The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) are delighted to announce the final artists selections for the 2022-2023 Artist Residency program.
From the 14th of May 2023 through 14th of June 2023, the selected artists are provided with a captivating journey into the depth of artistic exploration. This latest residency is a further example of Arts AlUla setting the standard for engaging contemporary artists within the Kingdom, building on the legacy of the Artist Residency programmes. The works produced at the residency will once again be created in dialogue with AlUla’s unique natural and cultural landscape.
As with all residencies RCU, has selected two artists and a curator from a wider group of applicants. The chosen artists for this edition are Hashel Al Lamki and Qamar Abdulmalik, and the first curator in residency is Maryam Bilal.Hashel Al Lamki is a versatile artist from the United Arab Emirates—his art delves into the intricate relationship between humankind and the environment, both wild and man-made.
Meanwhile, Qamar Abdulmalik, a multi-talented artist of Palestinian descent, uses various art forms such as collage, video art, and new media to create thought-provoking installations. Drawing from her personal experiences as a Palestinian refugee, she sheds light on the struggles of Arab diasporas affected by global systems and the everyday life of undocumented immigrants. Finally, Maryam Bilal, a Saudi curator, is passionate about experimenting with exhibition-making models that are collaborative and reciprocal in nature. With a focus on the fast-emerging and vibrant Saudi art scene, her work explores the impact of art imperatives within the region
About the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU):
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development, that preserves the area’s natural and historic heritage, while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program.
About the French Agency for AlUla development (AFALULA):
Afalula was founded in Paris in July 2018 following an intergovernmental agreement signed by France and Saudi Arabia in April of that year. Afalula aims to support its Saudi partner, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), in the co-construction of the economic, touristic, and cultural development of AlUla, a region located in the North-West of Saudi Arabia which benefits from outstanding natural and cultural heritage. The agency’s mission is to mobilise French knowledge and expertise and to gather the finest operators and companies in the fields of archaeology, museography, architecture, environment, tourism, hospitality, infrastructure, education, security, agriculture, botany, and the sustainable management of natural resources.