Grey Borders / Grey Frontiers, Edge of Arabia’s premier exhibition of contemporary Saudi art in Berlin, has been deemed an overriding success by those who attended.

With a densely packed room of collectors, ambassadors, journalists and art critics, as well as the 17 artists exhibiting, the atmosphere was on the opening night on Wednesday 9th June was unparalleled. According to the Edge of Arabia Twitter, Safia Dikersbach, attending, noted, “Edge of Arabia’s standard of the production is even higher than in the Berlin art scene.”

The following Saturday played host to a series of talks and seminars with the artists and some of the world’s most respected academics on Middle Eastern art at the celebrated Galerie Der Kunst at the heart of Berlin. Click here for more photos of the Symposium.

Edge of Arabia is pleased to announce Grey Borders / Grey Frontiers, the first ever show of contemporary Saudi art in Berlin.

At its core, the show explores the transgression of borders, inviting a league of artists from Saudi Arabia to one of Europe’s powerhouses for art. At once overtly positive and somewhat provocative, the title invites audiences to consider a space in which boundaries can be crossed, but not without a reminder of the risks involved.

The exhibited works explore both the cultural context in which each artist is working as well as the actual medium itself. Ahmed Mater’s ‘Boundary’ (2010) is an ornately carved Islamic prayer arch that the audience is encouraged to walk under, which, as they do, activates a automated bip akin to a metal detector. A similar theme can be traced in Maha Malluh’s photograms from the ‘Traditions and Modernity’ series (2010), which feature objects collected from her studio, displayed as if on a screen of an airport x-ray machine. It is the paradoxically the medium itself that transforms the commonplace into something much more mysterious and potentially threatening.

“With borders becoming undefined and frontiers wide open, these works take us through the way that societies and their individuals perceive and comment,” explains curator Rami Farook, founder and director of Dubai’s project space Traffic. “It will become clear upon seeing the work that the issues at stake aren’t only relevant to Saudi society but to the world at large.”

Instead of offering of any kind of resolution, the exhibition rather seeks to examine the risks involved with making art in a relative young society whose art history has still yet to be written. Complimenting the show will be a series of talks and seminars attended by some of the world’s most respected figures in contemporary Middle Eastern art.

Grey Borders/Grey Frontiers opens at Torstrasse 1, Berlin on 9th June.

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Edge of Arabia artists Faisal Samra, Ayman Yossri, Abdulnasser Gharem and Manal Al-Dowayan were on hand to meet visitors and sign the exhibition catalogue on Thursday 18th March at Virgin Megastore in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.

Virgin Megastores are the exclusive distributor of the Edge of Arabia fine art catalogue in the UAE.

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Edge of Arabia was delighted to have a strong presence at this year’s Art Dubai with a showcase of contemporary Saudi art as well as a panel discussion and seminars by selected artists.

Director Stephen Stapleton said “our approach to Art Dubai is one of conversation; sharing ideas and engaging with the international art world as well as the local arts community.”

Internationally renowned artists Faisal Samra and Abdulnasser Gharem discussed their creative practice and screen some of their video art, while leading Saudi female artist Manal Al-Dowayan spoke on art as a vocation in the Gulf.

Panel discussion Saudi Art Now explored investigate the regions emerging contemporary art scene, opportunities available to arts communities and the challenges for artists based out of the Kingdom. Panellists include Sarah Al-Faour (Chief of Arts and Culture, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority), Abdullah Al-Turki (Creative Director, Edge of Arabia), Bashar Al-Shroogi (Founder, Cuadro Fine Art Gallery) and Hamza Serafi (Founder, Athr Gallery).

Abdullah Al-Turki, Creative Director, said Edge of Arabia’s presence at Art Dubai will “cultivate a deeper understanding of Saudi Arabia, so often misrepresented, by showcasing its rich culture and unique talents.”

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“I love art, we paint at school but this workshop is different, in this moment I feel that I’m a famous artist.”

“I would like to be a fashion designer, I’m drawing some of my own designs in the mural and I WANT people to see them.”

These are just a handful of the comments made by some of the students who took part in Edge of Arabia’s education programme during the launch of our World Tour.

There were two workshops, one hosted by the prestigious Hewar Gallery on the 53rd floor of the Kingdom Tower itself, the other at the Al Tarbiya Al Ahlieah School, exclusively a girls zone! In both murals, the artists discussed themes of Saudi heritage, cultural identity and modernity with the children to get them inspired and expressive!

The students were selected from the Mawhiba schools partnership and the International Child Art Foundation and were from Saudi, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and the United States making it a truly international collaboration!

After two days of paint, stencils, music, laughter and a lot of fun, emerged two beautiful murals capturing the essence of some of our artists yet expressed through the eyes of the young creatives. They are on display in Jeddah in the office of Bab Rizq Jameel, our supportive education partners who share our value of inspiring creativity in young people in Saudi.

“Two days aren’t enough for me, I want to paint and paint and show everyone my work.”