Please join us for a discussion that integrates both older and younger voices from Saudi Arabia as they reflect on the trajectory of their practices in relation to the digital age. 

ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Abdulnasser Gharem creates works that reflect on themes of reconciling his Islamic and Saudi cultural identities. Drawing on his experience as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Saudi Arabian army, Abdulnasser witnessed how sweeping social transformations affected the education system. His early works reflect on the societal transformations felt between the 1970s and 1980s in Saudi Arabia and have culminated into a global response to how societies articulate their values.

Abdulnasser was born in 1973 in the Saudi Arabian city of Khamis Mushait. In 1992, he graduated from the King Abdulaziz Academy before attending the Leader Institute in Riyadh. In 2003, he studied at the influential Al-Meftaha arts village in Abha, and in 2004, Abdulnasser and the Al-Meftaha artists staged a group exhibition, “Shattah,” which challenged existing modes of art practice in Saudi Arabia. Since then Abdulnasser has exhibited in Europe, the Gulf and the USA, including at the Martin Gropius-Bau and at the Venice, Sharjah and Berlin Biennales.

Ahaad Alamoudi is a multidisciplinary artist whose works involve ethnographical studies that trace the intersection between past and contemporary history of Saudi Arabia. Her work examines how one’s nationality conflicts with a sense of belonging, especially when divided between two countries. Constantly moving between both Saudi Arabia and London, Ahaad is interested in how communities measure and preserve heritage through archiving and how different historical narratives weave throughout families and communities.

Born in Jeddah and living between Saudi Arabia and London, Ahaad received a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at the Dar Al-Hekma University in 2014. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Print at the Royal College of Art in London. Her recent exhibitions include the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston, TX (2016), CGP London, London, UK (2016), Al Hangar, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2016), the Venice Biennale, Venice (2013), and Edge of Arabia’s exhibition in Jeddah (2013). In 2011, she was selected by the Crossway Foundation in London to meet with museum curators and artists and collaborated with the British Museum, Tate Modern and Penguin Books.

Shaweesh is a mixed media artist who articulates the cultural diffusions between Saudi Arabia and the global community throughout history, measuring this intercultural dialogue through both visual arts and digital design. With the onset of the internet age, Shaweesh began using the web as a gateway into a new inspiration, as he incorporated Pop Art and Western-branded graphics into his creations.

Shaweesh is based in Riyadh and is the Creative Director at Gharem Studio. He has exhibited at the Venice Biennale (2013), Gharem Studio’s “Ricochet” exhibition at Asia House, London (2015) and in other local shows across the Middle East. He is the Art Director and Creative Director of Telfaz11, a media-based collective in Saudi Arabia whose popular shows and videos have garnered over 12 million followers and over 1 billion views on YouTube.

The talk is chaired by Sarah Thornton, a writer, ethnographer and sociologist of culture. Formerly the chief correspondent on contemporary art for The Economist, Thornton is best known for her books Seven Days in the Art World and 33 Artists in 3 Acts. She has written for many other publications, including Artforum, the Guardian, and The New Yorker, and has contributed to broadcasts at the BBC, NPR, and ZDF. A frequent guest speaker, she has given talks and participated in panels at museums, universities, and literary festivals around the world.

Born in Canada, Sarah received her undergraduate degree in art history at Concordia University, Montreal before earning a doctorate in sociology at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.has a BA in Art History and a PhD in the Sociology of Culture. She is currently based in San Francisco. Currently based out of San Francisco, she seeks to explore the defining practices of the 21st century and the evolving nature of the artist through her extensive studio interviews.