MADINAH: The internationally renowned Franco-Swiss artist Catherine Gfeller has been commissioned by the Madinah Region Development Authority to capture the holy city of Madinah in Saudi Arabia. The result is “RHYTHMS,” an expression on how the urban and human converge and cohabitate together. 

Large-scale photographs, night monumental projections in the city and NFTs comprise “RHYTHMS,” a multidisciplinary project initiated and designed by the Swiss entrepreneur and board member from Geneva, Aline Garibian. “When I visited Madinah for the first time, it left an imprint on me. The subtle compromise of the rich heritage and its farsighted vision for tomorrow has instilled in me the willingness to unfold new perceptions beyond borders,” Garibian said.

The vernissage of “RHYTHMS” is on Feb. 19 on the sidelines of the Smart Madinah Forum 2023, which is being co-organized by the MRDA and UN-Habitat, under the patronage of Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah region, from Feb. 19-21.

The artworks are 30 large photographs and videos. Each of the large photographs represents, in a poetic manner, the inhabitants, the pilgrims, the visitors and the urban landscapes of Madinah. The title of each photograph is an excerpt from Saudi poetry. 

“I wanted to express the cultural and spiritual heritage as well as the contemporary facets of the holy city of Madinah. In that sense, I open a dialogue with the Saudi writers by quoting their poems as titles for my images. They describe their deep relations with their soul, and express their human feelings in daily life,” said Gfeller, who has covered New York, Hong Kong and Kiev between other cities all over the world.

Each photograph will have its digital twin on Ethereum blockchain and be showcased also on the NFT marketplace. The collectors will get both the physical artwork and a certificate of authentication on the blockchain, the NFT marketplace Nuqtah, the first NFT marketplace in Saudi Arabia.

The exhibition will be open to public from Feb. 20 to March 10.

The artwork will be showcased at:

•     King Salman International Convention Center 

•     Madinah Art Center 

•     Jadat Quba (Quba Avenue) will host nocturne monumental projections from Feb. 19-26.

•     NFTs market place “Nuqtah,” the first NFT platform in Saudi Arabia