RIYADH: A cultural institution in AlUla plans to select a Saudi artist to host a residency in Paris in an effort to promote French artisanal traditions in the Kingdom.
The artist will be chosen by Basmah Felemban and Gael Charbau, artistic directors of AlUla’s Villa Hegra.
A collaboration with the Mobilier National, a French governmental body that produces and preserves artisanal furniture, the initiative aims to bring France’s creative expertise to Saudi Arabia.
The artist will also join Villa Hegra in AlUla for a residency organized by the institution’s cultural program.
Villa Hegra is a planned initiative that hosts a variety of artist residencies, creative spaces for cultural initiatives, an exhibition hall, a cinema and performance art studio.
The partnership between Villa Hegra and the Mobilier National will also involve displaying a selection of design pieces from the French organization’s collections at AlUla.
Herve Lemoine, the president of Manufactures Nationales, said: “This partnership continues the Mobilier National’s rich tradition of collaboration with cultural villas, bringing French artisanal excellence to creative spaces around the world.”
Feriel Fodil, the CEO of Villa Hegra, said: “This long-term collaboration also strengthens Villa Hegra’s primary mission: To promote artistic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France, while celebrating their respective artisanal heritages.”
Villa Hegra was officially announced in an intergovernmental agreement signed on Dec. 4, 2021, by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, then-French minister for foreign affairs.
One of Villa Hegra’s goals is to foster cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and France.
Fodil previously told Arab News’ French edition: “It is a state-to-state initiative that represents the willingness of two parties to collaborate at the cultural level.”
