Sixth edition of Misk Art Week

Misk Art Institute’s (MAI) annual flagship event, Misk Art Week, returns for its sixth edition from December 5–10. A key moment in Saudi Arabia—and the region’s—cultural calendar, the 6-day event features a dynamic programme of exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, workshops, performances, a marketplace and satellite exhibitions. This edition’s thematic dialogue centres around the notion of nostalgia, exploring how it permeates the realms of art and design.

Since its first edition in 2017, Misk Art Week has established itself as a platform to foster all forms of creative output, including visual art, performance, publications and film. In line with the organisation’s mission to strengthen the local and regional creative community, the six-day free event features a Creative Forum, an Art & Design Market, exhibitions and educational programming providing opportunities for creative professionals to grow their practices and allows local and international visitors to engage with Saudi’s flourishing arts scene. 

Mashael AlYahya, Creative Director at Misk Art Week, says: “Dynamic energies, enriching dialogue and accessible creative opportunities are only a few aspects that define Misk Art Week. This initiative is truly an unmissable annual event that showcases and celebrates the best of multi-disciplinary arts in the kingdom’s cultural scene. This is the pulse of the Saudi art arena and offers something for everyone.”

In conjunction with Misk Art Week, MAI presents the third edition of the Misk Art Grant, the most ambitious arts grant in the region with a fund of 1 million Saudi Riyals (266,632 USD) distributed among 6 artists from the Arab world. The Grant offers a unique opportunity for emerging and mid-career Saudi and Arab artists to realise their dream projects through rigorous mentorship programmes with renowned curators and specialists. The 2022 participants were invited to respond to the theme, SARAAB - mirage in Arabic, reflecting on the relationship between movement and memory and the subtle thread that intertwines the concepts of ‘invisible’ and ‘visible’.

Misk Art Grant recipients: Abdulmohsen AlBinali (b. 1988, Saudi Arabia), Athoub AlBusaily (b.1998, Kuwait), Juri AlFadhel (b.1999, Saudi Arabia), M’hammed Kilito (b.1981, Ukraine), Rawdha AlKetbi (b.1997, the United Arab Emirates), Zeinab AlHashemi (b.1985, the United Arab Emirates).

The Misk Art Grant is an annual initiative launched by Misk Art Institute in 2020 aimed at supporting, promoting, and assisting emerging and mid-career artists and designers who work across several media to realise their dream projects. The Kingdom’s premier grant presents a different theme for each edition. It offers artists and designers the opportunity to work closely with curators and mentors selected by the Institute alongside technical support. 

The Art Library is a seminal art publication series dedicated to highlighting some of the most prominent and influential modern and contemporary Arab artists with a special focus on Saudi artists. This initiative aims at creating an accessible and compelling resource that offers readers a comprehensive panorama of the trends that shaped the history of modern and contemporary Arab art. Misk Art Institute has collaborated with Rizzoli International Publications to realise this pioneering new project with the Deputy for Cultural Assets & Canters and former director general of the Institut du monde arabe in Paris, Mona Khazindar as the publication’s editor.

Masaha Residency is an in-house residency program located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The programme is designed to cultivate the art sector through studio-based opportunities which aid in facilitating discourse, research, and experimentation around themes that concern the local community.

Misk Art Institute was founded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2017 and is a non-profit organisation that sees its mission in strengthening the local and regional creative community and promoting the appreciation of art and culture. The Institute is committed to facilitating access to art and encourages up-and-coming artists to unfold their creativity in a network of support, expertise, and further education to tap potential and upgrade the country’s art infrastructure. 

Farah Istanbouli, f.istanbouli [​at​] misk.org.sa

Nigel Rubenstein, nigel.rubenstein [​at​] flint-culture.com