Saudi producer explores pearl diving in new digital art show in Dubai
Saudi producer explores pearl diving in new digital art show in Dubai/node/2577055/lifestyle
Saudi producer explores pearl diving in new digital art show in Dubai
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Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world. (Supplied)
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Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world. (Supplied)
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Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world. (Supplied)
Saudi producer explores pearl diving in new digital art show in Dubai
Updated 28 October 2024
Dalal Awienat
DUBAI: Saudi producer Farah Al-Ibrahim’s new digital art show “Pearls of emotions” is set to premiere at the Theater of Digital Art in Dubai on Dec. 2.
Presented by her production company Artellosa, Al-Ibrahim told Arab News she hopes this show, which explores the rich history of pearl diving in the Gulf, resonates with viewers and offers them a new perspective on the region and its culture.
“I feel it's in my DNA to talk about pearls and our relationship to the sea. But knowing this culture and keeping it in our hearts is not enough. We need to preserve it and reflect it to international audiences,” she said.
Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world. (Supplied)
The desire to engage a diverse audience is a key driving force behind the experience, as “Pearls of Emotion” features a unique musical score that fuses traditional Gulf melodies with contemporary sounds in order to appeal to visitors from around the globe, as well as younger generations seeking a fresh take on the exploration of Gulf heritage.
“A lot of people think our civilization started when oil money entered the region. This is not correct, we have the need and duty to change that perspective and reflect the beauty and richness of our culture,” Al-Ibrahim explained.
“Pearls of emotions” tells the story of a bride who says goodbye to her husband days after their marriage as he embarks on a pearl diving journey, explained Al-Ibrahim.
“Pearls of emotions” tells the story of a bride who says goodbye to her husband days after their marriage as he embarks on a pearl diving journey, explained Al-Ibrahim. (Supplied)
“The show has seven parts, each one talks about a certain emotion such as love, resilience, strength, pride and so on,” she added.
The show offers a 360° immersive journey back in time at TODA, a 1,800-square-metre immersive art space located in Souk Madinat Jumeirah.
Al-Ibrahim relied on AI to generate the imagery for this art exhibition. She described the process as a challenge as AI databases are not fully versed with data from the Arab world.
By talking to her family, who have a long history in the trade, Al-Ibrahim was able to collect information on what ships, sailors and diving experiences looked and felt like so she could feed it to AI programs and generate a depiction of these stories.
“It's very important to have these stories documented, even if it's AI,” she said.
Misk Art Week returns for artists, enthusiasts in Riyadh
‘Seeing Riyadh’ exhibition features photographs of Saudi Arabia’s capital down the years
Updated 9 min 5 sec ago
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: The eighth annual Misk Art Week began on Thursday and runs until Dec. 10, featuring a spectacular display of what is all the latest on the local art scene.
Enthusiasts rushed to Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall and its neighboring venue to explore new exhibitions, art fairs, markets, and educational programs, while the soothing sounds of oud music added charm to the evening
The interactive experience invites visitors to explore and create parallel worlds in real-time through generative artificial intelligence. (AN photo)
Ibrahem Al-Suhaibani, executive director for marketing, communication, and user experience at Misk Art Institute, told Arab News: “We do have artists who are now establishing their career in the art and design market.
“So, we see ourselves supporting and bridging between the establishment and the mature galleries, and in between we support the artists through all the value chain.”
HIGHLIGHTS
• At Misk Art Week, Canadian art studio Iregular is presenting ‘As Water Falls,’ a free-flowing digital waterfall that continuously evolves.
• ‘Alternative Realities’ invites visitors to explore and create parallel worlds in real-time through generative artificial intelligence.
• The ‘Obsolete Technologies’ showcase features works from local and international artists.
This year’s event is curated around the theme of art and technology, pushing artists to contemplate the aspects of digital and media through an artistic lens.
The educational program and mentorship sessions are also part of the Institute’s strategy to educate, enable, and encourage new generations of artists. (AN photo)
Al-Suhaibani added: “We tackle the topic from different angles: from a research angle, before internet, post-internet, what’s the impact of the technology and the media, how this is helping artists to boost their creativity or even block them in any way, and how they really reveal their creativity after that blocking.”
At the entrance of the space, inspired by how nature is alive and ever-changing, the Canadian art studio Iregular presents “As Water Falls,” a free-flowing digital waterfall that continuously evolves with alternating patterns and visuals that will never be the same for at least 100 years.
The Art Fair space is bigger this year, which features works from 11 Saudi-based galleries including Hewar Art, Mono, Hafez, WRD Art, ATHR, Dawi, and others. (AN photo)
While the digital installation has been presented in seven countries around the world this year, an addition was created especially for Misk Art Week, Al-Suhaibani said, and is being shown for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
Further into the outdoor space, the studio presents “Alternative Realities,” an interactive experience that invites visitors to explore and create parallel worlds in real-time through generative artificial intelligence.
The Art Fair space is bigger this year, which features works from 11 Saudi-based galleries including Hewar Art, Mono, Hafez, WRD Art, ATHR, Dawi, and others. (AN photo)
By combining word prompts and arranging a variety of props at their disposal, participants can craft infinite combinations of realities that range from slightly different to wildly surreal.
Al-Suhaibani said: “We have four shows in total for Misk Art Week, all of them around media and technology in a different format.”
The interactive experience invites visitors to explore and create parallel worlds in real-time through generative artificial intelligence. (AN photo)
The exhibitions include the Masaha Residency’s “Obsolete Technologies” showcase, which features works from local and international artists; the “Seeing Riyadh” exhibition, which explores the city’s significant transformation over the past decade through photography; the Misk Art Grant’s “Digital Civilizations” outdoor exhibit, which taps into phenomena shaped by modern technology; and “The Silent Age of Singularity” exhibition, which investigates the post-internet era.
Al-Suhaibani said: “Riyadh has been evolving in the past few years, especially now with the announcement of the metro starting to operate.
The educational program and mentorship sessions are also part of the Institute’s strategy to educate, enable, and encourage new generations of artists. (AN photo)
“Riyadh is hosting big events and has become a hub. So, we felt this year that we needed to highlight Riyadh, especially at the beginning of the ’80s and ’90s.”
Additionally, the event includes an art book fair featuring a number of international, regional, and local publishers to celebrate the rich and diverse Arab art culture; and an extended art and design market with 92 artists and entities at which the local community can engage, sell, and commission unique works.
“We designed it in a way that anyone walking by the market can see everything. And there is a diversity between painting, photography, sculpting projects, and even design,” Al-Suhaibani said.
The educational program and mentorship sessions are also part of the institute’s strategy to educate, enable, and encourage new generations of artists.
The art fair space is bigger this year, and features works from 11 Saudi-based galleries including Hewar Art, Mono, Hafez, WRD Art, ATHR, and Dawi.
Al-Suhaibani added: “We believe today the market desires to have galleries more specialized to support artists and to showcase their artwork.”
The Misk Art Week mural is also a feature and an interactive space crafted to showcase the creativity of young talents. As children contribute unique visions that are then displayed on a wall, they collectively shape a masterpiece that evolves with each individual contribution. With the help of augmented reality tech, the artwork comes to life in an entirely new dimension.
Misk Art Institute’s goal is to create a cohesive environment in which all artists, regardless of their background, can thrive.
Saudi director Hassan El-Hejaili on filming with kids — and eggs
“In most Saudi films, kids are wise beyond their years,” El-Hejaili explained
Updated 5 min 24 sec ago
Jasmine Bager
ALULA: Saudi filmmaker Hassan El-Hejaili offers a quirky, nostalgic portrayal of childhood mischief in his seven-minute short, “The Extraordinary Misadventures of the Amazing Boy Super-Blurry,” now screening at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
The story follows a bored young Saudi, Zezo, who discovers that he can put his hand into boiling tea without being hurt.
“Tea is part of our culture … we drink it so much that it’s like it’s in our veins,” El-Hejaili told Arab News while sipping a cup of tea, explaining why he chose to begin the story with the beverage.
FASTFACTS
• Hassan El-Hejaili’s short film follows a bored young Saudi, Zezo, who discovers that he can put his hand into boiling tea without being hurt.
• Filmed in black and white — aside from a saturated red tint in the tea — the aesthetic, which has shadows and different gradients, pays homage to classic cinema.
The audience is invited along on Zezo’s adventures — or misadventures — with his siblings as the situation in their dysfunctional home escalates and his superpowers become even more impressive.
Filmed in black and white — aside from a saturated red tint in the tea — the aesthetic, which has shadows and different gradients, pays homage to classic cinema.
“I consider myself a cinema-lover,” said El-Hejaili, who has written multiple books on cinema in Arabic, adding that he drew inspiration from vintage filmmakers such as Georges Melies, who died in 1938.
El-Hejaili chose a kitchen and bathroom as the primary settings, spaces not often seen in Saudi films.
“Those rooms are the heart of the home,” he said, “but every time the family in the film gathers there, something goes wrong.” The film’s tight quarters create a sense of closeness and chaotic spontaneity, capturing playful sibling rivalries, while the distracted parents are too absorbed in their smartphones to notice.
The portrayal of children in the film diverges from typical Saudi cinema and doesn’t spoon-feed everything to the audience — El-Hejaili trusts that they will be able to pour their own cups of tea and join in.
“In most Saudi films, kids are wise beyond their years,” El-Hejaili explained. “I wanted them to lie, fight and break stuff — not in a way that destroys the world, but in a cute, real way. Siblings fight. It’s natural.”
One of the most memorable scenes during the two-day shoot was an egg fight sequence. “It was fun to film but a nightmare to clean,” he said, laughing. “This was the first and last experiment and experience filming with kids — and eggs.”
‘Everyone has such dynamic stories to tell,’ Emily Blunt says at Red Sea Film Festival
Updated 06 December 2024
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: Academy Award nominee Emily Blunt touched down in Saudi Arabia recently to attend the opening ceremony of the fourth Red Sea International Film Festival — where she was named an honoree — and also had the chance to speak about the art of storytelling.
Arab News caught up with “The Fall Guy” actress to find out more about her time in the Kingdom, and why she believes it is vital that Arab filmmakers tell their own stories.
She said it was a “complete pleasure to be here, and I’ve never been to Saudi Arabia before,” and found Jeddah to be a “beautiful, vibrant city.”
“It’s just been very moving for me to get the reception here because I think sometimes Hollywood can feel like a bubble, where I live in Brooklyn can feel like a bubble, and then you come here and the whole world sort of opens up to you.”
Blunt is known for her breakthrough role in “The Devil Wears Prada,” which earned BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, while her performances in “A Quiet Place” and “Mary Poppins Returns” showcased her range.
She had words of wisdom for young Saudi actors.
“Act all the time whenever you can. It is really about just putting yourself out there as much as you can — be inventive, use the internet, use this way of conveying your abilities to the world,” she said.
Blunt, who is set to star in the upcoming action-adventure film “The Smashing Machine,” acknowledged the difficulties of her profession.
“And I think being an actor is such a precarious job sometimes, you know, you kind of have to wear a helmet for it. It’s not always for the faint of heart, but it’s a really beautiful occupation and there are many ways you can do it.”
Reflecting on the nation’s blooming cultural scene with numerous opportunities for budding filmmakers, musicians and artists, she said: “Well, everyone has such dynamic stories to tell.
“It’s how we move each other, it’s how we learn about each other … and I think in order to broaden our horizons and orient us towards a different way of thinking about the world and about each other, films are a really powerful conduit for that.”
She added: “I’m so excited by what’s happening in Saudi Arabia culturally, artistically. It just seems to be just exploding here in a really wonderful way.”
Review: At RSIFF, ‘The Tale of Daye’s Family’ is disappointing despite sparkling performances
Updated 06 December 2024
Gautaman Bhaskaran
JEDDAH: “The Tale of Daye's Family,” which did the opening honors at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, threw away the initial potential it had about exploring human prejudices. Veteran Egyptian director Karim El-Shenawy — who gave us fascinating movies like “Nawwara” (2015) and “Gunshot” (2018) — this time presents a portrait of a family and Daye, a young Nubian albino.
Scripted by Haitham Dabbour, the Saudi Egyptian production in Arabic captures the resilience of the human spirit and the eternal strength of love. A compelling storyline and outstanding performances by Saudi actress Aseel Omran, who is marking her debut in Egyptian cinema, Sudanese actress Islam Mubarak, and Egyptian actors Haneen Said and Badr Mohamed lift the movie, but below average production values apply the brakes. Lackluster editing and poor cinematography do not help the plot to progress beyond a point.
Tracing the agony of Daye, whose skin discolouration makes him the butt of jokes among his peers, the film turns out to be disappointing after showing initial promise. Agreeing to fulfil the boy's wishes, his mother takes him to a singing competition. Gifted as he is with a magnetic voice, he wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Mohamed Mounir. However, the family's journey from Aswan to Cairo in Egypt turns out to be a nightmare.
“The Tale of Daye’s Family” examines the intricacies of life, love, and shocks that can create an emotional storm in one's life. Balancing tears with laughter and the complexities of human relationships with a simpler form of existence, I found the work too melodramatic at times.
Director Hassan El-Hejaili talks filming with kids — and eggs — as short premieres at RSIFF
Updated 06 December 2024
Jasmine Bager
ALULA: Saudi filmmaker Hassan El-Hejaili offers a quirky, nostalgic portrayal of childhood mischief in his seven-minute short, “The Extraordinary Misadventures of the Amazing Boy Super-Blurry,” now screening at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
The story follows a bored young Saudi, Zezo, who discovers that he can put his hand into boiling tea without being hurt.
“Tea is part of our culture … we drink it so much that it’s like it’s in our veins,” El-Hejaili told Arab News while sipping a cup of tea, explaining why he chose to begin the story with the beverage.
The audience is invited along on Zezo’s adventures — or misadventures — with his siblings as the situation in their dysfunctional home escalates and his superpowers become even more impressive.
Filmed in black and white — aside from a saturated red tint in the tea — the aesthetic, which has shadows and different gradients, pays homage to classic cinema.
“I consider myself a cinema-lover,” said El-Hejaili, who has written multiple books on cinema in Arabic, adding that he drew inspiration from vintage filmmakers such as Georges Melies, who died in 1938.
El-Hejaili chose a kitchen and bathroom as the primary settings, spaces not often seen in Saudi films.
“Those rooms are the heart of the home,” he said, “but every time the family in the film gathers there, something goes wrong.” The film’s tight quarters create a sense of closeness and chaotic spontaneity, capturing playful sibling rivalries, while the distracted parents are too absorbed in their smartphones to notice.
The portrayal of children in the film diverges from typical Saudi cinema and doesn’t spoon-feed everything to the audience — El-Hejaili trusts that they will be able to pour their own cups of tea and join in.
“In most Saudi films, kids are wise beyond their years,” El-Hejaili explained. “I wanted them to lie, fight and break stuff — not in a way that destroys the world, but in a cute, real way. Siblings fight. It’s natural.”
One of the most memorable scenes during the two-day shoot was an egg fight sequence. “It was fun to film but a nightmare to clean,” he said, laughing. “This was the first and last experiment and experience filming with kids — and eggs.”
