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Ithra Art Prize is an annual leading art initiative launched in 2017 by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra). This 5th edition continues to extend its geographical reach to include established contemporary artists from or residing in the 22 Arab countries.
The Ithra art prize is open to adult (18+) contemporary artists and art collectives from or living in (10 years or longer): Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.
Saudi artist Obaid Alsafi unveiled his Ithra Art Prize-winning artwork “Palms in Eternal Embrace" at the AlUla Arts Festival. The sixth edition of the prize was the first in collaboration with Arts AlUla. Obaid’s piece draws inspiration from Saudi Arabia’s rich history and landscapes, giving reference to the 5,000-year-old sandstone pillars found in the artist’s birthplace, the historical town of Qaryat Al Faw, and the ancient Rajajil Columns found in Al Jawf region, north of Saudi. Not only an architectural marvel, the Rajajil Columns were used to observe the stars and seasonal changes and has recently provided evidence of the effects of climate change in the Arabian Peninsula.
The 5th Edition
Adel Abidin, an Iraqi-Finnish artist based in Helsinki, wins the Ithra Art Prize 5thedition. His winning work (ON) explores the intricate relationship between history, memory, and identity. As Abidin delves into the intangible aspects of history, he is confronted with the challenge of scarce reliable archival sources. This challenge is especially present in the context of Arab history, where much remains shrouded in ambiguity, allowing for a broad range of interpretations and augmentations. In studying the Zanj rebellion in Iraq, he finds a captivating example of this complexity. His wall installation highlights the fragility of history and the organic nature of memory, and offering a glimpse into what remains of this ancient event in a unique and compelling way.
Photo Credit: STUDIO Adel Abidin
Nadia Kaabi-Linke, a Tunisian-Ukrainian artist based in Berlin, is the most recent winner. Her winning artwork, E Pluribus Unum – A Modern Fossil, takes a reflective look at one of the effects of the pandemic, which – among other things – grounded many of the Arab world’s commercial airlines and led to questions about how humanity measures progress and economic growth.
Fahad bin Naif, Saudi-based, the winner of the third edition of Ithra Art Prize. His installation — Rakhm which means ‘incubation’ in Arabic — aims to conceptually preserve a nursery as both an urban typology and its ‘incubatees’ as an environmental micro-economy.
Daniah Al Saleh, Saudi-born and London-based, was announced as the winner of the second Ithra Art Prize in 2019. Her large-scale multimedia installation: Sawtam, was unveiled at Art Dubai 2019 and was showcased at the Artificial Intelligence and Intercultural Dialogue Art Exhibition at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Ayman Zedani, Saudi-born UAE-based conceptual artist, was the winner of the first Ithra Art Prize in 2018. His art piece, Meem, was exhibited at Art Dubai in 2018.
