- Title: SAUDI ARABIA-ART GALLERY Saudi exhibition takes art to billboards
- Date: 23rd December 2014
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (DECEMBER 22, 2014) (REUTERS) BILLBOARD IN TAHLIA STREET SHOWING ART WORKS / TRAFFIC (NIGHT SHOT) TRAFFIC PASSING BY BILLBOARDS SHOWING ART WORKS LIGHTS FROM THE TRAFFIC REFLECTED IN BILLBOARD SHOWING ART WORK BANNER READING (Arabic): "AL ARABIYA ART GALLERY" BANNER SHOWING SOME OF THE WORKS HEAD OF EXHIBITION'S ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MOHAMED AL-KHEREIJI, BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF EXHIBITION'S ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MOHAMED AL-KHEREIJI, SAYING: "In order for the young men and women to have more interactions (with the public) the paintings will be displayed in the street, so that the largest segment of the public can see it -- not as if it is inside closed doors in the galleries. We tried to make it accessible to more people. We also have a social responsibility to show young Saudis in a positive way, especially outside the kingdom. And we are trying to show that these young people are creative and can do positive works and things." VARIOUS OF VISITORS TAKING PICTURES AT ARABIA ART GALLERY VISITORS AND ARTISTS AT THE GALLERY MAN POSING FOR PICTURE IN FRONT OF A BANNER PAINTING ON DISPLAY VISITORS AT OUTDOOR GALLERY VARIOUS OF SAUDI ARTIST SHOWING VISITOR HER WORK IN CATALOGUE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARTIST SAYING: "Thank God, I'm so glad to see my paintings are displayed in the street, and certainly all the artists feel the same thing. It is a beautiful thing that my paintings are out to be seen by all people." VARIOUS OF WORKS DISPLAYED ON BILLBOARDS VARIOUS OF SAUDI ARTIST TALKING ABOUT HIS WORK DISPLAYED ON BILLBOARD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI ARTIST, MAJED AL-MUFAREH, SAYING: "Of course the Saudi heritage is very rich and cannot be ignored, especially in the field of art because of the abundance and beauty of this heritage. So I have made this work and summarised this heritage in this painting and given it the name of 'hakaya' (story)... it tells the story of heritage in general and talking about my feelings in particular." SAUDI ARTIST DISCUSSING HER WORK PAINTING OF WOMAN STANDING ON A CACTUS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARTIST, HIBA FARAHAT, SAYING: "I want to show how the Saudi and Arab women have durability and strength. Often people abroad believe that Saudi women are weak. But it is the opposite, I want to show that in fact the Saudi woman is strong, like a cactus." VISITORS AT THE EVENT VARIOUS OF VISITOR TALKING TO MEMBER OF STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VISITOR FROM UAE, SALEH AL-NOAIMI, SAYING: "I am visiting from United Arab Emirates, on a visit to Saudi Arabia. I was surprised by many things, such as the artworks of Saudi artists. They are creative, I wish to see more and more." VARIOUS OF BILLBOARDS IN THE STREETS
- Embargoed: 7th January 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8YJD2PIVNRBSDNDT9QMO26226
- Story Text: Many streets across Saudi Arabia were transformed on Monday (December 22) as thousands of billboards showcased new works of art.
The Al Arabiya Art Exhibition is an attempt to reach out to as many people as possible across the country.
On display are 80 works of art adorning 3,600 billboards.
Organisers said they wanted to give young Saudi artists a chance to show their talents to a wider audience.
"In order for the young men and women to have more interactions (with the public) the paintings will be displayed in the street, so that the largest segment of the public can see it -- not as if it is inside closed doors in the galleries," said Mohamed al-Khereiji, head of the exhibition's organising committee.
"We also have a social responsibility to show young Saudis in a positive way, especially outside the kingdom. And we are trying to show that these young people are creative and can do positive works and things," he added.
The artists also have an opportunity to interact with visitors during the display.
Artist Majed al-Mufareh said he attempted to capture the country's rich heritage in his works.
"The Saudi heritage is very rich and cannot be ignored, especially in the field of art because of the abundance and beauty of this heritage. So I have made this work and summarised this heritage in this painting and given it the name of 'hakaya' (story)... it tells the story of heritage in general and talking about my feelings in particular."
Hiba Farahat, on the other hand, said she wanted to show women in her country in a positive light.
"Often people abroad believe that Saudi women are weak. But it is the opposite, I want to show that in fact the Saudi woman is strong, like a cactus," she said.
Visitors, many of them from abroad, were impressed with the display.
The exhibition continues till December 27. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None