brief
NEOM is a region in the northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia currently being developed as a planned city for innovation and sustainability. Home to pioneering research into cutting-edge technologies, NEOM aims to establish itself as an accelerator of human progress. Alserkal Advisory was contracted by NEOM’s Entertainment & Culture Sector to develop and deliver the inaugural NEOM Artist in Residence programme. The goals were to foster the production of innovative artistic research, lay the foundations for a future creative talent base, and firmly establish the value of the artist’s role in the construction of the future city.
RESPONSE
Designing and executing an innovative programme that pioneers artistic involvement in NEOM
Following extensive research and benchmarking, Alserkal Advisory designed an innovative residency programme format that pushes the boundaries of what is possible within the setting of an as yet unbuilt city. The programme aligned with the strategic goals of the Entertainment & Culture (E&C) Sector, fostering relationships with the artists and laying the foundations for a future creative talent base, part of a wider workforce development initiative. A core component of the programme involved embedding the artists amongst the experts that live and work in the NEOM community. By partnering with TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary in Madrid, the Advisory was able to grow the E&C Sector’s partnership network and establish NEOM as a leading knowledge producer in the region and beyond.
Supporting experimental artistic research and production in the long term
In addition to their research, the eight artists in the inaugural cohort – four Saudi, four international – expanded their focus to include material outcomes. The artists collaborated with professionals in Madrid and in NEOM, to produce work across the fields of photography, video, installation, sculpture, and performance. These projects engage with the region as a whole, examining and interrogating its history, natural and geological landscapes, the environmental impact of development, and the idea of visual language The cohort has been invited to propose long-term partnerships with NEOM, with the intention that these collaborations contribute to the development of future acquisition, commissioning, and public art strategies for the E&C Sector.
Activating the NEOM Community through engaging programming
In addition to the open studios exhibition, the residency activated the NEOM Community with artist-led and external programming. Through a series of workshops, talks, a seminar, a lecture performance, and the first-ever public art intervention in the community, residents were invited to engage with contemporary art and interact with artists for the first time. NEOM staff from across the sectors including urbanism, environment, sustainability, technology, wellness, energy, and heritage were brought together through multidisciplinary artist-led conversations, which helped to demystify the role of artists in collaborating with non-creative sectors and highlighted their importance to culture and society as a whole.
Open Studios
Reverse Ornithomancy, Abdulmohsen Al Bin Ali
Work In Progress, Ahaad Alamoudi
Chapter 7: Volt, Bilal Allaf
A Blanket for Dreaming, Eduardo Cassina
Carbon Bloom, Liva Dudareva
The Green Screen Line, Tamara Kalo
To The Eagles, Chapter 2 (Work In Progress), Ayman Zedani
