Saudi artist Daniah Alsaleh: ‘We can celebrate tradition, but we really need to be open to change’ 

‘Hinat.’ (Supplied) 
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Updated 11 October 2024
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Saudi artist Daniah Alsaleh: ‘We can celebrate tradition, but we really need to be open to change’ 

  • The Saudi artist discusses some of her favorite works and their common themes 

DUBAI: “I call myself a visual artist that focuses on social conditioning and memory.” That’s Saudi artist Daniah Alsaleh’s ‘elevator pitch.’ But, like all such handy soundbites, it fails to convey the complexity and ambition of her layered, multimedia works, which have seen her land several prestigious residencies and awards, including the 2019 Ithra Art Prize. 

For someone whose work has made such an impression on so many, Alsaleh took quite some time to convince herself she was ready to present that work, which at the time was largely influenced by Islamic geometry, to the world.  

“I was interested in art from a young age, but I never really had the opportunity — I went to school and university in Riyadh, where I was born,” Alsaleh tells Arab News. “It was when I moved to Jeddah that I really got into art. I studied at the atelier of Safeya Binzagr, who recently passed away, for probably five, six years. That’s how I really learned the basics of drawing, painting, color theory, shape and form. Then, every time I had the chance to travel abroad, I would take courses in paintings and life drawings. I got hooked on Islamic geometry, and then — after all these years of learning arts, probably around 10 years, I had the confidence to actually finish artworks.” 

Her first show was a group exhibition in 2012. “No one knew who I was, but a lot of the people asked about my work,” she says. In 2013, she joined the roster of artists at Athr Gallery. Now, she says, “it was getting serious,” and she decided to become a full-time artist. In 2014, she moved to London. 

“I decided to apply for a Master’s in Fine Art at Goldsmiths. I didn’t get in but they offered me a place on another program, which was called Computational Arts and that changed my practice completely, 180 degrees,” she says. “This program catered for artists with no background in technology and we were taught how to use physical computing to create installations, and coding as well — like processing and frameworks. I really got hooked. Machine learning resonated with me — we don’t call it AI, we call it machine learning; it’s a program that learns. It changed my practice completely from Islamic geometry to a more contemporary way of expressing myself.  

“I’m not an AI artist. I’m a visual artist,” she continues. “I have machine learning in my toolbox, next to my paints and next to my canvas and next to my videos and next to my audio files and next to my photos. And depending on the context, I just choose which tool I want to use.” 

As suggested by her elevator pitch, that context usually involves exploring our relationship with memory and media.  

“I’m interested in social conditioning in the everyday — things that we take at face value, things that we take for granted,” she says. “These things that we habitually do, where do they come from? And usually I look at media and how that affects us; how it affects our memory, what stays and what gets erased. And how we reprogram our memories, sometimes, just from looking at content on social media. So that’s really what my interest is.” 

Here, Alsaleh talks us through some of her most significant works. 

‘Restitution’ 

This is an example of my older work. It’s from 2017. You see this perfectly organized structure — five panels of hand-drawn Islamic patterns — but then there’s this random brushstroke across them all. That’s my intervention. It’s a commentary on how we are very hooked on celebrating tradition and practices. We can celebrate and appreciate history and tradition, but, at the same time, we really need to be open to change — accepting new things and new ideas. 

‘Sawtam’ 

This artwork — an audio-visual installation — was a big transition for me; a big jump from my paintings. It was created while I was still doing my Master’s, and it’s the piece that won the Ithra Art Prize in 2019. It addresses forms of expression. The visuals were inspired by Manfred Mohr, a German new-media artist who created similar images based on algorithms in the Sixties, and they move or vibrate every time the sound comes out. There were sounds coming from every screen — the pronunciation of the Arabic letters — and when you put them all together in one space, it’s like a cacophony of noise. It’s a commentary on how communication sometimes gets lost, or sometimes gets through. It has a lot of meanings, and it’s very layered, but it’s basically about communication and forms of expression.  

‘That Which Remains’ 

This is a large installation I did for the first edition of the Diriyah Biennale. Again, it’s about memory: collective memory versus individual memory. Collective memory is where we remember things in monuments and celebrations — like National Days. That’s where our collective memory is. But within individual memories, a lot of things get lost, especially when there’s a lot of development and change. So, it’s a — very gentle — commentary about what we’re witnessing and experiencing in Saudi Arabia right now: the individual memories of these characters on the cylinders, which are the buildings and the houses and the structures that are being developed and changed.  

The faces on the cylinders are machine-generated. They’re deep fakes. I collected my own data sets of faces, and then trained the machine to learn to create new faces for me. And then I took those new faces and transferred them onto the cylinders. The paintings are inside-out, so when the cylinder is lit, you can see these shadows of these faces. And then people who visit say, ‘Oh, she resembles my aunt, this resembles my uncle’ and so on. They might resemble them, because they have Saudi or Gulf aesthetics, and the machine learns what you focus on. So if my data set focuses on a certain aesthetic, that’s what it creates. But these people never existed. 

‘Evanesce’ 

This was actually based on my degree show at university. I have two identities: The Western identity and the Gulf identity. And whenever I’m in the West, the news is so different from the news you see in the Middle East. Like, since the Iraq War, all the images you see about Iraq are destruction and war and poverty and craziness and explosions and guns. But what I know about Iraq is culture and arts and literature and science. So for my degree show I collected all these images, Iraqi images, from the 40s, 50s and 60s, for the machine-learning program and created these new images with, like old photo aesthetics. But they’re all deep fakes. And “Evanesce” is a continuation of this research, but focused on the Golden Age of Egyptian cinema. I watched a lot of Egyptian movies, and I collected 15 tropes that are repeated in most of them — the extravagant stairways, the cars, answering the old classical telephone, the belly dancer, the family gathering over breakfast, the chaos in the morning, the protagonists and their friends, the embrace and the romance, the palm trees and the close up of certain buildings. I created data sets based on each trope, and then each data set was trained on a machine-learning program. So then I had 15 outputs of this machine learning based on these tropes, which I stitched together to create this 10-minute film. And this morphing from one image to the other that you see in the video just resembles how we remember things. Again, it’s a commentary about social conditioning. These movies are so prevalent and so important in the MENA region within conservative societies, but the images on screen really contradicted their culture and their values. So it’s a commentary on how, as a society, we watch these things that really contradict our belief system and tradition. But there’s some sort of… it’s similar to obsession. These movie stars and these movies were an obsession to a lot of people within conservative countries. It’s instilled in the collective memory and still resonates to this day. These movies spread from North Africa to the Middle East, to lots of regions where there are a lot of conservatives. So there’s a lot of tension and contradiction between these two worlds. 

‘Hinat’ 

This is an important piece for me. It was created during a residency I had in AlUla in 2022. It’s based on this Nabatean woman — Hinat — who has a tomb in (Hegra). That was very inspiring to me. Obviously, she was from a very prominent family, because she was wealthy enough to have a tomb for herself, and it was under her name. This installation is made up of collages of different views of AlUla and I cut out rectangles on each canvas, and I projected videos into the rectangles. These videos are inspired by Hinat, imagining her future generations, from her bloodline, living in AlUla and roaming around across these landscapes. And the videos were created by machine learning. I hired three ladies from AlUla. We went to different locations and got them to wear these different colorful fabrics. The we shot videos and created data sets from each video, and then trained the program, and it created these very ghostly, abstract figures that move across these landscapes. 

‘E Proxy’ 

This was part of a solo show I did in 2023. It’s a video in which a face morphs into an emoji and then morphs back into a face. It’s a commentary about the ubiquity of emojis and the way we express ourselves in emoticons and pictograms. It’s interesting to me and it’s important. You can’t express our range of emotions in, like, 10 or 20 smileys. It’s just so restrictive. So, what’s happening there? I’m not giving an answer, but I’m opening up a space for questioning ourselves. And, listen, I’m a big advocate of emojis — they help me save time. But I’m asking what is happening here: Is it conditioning us into being less expressive? Or are we conditioning it to be a tool to help us express ourselves? There is this duality. I mean, there’s no correct point of view; it’s very subjective. But it’s always worth raising these questions. 

‘The Gathering’ 

This was the result of another residency I did, supported by the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia, with Catherine Gfeller, a French-Swiss artist. We wanted to know who are the females that are living in Riyadh — not necessarily Saudis — as it goes through this explosion of art and culture and infrastructure. I was born and raised in Riyadh — I live in Jeddah now, but I know Riyadh very well, and I’ve seen the changes. And I’m just in awe and disbelief at what I’m seeing. So, to cut a long story short, we did an open call, and there were 37 ladies who participated who came from 11 different countries — different backgrounds, different generations, different professions. We interviewed them and videoed those interviews, and my focus was on the emotional side of things: How do you deal with loneliness in a big city? What does love mean to you? What about resentfulness? How about forgiveness? Then the audio of the interviews kind of fades in and out. I put them all together as though we’re sharing our thoughts and emotions — a female gathering. And the videos were all manipulated by AI as well; it’s a layered effect, and it’s referencing the different aspects of emotion that we go through.  

‘36’ 

This was part of the same project as “The Gathering.” It’s a composite of the faces of all the women who took part, except for one lady who refused to take off her niqab, so I couldn’t include her in this image. I don’t think this was a new idea — I bet it’s been done many times before — but what I wanted was a commentary on… faced with this perception of what Saudi Arabia is and what Riyadh is and who the women there are… actually, it’s a multicultural city with diverse backgrounds. And when you see this image, you don’t know where the ‘person’ comes from, what their ethnic background is, among other things. You can think of many things when you look at that image.  


‘I am amplifying our voices,’ Miss Lebanon says ahead of Miss Universe pageant

Updated 12 November 2024
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‘I am amplifying our voices,’ Miss Lebanon says ahead of Miss Universe pageant

  • Nada Koussa has a psychology master’s and wants to raise awareness of mental health during conflict
  • Contest is a way for Lebanon to remain ‘visible on the international stage, rather than being marginalized’

DUBAI: Miss Lebanon Nada Koussa is preparing to compete at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico on Nov. 16 and she told Arab News why she is participating while her country is “enduring unimaginable suffering” under Israel’s bombardment.

The Miss Universe competition has contestants from more than 130 countries competing, with Koussa among a handful of candidates from the Middle East.

“Representing Lebanon on the international stage is always important, and it becomes even more crucial in times of crisis,” she said.

The Miss Universe competition has contestants from more than 130 countries competing, with Koussa among a handful of candidates from the Middle East. (Getty Images)

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 people in the 13 months of fighting along the border, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health on Nov. 5.

“At first, I hesitated, as I felt leaving would mean stepping away from my humanitarian work — supporting displaced individuals and providing psychological aid in schools and shelters.

“However, by participating in the Miss Universe competition, I am amplifying our voices as Lebanese people who are enduring unimaginable suffering,” the contestant explained in a written response from Mexico.

Koussa hails from the village of Rahbeh in Lebanon and has a master’s degree in clinical psychology.

She was crowned Miss Lebanon in July by a judging panel consisting of eight women: actress Razane Jammal, model and fashion blogger Nour Arida, interior designer Diane Ghandour, model and socialite Georgina Rizk, Dr. Petra Khoury, socialite Paola Pharaon Rizk, TV presenter Raya Abirached and restaurateur Mireille Hayek.

Koussa hopes to use the Miss Universe stage to highlight the importance of mental health, especially during times of crisis and conflict.

“Lebanon has endured many hardships, and I am dedicated to raising awareness about the need for psychological support for those affected by trauma,” she explained.

“Since the onset of the conflict, I have focused on providing mental health support to families most impacted, visiting schools to assist both children and adults,” she added.

Koussa joins Miss Egypt Logina Salah and Miss Bahrain Shereen Ahmed from the Arab world. All three are currently in Mexico on a promotional tour before the pageant kicks off this week.

“This is also a way to ensure that Lebanon remains visible on the international stage, rather than being marginalized,” Koussa said.


Michelin Guide to make its Qatar debut

Updated 12 November 2024
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Michelin Guide to make its Qatar debut

DUBAI: The Michelin Guide will make its debut in Qatar next month, with a launch ceremony scheduled for Dec. 12 at Katara Hall, Raffles Doha.

It will mark the first time restaurants in the Qatari capita have been recognized by the prestigious culinary guide.

International director Gwendal Poullennec said: “The Michelin Guide, renowned for its meticulous and independent reviews of dining establishments, has been exploring Doha’s vibrant culinary scene.

“Our famously anonymous inspectors have thoroughly reviewed the city’s top eateries, from the bustling Corniche to the luxurious hotels and diverse restaurants representing cuisines from around the world. We are delighted to finally announce the Michelin Guide’s arrival in Doha.”

To mark the event, an exclusive cocktail reception will feature guest chefs presenting signature dishes and demonstrating their expertise. These will include representatives of Alleno Paris, awarded three stars in the 2024 Michelin Guide France; Jordnaer, which holds three stars in this year’s Nordics guide; and BO Innovation, which is recognized with two stars in the 2024 Hong Kong guide.
 


Oscar winner Viola Davis to be honored at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival

Updated 12 November 2024
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Oscar winner Viola Davis to be honored at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival

JEDDAH: Academy Award-winning actress and producer Viola Davis and Egyptian star Mona Zaki will be honored at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, set to run from Dec. 5-14 under the theme “The New Home of Film.”

Jeddah's newly inaugurated Culture Square is the main venue for this year’s festivities. RSIFF will showcase a lineup of 120 films from 81 territories and host a program of talks, screenings, and awards honoring luminaries in the film industry.

This year the festival will honor two women in global cinema: Egyptian actress Mona Zaki and Academy Award-winning US actress Viola Davis. 

Davis is a producer and the co-founder of JVL Media, an initiative dedicated to bringing diverse narratives to the screen, will also be recognized. During the festival, JVL Media will take part in RSIFF’s Souk, an industry-focused market dedicated to fostering cross-cultural storytelling and collaboration. The Souk will bring together 75 companies from 18 countries, with JVL Media joining in both the marketplace and the industry talks program, which will delve into storytelling trends and funding opportunities within the region and globally. 

RSIFF will showcase a lineup of 120 films from 81 territories and host a program of talks, screenings, and awards honoring luminaries in the film industry. (Hashem Nadeem)

This UNESCO Heritage site, with its coral stone buildings and colorful rawasheen latticework, offers a unique blend of heritage and modernity, creating an immersive cinematic experience. 

Mohammed Asseri, RSIFF Acting CEO, said: “The new venue in Jeddah’s historic district blends modern design with rich history.”

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, managing director of the RSIFF, highlighted the foundation's comprehensive approach to supporting the film ecosystem, saying: "We're not just about the festival — we have a range of initiatives like the Red Sea Souk, which serves as an industry hub for business, connections, and discovering new films. Through Red Sea Labs, we provide vital support to regional filmmakers, offering programs like residency opportunities, feature film development, and collaborations with Film Independent for TV series projects. The Red Sea Fund further empowers filmmakers by offering partial financing for their films and TV series.”

Addressing the challenges regional filmmakers face in breaking into the international scene, Shivani emphasized the importance of telling authentic local stories from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia. 

(Hashem Nadeem)

"We believe in the power of these stories and are committed to giving filmmakers the platform to share them. Through Red Sea Labs and the Souk, we provide structure, pitch opportunities, and connect filmmakers with international buyers, distributors, and sales agents. Our goal is to create an organic space where projects can be discovered and supported,” she said. 

RSIFF 2024 will open with “The Tale of Daye’s Family,” an Egyptian-Saudi co-production directed by Karim Shenawy, telling the inspiring story of Daye, a young Nubian albino boy with a powerful voice who faces adversity while journeying from Aswan to Cairo to audition for “The Voice.” 

Johnny Depp-directed “‘Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness” will be this year’s Awards Night Gala film while the fourth edition’s closing film will be “Better Man,” directed, co-written, and co-produced by Michael Gracey. The biopic reimagines the journey of British pop icon Robbie Williams—from boy band fame to tabloid scandal and his return to the spotlight.

In addition to these highlights, the festival will present a competitive lineup, including “Maria,” directed by Pablo Larrain and starring Angelina Jolie as opera star Maria Callas, and “We Live In Time,” featuring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Hollywood star Danny DeVito is expected to attend the gala screening of “A Sudden Case of Christmas.” 

Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at RSIFF, said, “When selecting films for the Red Sea Film Festival, I first look for emotional resonance, if a film connects with me personally, it often connects with audiences in Saudi Arabia. Our theme this year, The New Home of Film, draws inspiration from home, both literally and metaphorically. It's about finding films that embody that feeling of belonging. We also seek films that are culturally relevant, with themes of change and modernity, especially as Saudi Arabia undergoes its own transformation.”


‘Marvels of Saudi Orchestra’ headed to Tokyo this month

Updated 11 November 2024
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‘Marvels of Saudi Orchestra’ headed to Tokyo this month

DUBAI: Following performances in Paris, Mexico City, New York and London, the “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” will bring its musical showcase to Tokyo on Nov. 22. The event – to be held at the Tokyo Opera City – marks a celebration of the Kingdom’s musical heritage and a collaboration with Japan, uniting diverse traditions through the universal language of music.

The evening will feature the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir performing alongside the Gagaku Orchestra Imperial Court Music of Japan and the Orchestra Academy of Tokyo College of Music.

The program will encompass traditional Saudi compositions and classical Japanese pieces, highlighting the depth and diversity of both nations’ musical legacies. A special guest performance by renowned Japanese guitarist HOTEI will further enhance this evening of musical synergy. 

Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Music Commission, said in a statement, “Music has a unique ability to transcend borders and create connections. Through the ‘Marvels of Saudi Orchestra,’ we are thrilled to share the cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia with the world, fostering deeper understanding and friendship through shared artistry.”

Organized by the Saudi Music Commission, one of the eleven cultural commissions under the Ministry of Culture, the “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” global tour embodies Saudi Arabia’s commitment to cultural exchange and musical excellence.

 


‘Art of the Kingdom’ takes contemporary Saudi creations to a global audience

Updated 11 November 2024
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‘Art of the Kingdom’ takes contemporary Saudi creations to a global audience

  • Work of 17 artists showcased to coincide with G20 Summit in Brazil
  • Honors our past, says Mona Khazindar, advisor at Culture Ministry

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission will inaugurate “Art of the Kingdom,’ the country’s first traveling contemporary exhibition, at the historic Paco Imperial building in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this week.

The exhibition from Nov. 13 to Jan. 12 runs under the theme “Poetic Illuminations” and seeks to offer international audiences a look at Saudi Arabia’s evolving contemporary art scene.

The exhibition from Nov. 13 to Jan. 12 runs under the theme “Poetic Illuminations.” (Supplied)

Launching to coincide with the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil, “Art of the Kingdom” features the work of 17 artists, each representing a range of generations and styles, with mediums spanning paintings, installations, and video art.

The artists featured are Sara Abuabdallah, Ghada Al-Hassan, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Ahmed Mater, Emy Kat, Ayman Zedani, Shadia Alem, Nasser Al-Salem, Manal Al-Dowayan, Lina Gazzaz, Muhannad Shono, Sarah Brahim, Daniah Alsaleh, Faisal Samra, Filwa Nazer, Moath Alofi, and Ahad Al-Amoudi.

The “Art of the Kingdom” show will travel to Riyadh in early 2025, where it will be showcased at the Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art in the JAX district. At the end of the year, it will be presented at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

Launching to coincide with the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil, “Art of the Kingdom” features the work of 17 artists. (Supplied)

Mona Khazindar, advisor at the Ministry of Culture, in a written response to questions from Arab News, stated that the exhibition “is a testament to the profound impact that art has on our understanding of history, culture and community.

“It not only honors our country’s past and collective memory, but also demonstrates the dynamic role art plays in connecting us to our shared identity, inspiring creativity and dialogue for generations to come.”

Curator Diana Wechsler, in her response to questions, said “every exhibition must open new horizons for its audience, offering an experience of discovery and challenging habitual thinking.

The exhibition from Nov. 13 to Jan. 12 runs under the theme “Poetic Illuminations.” (Supplied)

“Exhibitions, to me, are also experiences of knowledge. This is especially important here, as this exhibition is the first to showcase a group of contemporary Saudi artists abroad.

She added: “The exhibition is the result of extensive research from which its central themes emerged. I visited many artists, most of them based in Saudi Arabia, and engaged in deep conversations about each artist’s creative experience.

“It was an immensely stimulating journey for me, and I hope this exhibition provides viewers with a similar path of understanding through its selected works.”

Through “Art of the Kingdom,” the museums authority aims to empower Saudi artists by highlighting their work globally. (Supplied)

Wechsler chose Nasser Al-Salem’s “Arabi/Gharbi” (“Arab/Foreigner”), with its large neon Arabic script, to both open and close the exhibition.

Wechsler explained: “This piece offers viewers both a question and a clue: what does this neon signify? It creates a symbolic boundary between the contemporary Saudi experience and the cultural framework of the audience.

“Through each piece, the exhibition unfolds like a revelation — a poetic illumination — exploring various facets of a captivating culture where past and present, tradition and transformation, are interwoven.

“Arriving at the end of this journey and encountering Al-Salem’s neon again, I imagine the audience will see it differently, their horizons broadened by the journey they have taken.”

Through “Art of the Kingdom,” the museums authority aims to empower Saudi artists by highlighting their work globally. It also seeks to establish the nation’s presence in the global art landscape, and foster cross-cultural appreciation and dialogue.

Launching to coincide with the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil, “Art of the Kingdom” features the work of 17 artists. (Supplied)

The exhibition centers on two primary themes: the desert as a symbol of vastness, infinity, and life’s depth, and the singularity of Saudi cultural traditions as seen through the evolution of visual culture.

Artist Muhannad Shono said: “As Saudi Arabia now invests in its arts and cultural expression, and strives to invite the world in, it’s important that this cultural dialogue does not flow in one direction, but to also reach outwards in an honest and equal exchange of ideas with the world.

“My role is to continue to express and imagine, not only in my country but beyond its borders … bypassing the perceived lines that separate us and divide.”

Artists Sara Abu Abdallah and Ghada Al-Hassan, a mother and daughter team, are presenting a collaborative piece.

In a joint written response, they said their work, “Horizontal Dimensions,” explores “intergenerational complicity, the notion of home, urban transformation, and shared dreams and visions, bridging personal history with contemporary dialogue.

“As mother and daughter, we have always shared a creative bond, and this project allowed us to combine our voices and artistic visions to express something greater than the sum of its parts.

“By presenting this work at such a significant exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, we hope to contribute to the global conversation on cultural exchange and the evolving narratives of our region.”