JEDDAH: Architecture’s changing role and influence over time is explored at a major exhibition at the Hayy Jameel arts complex in Jeddah.
“Accommodations,” which kicked off on Jan. 20 and will run until Aug. 7, is curated by Brooklyn-based Uzma Z. Rizvi and Murtaza Vali.
It features research by architects Hussam Dakkak, Basmah Kaki and Hessa AlBader of Studio Bound.
The exhibition is being hosted at Hayy Arts and features research by architects Basmah Kaki, Hussam Dakkak, and Hessa AlBader of Studio Bound. (Supplied)
The exhibition, on the ground floor of Hayy Arts, uses archival documentation to explore the relationship between inclusion and exclusion, separation and unification, and the influence and impact the built environment has on generating new meanings, and redefining the relationship between the individual and the community.
Unfolding in three parts, it investigates a hotel, an island, and a home — a refuge of the familiar whose primary function has been inverted through growing reliance on digital interfaces for connection with others.
HIGHLIGHTS
• ‘Accommodations’ kicked off last week and will run until Aug. 7. The exhibition was curated by Brooklyn-based Murtaza Vali and Uzma Z. Rizvi. It uses archival documentation and unfolds in three parts as it investigates a hotel, an island, and a home.
• The exhibition made a highly acclaimed debut at the Saudi National Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2022.
Through exploration and retrospection, the exhibition encourages visitors to question how the meaning and use of such spaces alter over time.
The exhibition made its highly acclaimed debut at the Saudi National Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2022.
The exhibition is being hosted at Hayy Arts and features research by architects Basmah Kaki, Hussam Dakkak, and Hessa AlBader of Studio Bound. (Supplied)
Speaking to Arab News about bringing “Accommodations” to Hayy Jameel, Antonia Carver, Art Jameel’s director, said: “We have collaborated with the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission and the Ministry of Culture to bring this amazing show to Hayy Jameel for Jeddah and Saudi audiences. It is great to bring a show that highlights the history of the hotels, homes and ports.”
Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission, said that cooperation with Art Jameel allowed the commission to transfer its international experience to Saudi Arabia.
Reactivating ‘Accommodations’ for a local audience will promote the event at the global level through the Venice Architecture Biennale, Al-Solaiman said.
“We hope that the new edition will be an inspiration for architects, enhancing their creativity not only at Jeddah’s level, but also in the rest of the cities in the Kingdom.”
Fady Jameel, chairman and founder of Art Jameel, said: “Architecture is an integral part of Hayy Jameel’s mission, with the center designed to facilitate cultural exchange in the Kingdom, embrace creativity, and showcase Saudi Arabia’s thriving art and design scene. We are invested in telling the story of Jeddah and Saudi’s rich histories, and their resonance within this fascinating exhibition.
“We would like to thank the Architecture and Design Commission, the curators and the architects for their commitment and collaborative spirit and look forward to further such curatorial partnerships in the future.”
