A visitor takes a look at an artwork in the exhibiton in Jeddah, Friday. — SG photo

By Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH –– For the first time in the Kingdom, the British Council in partnership with Athr Gallery will celebrate the opening of the exhibition “Out of Britain” –– a collection of artwork from emminent 20th century British artists –– Friday (June 2) in the presence of Consul General in Jeddah, Mohammed Shawkat and British Council Director in Saudi Arabia Adrian Chadwick OBE.



The “Out Of Britain” exhibition started its journey on April 23 at the National Museum in Riyadh, after Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Khoja inaugurated it. It was the result of an ongoing partnership between the National Museum and the British Council, both of which selected the artwork to be exhibited.



Themed around British landscape and coastline, the exhibition will portray artwork related to how man has evolved over a period of time. The work will illustrate individual artists’ attempts to find their place amongst an ever-changing environment where they are often driven to challenge traditional ways of interpreting and framing the landscape.

 

One of the key aims of the exhibition is to reaffirm the British Council’s position as a world leader in arts and cultural relations. By introducing Saudi audiences to major works from one of the largest national collections of British contemporary art, the intention is to generate a similar artistic response around the theme of the Saudi landscape — Out of Arabia — for both physical and virtual presentation in Saudi Arabia and the UK.

The month-long exhibition will have public lectures and workshops led by UK Arts specialists for artists and teachers, in addition to an online Art Competition.



The Art Competition that has been running from April 23 will end on July 20. It is intended to help identify budding Saudi artists, who can be considered for the major contemporary Arab art exhibition to be held in London in 2014. The competition’s theme is to capture the landscape of the Arabian Peninsula and explore its hidden diversity. It is open to local residents of Saudi Arabia only.