UAE artists set to exhibit at the 16th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art in France

Three artists from the UAE are set to represent the country at the 16th edition of the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 25 September 2022
Follow

UAE artists set to exhibit at the 16th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art in France

  • Wonderful talent showcase, says Noura bint Mohammad Al-Kaabi, minister of culture and youth
  • Hashel Al-Lamki, Mohammed Kazem, Chafa Ghaddar will work under event’s theme ‘Manifesto of Fragility’

DUBAI: Three artists from the UAE are set to represent the country at the 16th edition of the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art, which will run from Sept. 14 to Dec. 31, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Youth and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

Multi-disciplinary creator Hashel Al-Lamki, conceptual creative Mohammed Kazem and mural artist Chafa Ghaddar will present their work at the biennale, which is being held under the theme “Manifesto of Fragility.”




Mural artist Chafa Ghaddar will present their work at the Biennale. (Supplied)

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the UAE to showcase its talent at such a prestigious platform. We have immense respect for the Lyon Biennale, which is marking its 16th edition this year. The UAE is making its presence felt at global art events and this is one of its significant participations,” said UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi in a statement.

“The UAE artists exhibiting at this event are known names in the contemporary art world and they will be presenting distinctive works enriched by Middle Eastern and Arab influences. I look forward to seeing their participation in the biennale, wish them a very successful exhibition and I look forward to seeing the fruitful results of the collaboration between these artists come to life.”

Featuring 230 works by 34 artists and more than 300 archival documents from nearly 40 collections worldwide, the exhibition will showcase new creations by living artists alongside historical pieces from museums in the French city.

It will also present loaned collections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (also known as the Met), the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, and from many of Lyon’s leading cultural institutions, such as the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, the Lugdunum Museum and Roman theaters, and the Musées Gadagne.
 


What to expect at the AlUla Arts Festival 2026

Updated 17 sec ago
Follow

What to expect at the AlUla Arts Festival 2026

DUBAI: The AlUla Arts Festival returns for its fifth anniversary edition from Jan. 16 to Feb. 14, 2026, bringing a month-long program of contemporary art, design, performance and immersive experiences to Saudi Arabia’s oasis city.

A major highlight is the fourth Desert X AlUla show from Jan. 16 to Feb. 28. The open-air exhibition will feature 10 newly commissioned, site-specific works by Saudi Arabia and international artists.

Curated around the theme “Space Without Measure,” and inspired by the poetry of Kahlil Gibran, the artworks will be embedded across AlUla’s landscape, exploring imagination, scale and humanity’s relationship with place. This year, it is curated by Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi.

The festival will also present an exhibition from the pre-opening program of AlUla’s forthcoming contemporary art museum, developed in collaboration with Centre Pompidou and AFALULA.

Titled “Arduna” (meaning “Our Land”), the exhibition opens on Feb. 1 and will showcase more than 80 artworks from Saudi Arabia and beyond, including pieces from the Royal Commission for AlUla collection and the Musee National d’Art Moderne, with works by artists including Kandinsky and Picasso.

Design takes center stage with the festival’s largest program yet, led by the AlUla Design Exhibition at Design Space AlUla. The showcase highlights outcomes from the AlUla Artists Residency Program and AlUla Design Award, alongside retail collections developed with local artisans.

The AlUla Music Hub from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 will present a series of concerts featuring Arabic, fusion, vocal and jazz performances, while the ATHR Gallery will exhibit works by Saudi contemporary artist Sara Abdu.

The open-air Cinema Al-Jadidah will present a special series of art-themed documentaries, shorts and feature films.

Visitors can also expect live music, immersive performances, film screenings, workshops and public art installations across the Al-Jadidah Arts District, Villa Hegra and Wadi Al-Fann.