Collaboration: Saudi Seen
Project Space Art Jameel
January 10, 5:00pm to 7:00pm: Opening night – open to the public
January 11 – February 13, 2018: Exhibition
The history of photography in Saudi Arabia is as old as the discovery of oil in the Kingdom. Oil companies were among the first to import cameras, photographers and darkroom materials. Since the 1950s, Saudis have been capturing the development of their ever-changing urban surroundings, vast landscapes and social environments.
‘Saudi Seen’ presents a diversity of views from the inside captured by a new generation of image-makers, working across documentary, art, portrait, and landscape photography. In a way, these images are a counterweight to somewhat limited nature of the outside view. Featured photographers include: Adriano Pimenta, Akram Alamoudi, Bader Awwad Albalawi, Filwa Nazer, Iman Al-Dabbagh, Kholood Saleh Al-Bakr, Majid Angawi, Moath Alofi, Sami Altokhais and Tasneem Alsultan. This exhibition is organised by the Art Jameel curatorial team, advised by photographer and artist Ahmed Mater; with several photographers having been previously shortlisted for the Art Jameel Photography Award (2010-2016) and/or participants in its successor programme, Photography Jameel. The commissioned catalogue essay has been researched and written by Dr. Maha al-Senan, academic researcher in ancient Arabian arts and modern Saudi art.