimoun, Fuse, Katie Paterson and Laurent Grasso.
Nawaf Al-Harbi, acting director of strategy and development at MAI, told Arab News that he hopes the exhibition can also be used as a platform for cultural exchange opportunities.
“The goal is to continue the conversations, to bring artists, especially international ones, to lead workshops and master classes, so that’s also part of the connection.”
The exhibition runs until January 15 and is open to the public from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Comments are closed.