The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithraa) unveiled the artwork that won the fourth edition of the Ithra Art Prize, titled “E Pluribus Unum – “Modern Rock” by Tunisian artist Nadia Al Kaabi, today, Saturday, during the first Diriyah Biennale for Contemporary Art in Saudi Arabia.
This award is considered one of the most important artistic awards in the region, as Al Kaabi was awarded the $100,000 prize to establish her project.
The artwork sheds light on one of the effects of the Corona pandemic, which cast a shadow on commercial flights around the world, and caused their decline, which raises questions about how to measure human progress and economic growth.
Diriyah Biennale
Also, this monumental work consists of 19 panels depicting a set of cracks on a banner bearing an arrow, a symbol associated with the aviation sector and economic growth, which stimulates a rethinking of priorities.
Exploring knowledge
For her part, Farah Abu Shleih, Head of Ithra Museum, said, “Ithra’s goal is to ignite cultural curiosity, stimulate knowledge exploration, inspire creativity, and encourage the development of original content across many creative fields.”
She added that the museum aims to “focus on the arts in particular, as it works to link the past with the present, and the present with the future, while at the same time dealing with world cultures and honoring the rich heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its cultural history.”
Abu Shleih stressed that the Ithraa Prize for Arts is evidence of the commitment to support and develop the creative scene in the Kingdom and abroad.
“We are delighted to share Al Kaabi-Link’s winning artwork with the world for the first time, and we are proud of our ability to showcase talent from the Arab world on an international platform,” she added.
Unique experience
In turn, the Tunisian artist Al Kaabi, who is currently residing in Berlin, said, “The Ithraa Prize for Art has enabled me to push boundaries in a way that I could not have imagined before.”
And she continued, “I can say that this painting is one of my most complex and detailed paintings, as I completed it within two months, and in a way that is different from my previous works.”
She explained that its length is 20 meters, pointing out that “the distinctive experience was accompanied by challenges that became rewarding in the end.”
winning painting
It is worth noting that Kaabi Link studied fine arts in Tunisia, obtained her PhD from the Sorbonne University in Paris, grew up in Tunis, Kiev, Dubai and Paris and has exhibited her work extensively in many world famous art institutions, including the New York Museum of Modern Art and the Center Pompidou in Paris.
Her winning project “E Pluribus Unum – Modern Rock” will also be added to Ithra’s permanent art collection.
It is worth noting that the Ithraa Art Award was launched as a competition for Saudi contemporary artists residing in Saudi Arabia.
The award was won in 2018 by the artist Ayman Zidani for his project “Mim”, then by the artist Dania Al-Saleh in 2019 AD for her project “Sawtom”, followed by the artist Fahd bin Nayef in 2020 for his project “Rakhm”, and the work that won the Ithra Prize will be presented at the Biennale Diriyah, which will last until March 11, 2022.
