The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, also known as Ithra, in Dhahran. Courtesy Ithra
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, also known as Ithra, in Dhahran. Courtesy Ithra
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, also known as Ithra, in Dhahran. Courtesy Ithra
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, also known as Ithra, in Dhahran. Courtesy Ithra

Ithra Art Prize partners with Ad-Diriyah Biennale


Melissa Gronlund
  • English
  • Arabic

The diary of art events in Saudi Arabia is getting crowded as the results of the rapid investment in the country’s cultural sector are coming to light.

After being unveiled for its first four iterations at Art Dubai, the winning submission for the annual Ithra Art Prize will this year be shown at the Ad-Diriyah Biennale outside Riyadh. The event, due to kick off in December, will be the country’s first biennial, and will take place in the environs of the historic Salwa Palace at Ad-Diriyah.

The Ithra Art Prize is given by the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture. Also known as Ithra, the centre is a Saudi Aramco project in the Eastern Province of the country and emphasises workshops and support structures for artists and other kinds of creative professionals alongside a regular roster of exhibition, theatre and cinema programmes.

The award carries a grant of up to $100,000 to produce a work of art, which then enters the Ithra collection. Artists from the Arab League countries are eligible, and it is presented this year in collaboration with the Ad-Diriyah Biennale Foundation. Submissions are open until August 16.

Ithra has also announced its seven-member jury for the award, with a mix of national, regional, and international names in the field.

These are: Abdullah K Al Turki, who was instrumental in founding the Saudi Art Council and the Jeddah event 21, 39; Dr Ridha Moumni, a historian of art and archaeology at Harvard University; Moroccan curator Brahim Alaoui; Salwa Mikdadi, who recently established the Al Mawrid Arab Centre for the Study of Art at NYUAD; Amal Khalaf, the director of programs at the London art space Cubitt and the Civic Curator at the Serpentine Galleries; Clare Davies, the associate modern and contemporary curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and Farah Abushullaih, the head of museums and exhibits at Ithra.

Past winners have included Saudi artists Ayman Zedani, Daniah Al Saleh, and Fahad bin Naif. The work will be shown throughout the duration of the Ad-Diriyah Biennale, which is scheduled to run from December 7 to March 7.

Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The five pillars of Islam
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

Despacito's dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

The%20Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.6-litre%20twin%20turbocharged%20V6%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20472hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20603Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh290%2C000%20(%2478%2C9500)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Updated: August 02, 2021, 4:30 PM`