São Paulo – The desert and cultural traditions are the two central elements in the creations of Saudi Arabian artists featured in the exhibition “Poetic Illuminations,” on display at Paço Imperial in Rio de Janeiro until early 2025. The exhibition makes its world premiere in Brazil, having arrived on November 13 as part of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the G20 summit, which was hosted and chaired by Brazil.
In an email interview with ANBA, Diana Wechsler, curator of “Poetic Illuminations,” said we live in an era of “Googlization,” referencing the search engine’s name, where people receive large amounts of information in a disorganized and unstructured manner.
This idea, coupled with the perception that art can illuminate reality, led to the selection and display of works by artists such as Muhannad Shono, whose installation “The Ground Day Breaks” (2024) features foundry sand used to create molds. While this piece references the desert, Arabi Gharbi (2022) by Nasser Al Salem highlights the art of Arabic calligraphy through a dialogue of words formed on a neon light panel.
Another form of artistic expression is the film Niun (2018) by Ahaad Alamoudi, which reflects on the country’s future, including the construction of the futuristic city Neom. The film explores Saudi Arabia’s efforts to achieve development goals and how this pursuit of a new reality impacts the nation. Transformation and change are recurring topics in other exhibited works, such as the film The Return of Old Ones (2020) by Ayman Zedani and the textile installation Five Women (2021) by Filwa Nazer.
“Two main vectors emerge from the repertoire of the exhibition. The first is the desert as a definition of space, infinity and life; the other is the singularity of cultural tradition and the development of a visual culture of its own, involving diverse pasts and presents. Both questions intersect with others such as memory, environmental awareness, origins, identity. In this rich web of concerns, the history of Saudi Arabia is woven in artistic terms, enriched by the questions of the present,” says the curator.
“I believe that every exhibition must install new horizons in the spectators. I also believe that an exhibition is an experience of discovery and a challenge to the inertia of thought. That is why I believe that an exhibition must be an experience of knowledge. In this case, I think it is crucial because it is the first group exhibition of Saudi contemporary art to be shown abroad,” she says.
Art exhibition makes its debut in Brazil
Wechsler says the decision to present the “Saudi contemporary perspective through art” during the G20 was a proposal from the local Ministry of Culture and adds that Saudi Arabia was the only participant in that meeting to hold a cultural initiative on the sidelines of its presence at the G20.
“I believe that this exhibition will contribute to ‘poetically illuminate’ and expand the international image of the Saudi Arabia, while providing the possibility for audiences to cross cultural borders and encounter not only the singularities of the Saudi world and its culture, but also the convergences with other socio-cultural horizons,” says Wechsler.
The Paço Imperial was chosen as the exhibition venue, explains the curator, due to the “nobility of the building,” its history, and its location in downtown Rio de Janeiro. It is situated in an area with a diverse audience and receives approximately three thousand visitors per day. Built between 1733 and 1743, the Paço Imperial had various uses before becoming a cultural center. It was the residence of viceroys in the 18th century and, known then as the Paço Real, served as the administrative headquarters of the United Kingdom of Brazil, Portugal, and the Algarves from 1808, when the Royal Family arrived in Brazil, until 1822. From then on, it was named Paço Imperial.
The exhibition “Poetic Illuminations” brings together 25 works by 17 artists, all of whom are Saudi: Lina Gazzaz, Ahmed Mater, Shadia Alem, Ahmad Angawi, Moat Alofi, Emy Kat (Mohamed Al Khatib), Manal Aldowayan, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Ahaad Alamoudi, Daniah Alsaleh, Basmah Felembah, Sarah Brahim, and Faisal Samra. After its run in Rio, the tour will move on to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and then to the National Museum of China in Beijing.
Quick facts:
Poetic Illuminations
Paço Imperial – Praça Quinze de Novembro, 48, downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 (21) 2215-2093
Free admission
On display until 01/12/2025
Read more:
Saudi Arabia celebrates relations with Brazil
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
