AlUla Artist Residency Programme 2022

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), in collaboration with the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula), has launched the second edition of the AlUla Artist Residency Programme. Six artists with diverse backgrounds and practices were encouraged to bring together a multitude of cultures and media, including visual art, installation, and, for the first time, photography, poetry, and film.

Over twelve weeks, six artists were invited to immerse themselves in AlUla and to collaborate with the local community, artisans, archaeologists, and more. They will showcase their ongoing research in an Open Studio on 19-20 December, proposing a fresh look at how to give a new lease of life to the land and ensure it is connected to its fabled history.

As part of the AlUla Artist Residency, the artists also learned about the forms, skills, and traditions of AlUla’s past civilisations, such as the Dadanites and the Nabataeans. In doing so, not only did they have the opportunity to recall and honour the heritage of the oasis, but they also questioned the place of the artist in such fast-transforming, future-oriented projects.