Art Jameel, an organisation that supports artists and creative communities, launches the second edition of its international open call for curators to submit exhibition proposals developed for Hayy Jameel’s museum space—Hayy Arts—in Jeddah, for a May 2026 opening. Curators -individuals or collectives- with at least three years of experience are encouraged to share proposals that engage with the geography and history of Hayy Jameel’s location in Jeddah, particularly themes related to connections in and around the Red Sea – its connected geographies, histories, ecologies, and the movement of people and ideas. The awarded curator will work alongside the Art Jameel team who will provide guidance and support on the exhibition’s development, production and design, logistics and installation.
Art Jameel is accepting proposals from curators working anywhere whose research and exhibition-making engage with the following topics:
–Red Sea ecologies.
–Red Sea histories of migration—the movement of people and ideas.
–Connected geographies across the Red Sea (e.g. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Palestine, Jordan).
–Hejazi histories.
–Red Sea architectural histories.
–Red Sea histories of trade, food, etc.
The award includes a curatorial fee, curator’s travel and accommodation, artists’ fees, travel, and accommodation, along with coverage of all exhibition-related costs, including production, installation and promotion.
For more information on eligibility and requirements, and to apply, visit hayyjameel.org.
The inaugural edition received more than 60 proposals from 40 countries, eventually awarded to Palestinian curatorial duo Ahmed Al-Aqra and Abed Alrahman Shabaneh for their research into vessels that have traversed the Red Sea across history and folklore, culminating in a group exhibition titled Salt-Kissed: Of Vessels That Have Sailed The Red Sea (May 8–October 26, 2024).
Hayy Jameel is developed and managed by Art Jameel as Saudi Arabia’s dedicated arts complex and creative hub. Hayy joins Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai—which opened in 2018 – in its efforts to build culture-oriented, connected communities. Designed by waiwai, Hayy references the Arabic word for neighbourhood, denoting the convivial and collaborative nature of the complex and its intent on bringing together a wide range of creative disciplines in one destination.
The Art Jameel-run exhibitions space Hayy Arts anchors the creative complex, presenting robust, curated, museum-style shows—featuring Saudi and international artists and designers—that address themes of local and global relevance. Hayy Arts’ exhibitions are accompanied by an extensive public programme that includes talks, performances, learning opportunities and a film programme, plus a range of workshops and activities for children, youth and lifelong-learners.
Current Hayy Arts exhibitions include:
We saw an endless cycle
On view through April 17, 2025
Curated by Rotana Shaker
Bringing together works by artists whose practices closely engage with the city through intimate gestures in the form of movements: walking and crawling; acts of recording and reinterpretation through photographing, painting, drawing, writing, sculpting and practices of counter mapping.
Artists include: Lubna Chowdhary, Basmah Felemban & Mustafa Hassan, Bricklab, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Amal Kenawy, Rut Blees Luxemburg, Umber Majeed, Pope.L, Abdulhalim Radwi, Seher Shah, Hassan Sharif, John Smith, Mohammed Al Saleem, Dima Srouji, Risham Syed, Lin Yilin and Lulua Alyahya.
Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine
On view through April 17, 2025
Curated by Rachel Dedman
Drawing on the extraordinary collections of the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, the exhibition features more than 30 dresses, archival photographs and objects exploring both the historical and contemporary importance of the Palestinian tradition of Tatreez—an ancient practice that reflects the social and cultural landscape of a turbulent history for the Palestinian people.
