An All-Saudi Arabian Show takes Salt Lake City

UMOCA’S FIRST ALL-SAUDI ARABIAN SHOW

UMOCA Presents Cities of Conviction

MAIN AND CODEC GALLERIES: AUG 25 – JAN 6

Salt Lake City, UT – The The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is thrilled to present Cities of Conviction, an exhibition of contemporary Saudi Arabian art.

Picture by Abdullah Al-Othman

In partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and CULTURUNNERS, Cities of Conviction is an exhibition of contemporary art from Saudi Arabia. While the artworks have been curated by UMOCA, this exhibition and program are part of a ten-city cultural tour across the United States.

Cities of Conviction presents works from artists who are engaged in looking at the struggle and transformations of Saudi society, and who delve into complex issues linking Utah and Saudi Arabia, such as natural resources, pilgrimage and tension surrounding commercial development around cultural heritage sites.

Cities of Conviction is to be exhibited in the Main and Codec galleries of UMOCA, located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, and adjacent to Utah’s most recognizable religious site, the LDS Temple. This site is a place of pilgrimage, but is also the center of a commercial development boom, just as Mecca is experiencing now; our state is currently engaging in issues surrounding oil and land preservation, just as Saudi is attempting to diversify its economy. From sacred lands to the way society condemns or accepts religious practices, each unique culture connects to one another in a variety of ways. Contemporary art has always been at the heart of these very human connections, bringing to the forefront the most pressing issues of our national and global cultures.

JDEED’s picks from this exhibitions are the work of Musaed Al Hulis, Qatar Abdulmalik, Balqis Al Rashed and Yusef Alamahad whose interviews you will be able to read soon on our website.

Cover Picture by Arwa Al Neami

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