黑料社区

Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal: embracing Ramadan鈥檚 cherished traditions

Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal: embracing Ramadan鈥檚 cherished traditions
1 / 2
Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal village, Taif Governorate, exemplifies the enduring power of cherished traditions during Ramadan. (SPA)
Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal: embracing Ramadan鈥檚 cherished traditions
2 / 2
Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal village, Taif Governorate, exemplifies the enduring power of cherished traditions during Ramadan. (SPA)
Short Url
Updated 20 March 2025

Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal: embracing Ramadan鈥檚 cherished traditions

Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal: embracing Ramadan鈥檚 cherished traditions
  • Villagers, with unwavering devotion, pass down their customs, fostering a strong sense of community and shared experience
  • Kitchens come alive with the aromas of local dishes 鈥 recipes passed down through generations 鈥 prepared with fresh ingredients from their own farms

RIYADH: Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal village in the Taif governorate in the western part of 黑料社区 exemplifies the enduring power of cherished traditions during the holy month of Ramadan.

The villagers, with unwavering devotion, pass down their customs, fostering a strong sense of community and shared experience.

Throughout the holy month, the village displays a rich tapestry of noble practices, interwoven with the villagers鈥 daily agricultural work.

At dawn they tend to their fields, harvesting fruit and flowers, maintaining water channels for their ancient trees and livestock, and completing essential tasks such as wall construction and material transport.

Families in Al-Wadi and Al-Jabal village observe Ramadan traditions by thoroughly cleaning their homes, encouraging children to fast, and celebrating the first day with gifts.

Their kitchens come alive with the aromas of local dishes 鈥 recipes passed down through generations 鈥 prepared with fresh ingredients from their own farms.

Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, farmer Khalaf Al-Nemri explained how fasting provides a sense of focus for daily tasks.

鈥淢y father and I continue the cultural practices passed down from our ancestors, including the tradition of sharing iftar in our rural community,鈥 Al-Nemri said.

鈥淥ur village traditions emphasize love and unity with family and friends after Isha and Taraweeh prayers, often held in traditional Ramadan tents,鈥 Al-Nemri added.

鈥淭hese enduring bonds strengthen solidarity, family unity and neighborly ties, positively influencing children鈥檚 behavior during Ramadan.鈥


US Qatari Sophia Al-Maria wins 2025 Frieze Artist Award聽

US Qatari Sophia Al-Maria wins 2025 Frieze Artist Award聽
Updated 05 July 2025

US Qatari Sophia Al-Maria wins 2025 Frieze Artist Award聽

US Qatari Sophia Al-Maria wins 2025 Frieze Artist Award聽

DUBAI: US Qatari artist and writer Sophia Al-Maria has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Frieze Artist Award, one of the art world鈥檚 most highly anticipated annual commissions. 

The award is part of Frieze London, a leading international art fair that will return to Regent鈥檚 Park from Oct. 15-19, bringing together more than 280 galleries from 45 countries.

Presented in partnership with Forma, the award supports early- to mid-career artists in debuting new works. This year, Al-Maria will perform 鈥淲all Based Work (a Trompe LOL),鈥 a live stand-up comedy show held daily inside the fair tent.

Based in London, Al-Maria works across drawing, collage, sculpture, film and writing. (Supplied)

The work marks Al-Maria鈥檚 first attempt at stand-up, in which she will blend sharp humor with her long-standing interest in mythology, empire and pop culture.

鈥淚n partnership with Forma, we are proud to continue supporting artist-centered programming,鈥 said Eva Langret, director of Frieze EMEA. 鈥淎l-Maria鈥檚 debut stand-up promises a collective experience exploring vulnerability, creativity, shared anxieties and LOLs.鈥

Sophia Al-Maria, 鈥楳othership,鈥 2017. (Supplied)

Meanwhile, Chris Rawcliffe, artistic director at Forma, said: 鈥淏y wielding humor as a tool for survival, Al-Maria not only provokes reflection but actively reshapes the cultural conversation 鈥 Al-Maria is more than an artist and critic, she is a catalyst for change, and an indispensable voice in both the art world and the wider social landscape.鈥 

Al-Maria鈥檚 proposal was selected by a jury of leading industry professionals, including curator and museum consultant Lydia Yee and the artistic director of exhibitions at Ikon Gallery, Melanie Pocock, artistic director of exhibitions at Ikon Gallery, as well as Langret and Rawcliffe.

Based in London, Al-Maria works across drawing, collage, sculpture, film and writing. Her practice is unified by a focus on storytelling and mythmaking, often reimagining histories and envisioning speculative futures. Her work has been shown at major institutions and biennales, including the Gwangju Biennale, the New Museum and Whitney Museum in New York, the Venice Biennale, and Tate Britain.


Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh

Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh
Updated 03 July 2025

Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh

Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh
  • Residency displays futuristic artwork inspired by the natural landscape and culture of the Kingdom
  • Diriyah Art Futures brings together artists from around the world, combining art, science and technology

RIYADH: Diriyah Art Futures opened a new residency displaying cutting-edge artwork in Riyadh on Wednesday evening.

The Mazra鈥檃h Media Art Residency spring/summer 2025 open studio displays work that combines art, science and technology.

It is a three-month program designed for artists and scholars working across new media and digital art.

The theme, 鈥淗igh-Resolution Dreams of Sand,鈥 explored the evolving relationships between humans, nature and technology in rapidly changing environments, informed by the distinctive contexts of Diriyah and Riyadh.

The evening鈥檚 open studio offered a behind-the-scenes look at work in progress from the spring/summer 2025 residents, alongside talks and studio discussions.

In the studios, Arab News met with various artists including Saudi Arwa Al-Neami whose creations explore themes of acceptance, identity and societal transformation.

During the residency, she undertook an artistic investigation of 黑料社区鈥檚 landscapes, collecting sand samples from various regions across the Kingdom.

Through nano microscopy and advanced imaging techniques, she created an immersive sensory experience that transforms microscopic grains of sand into pieces of art in the form of films, virtual reality and 3D-printed sculptures.

She told Arab News: 鈥淚 am currently researching seven different areas in the Kingdom, where I鈥檓 exploring the sound of the sun using specialized sensors during sunrise and sunset. The resulting sound waves are translated into frequencies that create audible sounds.

鈥淏y analyzing the sound of the sun and the atomic structure of sands, I produce artwork that highlights the differences across various regions of 黑料社区.鈥

For 90 days, artist Dr. Stanza has been creating a whole body of work based on 黑料社区 using real-time data including weather forecasts, pollution stats and news feeds.

Using an AI prompt, he created the series 鈥淪ons of Time鈥 鈥 an interactive Internet installation inspired by cybernetics and the future.

His other work, 鈥淢achine Cities,鈥 connects 90 cities and towns across the Kingdom and tracks them in real time, presenting a visualization that the public can engage with.

The London-based artist has exhibited worldwide and earned numerous awards for his use of the Internet as an art medium.

鈥淲hile I鈥檝e been here, what I鈥檝e really learned about 黑料社区 is it鈥檚 a very warm and inclusive country that鈥檚 moving forward toward 2030.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a whole series of ideas about AI and agency that (are) also incorporated within my artworks. I look forward to presenting some of these works here in the future,鈥 he told Arab News.

Indian artist Harshit Agrawal has taken his time at the residency to contemplate the juxtaposition of Diriyah鈥檚 rich heritage with its exponential development in the past few years.

Set against Diriyah鈥檚 historic farms and Riyadh鈥檚 evolving environment, the participants were encouraged to consider the impact of technology on natural and constructed landscapes.

鈥淲hile I was here, I was quite fascinated, in my early days by the cultural richness, the different practices of culture, but also Diriyah as a city in transition in this beautiful time where it鈥檚 developing into something else with all these constructions and all these new things that are happening,鈥 Agrawal told Arab News.

In 鈥淢achinic Meditations,鈥 the artist was particularly fascinated with subhas, or prayer beads, that are commonly used in 黑料社区.

This prompted his research, where he also found electronic subhas. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite fascinating to move from this kind of manual device to an electronic version of it,鈥 he said.

鈥淚 started thinking 鈥 because I work a lot with machine learning, AI data鈥 what is the extreme scenario of that? So, I created these devices, which are motorized systems that rotate these beads autonomously, and they keep doing that continuously.

鈥淎nd with each rotation, they pick up new human data to meditate on. It鈥檚 kind of the machine鈥檚 version of meditating, but on human data and climate data.鈥

In 鈥淒ata Excavations: The New Soil,鈥 the artist takes inspiration from construction and excavation machinery, using its mobility as a way to write out words in a choreographed manner using light strips.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really exciting time to be here, because it鈥檚 a great intersection between deep cultural practices that are here that I can kind of see in the city, but also really cutting-edge studios and facilities that I鈥檝e had and (been) exposed through the material residency,鈥 he said.

The open studio event welcomed a number of artists and prominent figures in the art scene, aiming to introduce them to the findings and research of this year鈥檚 cohort around new media arts in the region.

鈥淗aving 黑料社区 attracting so many different cultures right now is a great thing, for artists to meet and research in the new media and technology is a great thing because they can implement their culture鈥檚 ideas in so many different ways and that鈥檚 what we see here 鈥 it鈥檚 a great cultural bridge,鈥 visual artist Lulwah AI-Hamoud, who was attending the event, told Arab News.

DAF Director Haytham Nawar and DAF Director of Education Dr. Tegan Bristow delivered opening remarks, followed by talks from Dr. Anett Holzheid, an ZKM science and art researcher and curator, and Mizuho Yamazaki, an independent writer and scholar.

Attendees then enjoyed an open studio preview with Dr. Stanza, before a break for networking and a tour of the fabrication lab, sound lab and prototypes.

The evening concluded with studio discussions featuring Arwa Alneami, Harshit Agrawal and Reem Alnasser, all media artists.


Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists

Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists
Updated 02 July 2025

Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists

Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists

ATHENS: An art exhibition at EMST, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, ponders a challenging yet crucial question: What are the rights of animals?

The exhibition, 鈥淲hy Look at Animals? A Case for the Rights of Non-Human Lives,鈥 curated by EMST鈥檚 artistic director Katerina Gregos, is among the most ambitious staged by a public institution on animal ethics at a time when wars rage around the world and basic human rights are in crisis.

The show presents more than 200 works by 60 contemporary artists from four continents and runs until Jan. 7, 2026.

Evocatively curated, with works unfolding in the various rooms of the museum in dialogue with the visitor and each other, the various depictions of animals prompt both philosophical and political questions.

The show evokes questions on the nature of humanity, the emotional intelligence of animals and how to confront systems of political domination, such as colonialism and rampant industrialization, that have restricted humans and animals.

From the Arab world, Egyptian artist Nabil Boutros has created 鈥淐elebrities,鈥 a moving series of studio portraits of lambs, ewes and rams. Each image depicts not only their aesthetic beauty but seemingly also their emotional state.

Part of Nabil Boutros's 'Celebrities' series. (Supplied)

鈥淚 wanted to talk about the human condition through these works,鈥 Boutros told Arab News. 鈥淭hese first portraits of (these animals) show they are different. They have different races, different attitudes and different characters, but we never look at them.鈥

鈥淲hat is our relationship with animals? Is it just about food, about slaughtering?鈥 he asked. 鈥淲e are all part of this world and there is a whole organic structure that connects us that has been forgotten.鈥

Boutros鈥 touching portraits, exalting the personality and individuality of each animal, similar to traditional human portraiture, show us a rarely encountered world of animals and their emotional depth.

The show presents more than 200 works by 60 contemporary artists from four continents and runs until Jan. 7, 2026. (Supplied)

鈥淭hey鈥檙e very expressive,鈥 said Boutros, when discussing the moments he photographed them. 鈥淲e imagine that they don鈥檛 have feelings, but that is not true.鈥

Algerian artist Oussama Tabti鈥檚 鈥淗omo-Carduelis鈥 is an installation that covers an entire wall of empty birdcages, each encompassing a speaker playing a birdsong created by human voices to imitate that of birds.

The work strives to show the connection between animals and humans. 鈥淭he idea for the work came from the goldfinch, an appreciated bird in Algeria,鈥 Tabti told Arab News.

鈥淏orn and raised in Algeria, the goldfinch was always in our daily soundscape.

鈥淢y work talks about the relation between the bird and the human because people appreciate (the goldfinch) and have it as a pet. They keep the bird in a cage and sometimes even go for a walk with it.鈥

Tabti finds the relationship at times 鈥渁wkward and strange.鈥 He thinks that Algerians at times 鈥渋dentify themselves in the birds.鈥

He added: 鈥淭he work goes beyond the state of Algeria to reflect on the state of the human condition. Each one of us is in our own cage; it could be work, the environment or even one鈥檚 identity.

鈥淚 thought the bird in a cage would be a good metaphor for what we are today as human beings. We human beings are able to accomplish a lot but we live in a society that does not let us be completely autonomous.鈥

鈥淔or this installation,鈥 said Tabti, 鈥渋t was important for me that we can hear the birds, imitated by human beings, so it is like a human in a cage.鈥


Imaan Hammam continues to highlight Arab culture 聽

Imaan Hammam continues to highlight Arab culture 聽
Updated 01 July 2025

Imaan Hammam continues to highlight Arab culture 聽

Imaan Hammam continues to highlight Arab culture 聽

DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam touched down in Cairo this week for an undisclosed photoshoot and shared highlights from the trip on social media, set to music by the late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafiz.

Posting to her 1.7 million Instagram followers, Hammam offered a visual diary of her stay, capturing a mix of street scenes, style moments and local ambiance. 

The carousel opened with a mirror selfie in an elevator, where she wears a high-waisted printed maxi skirt paired with a black fitted top. In another shot, she appears in a more laid-back look featuring camouflage trousers, a white tank top, a grey hoodie and yellow sneakers.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

She also shared a short video that captures her tuk-tuk ride through a narrow alley, followed by snapshots of Cairo鈥檚 street life, including a local bookstore and a rooftop view of a mosque at sunset.

Hammam鈥檚 Cairo visit reflects a growing interest in reconnecting with her roots, something that also drives her latest passion project, Ayni.

Launched earlier this year, Ayni is an archival platform dedicated to preserving and celebrating Arab artistic expression through Hammam鈥檚 perspective. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In a video she shared on the Ayni鈥檚 Instagram account, she said: 鈥淔or me, its always been so much deeper than just fashion. It is about staying connected to my roots, telling stories that move me and shining a light on the voices that need to be heard.鈥 

She said her hope for Ayni is for it to grow beyond a personal vision and become a 鈥渞eal community.鈥

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hammam is one of the most in-demand models in the industry. She was scouted in Amsterdam鈥檚 Centraal Station before making her catwalk debut in 2013 by walking in Jean Paul Gaultier鈥檚 couture show.  

Hammam has appeared on the runway for leading fashion houses such as Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, to name a few, and starred in international campaigns for DKNY, Celine, Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Giorgio Armani, Tiffany & Co. and others.


Global sculptures at open-air museum in historic Jeddah

The new sculpture installations at Al-Arbaeen Lake reimagine public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement. (SPA)
The new sculpture installations at Al-Arbaeen Lake reimagine public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement. (SPA)
Updated 29 June 2025

Global sculptures at open-air museum in historic Jeddah

The new sculpture installations at Al-Arbaeen Lake reimagine public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement. (SPA)
  • The sculptures form a dynamic dialogue between the past and present, blending the site鈥檚 heritage with the language of contemporary art

JEDDAH: As part of a broader effort to revive the region鈥檚 visual identity through art, Al-Arbaeen Lake in historic Jeddah has been transformed into an open-air gallery featuring a curated collection of sculptures by international artists.

Led by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with Jeddah Municipality, the initiative features 14 world-class artworks integrated into the city鈥檚 visual landscape, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Historic Jeddah's Visual Identity Reimagined Through Art Installations at Lake Al-Arbaeen. (SPA)

The sculptures form a dynamic dialogue between the past and present, blending the site鈥檚 heritage with the language of contemporary art.

Notable works on display include 鈥淭he Illusion of the Second Cube鈥 by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely; 鈥淩ouge鈥 and 鈥淔lexibility of Balance鈥 by Alexander Calder; 鈥淐ircular Mass鈥 by Arnaldo Pomodoro; 鈥淭he Bird鈥 by Spanish sculptor Joan Miro; and 鈥淕iving and Receiving Love鈥 by Lorenzo Quinn 鈥 a powerful piece that reflects human values through striking aluminium forms.

FASTFACTS

鈥 Led by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with Jeddah Municipality, the urban art initiative features 14 world-class artworks integrated into the city鈥檚 visual landscape.

鈥 Notable works on display include 鈥楾he Illusion of the Second Cube鈥 by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely and 鈥楪iving and Receiving Love鈥 by Lorenzo Quinn.

The installations are part of a wider artistic movement that reimagines public spaces as platforms for cultural engagement.

By transforming urban environments into art experiences, the project invites both residents and visitors to explore the intersection of architectural heritage and modern creativity.

It underscores the growing role of art in shaping urban identity and fostering public appreciation for visual beauty in shared spaces of the Kingdom.