AlUla Artist Residency Programme 2022

AlUla Artist Residency Programme 2022

Oct - Dec 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.

AlUla Artist Residency Oct - Dec 2022

Meet The Artists

Daniah Al Saleh

Born in Riyadh and based between the KSA and UK, Daniah Al Saleh’s work reflects on cultural conditioning: how messages and beliefs are absorbed and delivered via media and other networks. Al Saleh uses analogies to establish ways of reading and unearth unexpected perspectives.

Mohammed Al Faraj

Mohammad Al Faraj is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans filmmaking, installation, sculpture, writing and photography. Al Faraj’s practice is anchored to stories of the past, mysteries of the future, people, and place and currently works in his hometown, the oasis of Al Hassa, KSA.

Dr. Afra Atiq

Dr. Afra Atiq is an Emirati poet, scholar, and teaching artist whose research focuses on mapping the Arab literary ecosystem. Her practice explores a range of themes such as heritage, culture, identity, and legacy, and this, in combination with her academic career, has placed her at the intersection of education and culture.

M'hammed Kilito

M'hammed Kilito is a documentary photographer based in Casablanca, Morocco. His works capture narratives covering issues related to cultural identity, the sociology of work, and climate change. Kilito’s latest project ‘Before It's Gone’ highlights the complex issues of oasis degradation in Morocco and its impact on its inhabitants.

Sabine Mirlesse

Sabine Mirlesse’s multidisciplinary approach connects photography and geology as guardians of time. Her creative practice is rooted in her background in literature and mysticism and manifests across an accumulation of layers and strata, completed by sculpture, installation, video and writing.

Augustine Paredes

Augustine Paredes’ multidisciplinary practice questions what it means to desire in the light of love, loss, and longing. His lyrical, contemporary, and sensuous visual narratives are derived from his many-storied travels, Southeast Asian consciousness, and curious gaze. He works primarily via photography, painting, poetry, and installations.
AlUla Artist Residency Events

AlUla Artist Residency Programme: First Edition

Six artists from different backgrounds and nationalities participated in the first AlUla Artist Residency: Rashed AlShashai, Sara Favriau, Talin Hazbar, Laura Sellies, Muhannad Shono, and Sofiane Si Merabet.

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Explore The World's Masterpiece

The World's Largest Living Museum Heritage

Take a journey into both AlUla’s distant and recent past. Explore a rich cultural heritage through its ancient sites, historic dwellings, and preserved tombs that span thousands of years of human civilisation.

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A DESERT OASIS BECKONS NATURAL WONDERS Nature & Outdoors

From mazes of dramatic rock to rolling sand-swept dunes, a valley swathed in citrus groves to millennia-old basalt lava flows, AlUla’s spectacular landscape invites you to wander and connect with its wealth of natural beauty.

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Thrilling experiences and outdoor excursions Adventure

Whether it's ziplining through mountain ranges, taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, or gazing up at the constellations, AlUla offers adventures and activities from the thrilling to the awe-inspiring.

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A Land of Wondrous Inspiration Arts & Culture

From contemporary artists creating pieces made for the stunning desert backdrop to local artisans continuing the tradition of ancient handicrafts, the spirit of creativity and ingenuity can be discovered in every corner of AlUla.

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Plan Your Trip To AlUla

Flying to AlUla

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What to Do

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Where to Eat

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Where to Stay

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