Free entry for the public.. 13 artists in the “Open Studio” in Diriyah

The Visual Arts Authority invited the public to visit the “Open Studio” event within the “Residency of Encounters” program, which is being held at Studio I08 in the Jax district in Diriyah during the period from July 28 to 30 of this year.
This comes as part of the Authority’s efforts to enhance cultural exchange and provide artistic experiences to the public, as entry will be free and available to everyone.
The authority explained that the event comes as a culmination of the second session of the “Establishing a Meeting” program, which over a period of 3 months hosted 13 male and female artists and curators from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Serbia, China, Japan and Palestine, during which they worked to develop new artistic projects that explore various practices and specializations, in an environment based on research, experimentation and the exchange of experiences.

Direct interaction with artists

The Authority stated that the “Open Studio” event provides visitors with the opportunity to view the artistic works completed during the residency period, and to interact directly with the artists and the curator through a diverse program that includes performances, workshops, discussions and dialogues, thus enhancing dialogue about the creative ideas and practices that contributed to the formation of these works.
She stated that the program was based on benefiting from the cultural and cognitive resources of the city of Riyadh, through cooperation with the Diriyah Center for Future Arts, the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts “Wirth,” and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (King Abdulaziz House).
In addition to organizing visits to the King Fahad National Library and the National Museum, and a field trip to the Ushaiqar heritage village and its museum, which allowed participants to learn about the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom, in parallel with interacting with the contemporary artistic scene in the Jax neighborhood.

Developing technical projects

The Visual Arts Authority confirmed that the program provided a common space for participants to develop their artistic projects, through guidance sessions, workshops, and critical discussions, which contributed to creating an environment conducive to research, experimentation, and collective learning.
She pointed out that the “Establishing a Meeting” program is one of its pioneering programs aimed at supporting artistic practices, enhancing knowledge exchange, and building a creative environment connected to regional and international contexts, thus contributing to developing the artistic scene in the Kingdom and achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
It confirmed its continued provision of initiatives that contribute to expanding opportunities for community participation in contemporary arts, and providing quality artistic experiences to the public.