Biggest ever show of contemporary art under way in Jeddah

Under the aegis of the Saudi Art Council, Al’Obour exhibition of contemporary art opened in Jeddah Wednesday evening in the presence of a huge crowd of art enthusiasts, artists, media, sponsors and members of the general public.

The exhibition’s center of attention was the assimilation of technology by artists as a part of their artistic expression. The diverse range of visitors who attended the opening got to live the artistic experiences and expressions of more than 25 artists from Saudi Arabia, GCC, Arab and European countries.

While attention was drawn to the use of immersive and interactive virtual and augmented reality artistic techniques, other visitors were fascinated by directional sound techniques to personalize storytelling in front of the artwork. Al’Obour also showcased a variety of other techniques such as the interactive robotic screens and other audio and video technologies.

The exhibition’s curator, Dr. Effat Fadag, pointed out that she closely watched the reactions of the visitors, expressing their delight at the level of artistic sense and taste and how proud they were to see such a meeting of great minds from all over the world in one place.

“I really felt the dialogue of generations and the convergence of artistic visions through the discussions that were going on among all artists, which reflect and reaffirm the theme of the exhibition and the fact that they are crossing the time barrier into a common reality between all generations,” she said.

The exhibition, organized by the Saudi Art Council for the 6th year and participated by 25 artists from Saudi Arabia, Gulf and Europe, brings together three generations of artists, including the generation of pioneers, the generation of emerging artists and the generation of new artists.

Fadag said the audio guide of the exhibition could be downloaded on all smartphone platforms from www.alobourarts.com or by scanning QR Code. The guide will allow visitors to access information about each artwork easily during their tour inside the exhibition as well as a reference outside the exhibition adding another dimension of the concept of the crossing.

Al’Obour Exhibition is made possible by the support and sponsorship of Al Mansouria Foundation, UBS, Van Cleef & Arpels, Midwam, Tamer Group, BWM Mohammed Yousef Naghi Motors, Quintessentially, German Consulate in Jeddah, French Consulate in Jeddah, Al Kabli Holding, Hilton Hotel, Medd Coffee, Spark, and Blank Studio.