Saudi artist Obaid Alsafi has been named the winner of the sixth annual Ithra Art Prize, an award given to outstanding artists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The prize, launched in 2017 by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (also known as Ithra), is the largest art grant in the MENA region, offering winning artists $100,000, and up to an additional $400,000 in funding to bring their artistic visions to fruition.
Alsafi’s winning installation, Palms in Eternal Embrace (2023), brings attention to the critical issues of climate change and the preservation of natural diversity. The work embodies the theme of this year’s prize, “Art in the Landscape.”
“Challenging the boundaries between the organic and the synthetic, the natural and the cultural, and the human and the non-human, it is my hope that Palms in Eternal Embrace will inspire audiences to reflect on the extinction of a plant group that is so characteristic of our region and foundational to our identity, and to consider innovative solutions to address such pressing environmental concerns,” Alsafi said in a press statement.
Born in Wadi ad-Dawasir in 1991 and now living in Riyadh, Alsafi creates installations, video, and data-generated projects. With a background in computer science, he brings a unique perspective to his art, integrating technology and creativity.
His installation, featuring over 30 palm tree trunks, is a symbolic representation of the Arabian Peninsula’s environmental changes and pays homage to the region’s heritage. The trunks are intricately woven with a variety of organic or recycled textiles, locally sourced to reflect Saudi Arabia’s rope and Leifa traditions.
The installation is set to be unveiled at the 2024 AlUla Arts Festival in Saudi Arabia on February 8th, as a part of a partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla.
from Artsy News https://ift.tt/Ig4jqQR
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