'The Playback' by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation's Public Programs

Art Legacies: Historic Patrons of the Middle East

Join us for an odyssey through time and culture as we celebrate the dynamic development of art patronage across the Middle East. Mai Eldib takes us through the evolution of art sponsorship throughout the region by delving into the remarkable trajectories of key patrons and visionaries – uncovering and understanding their bold risks and long-term strategies. You'll learn how key individual patrons with visions led the way and paved course for the regional art institutions of today. Founded in 1744, Sotheby's has established itself as a cornerstone of the global art market, celebrated for its expertise in curating and auctioning fine art, rare collectibles, and luxury items.  Beyond auctions, Sotheby's provides comprehensive advisory services, cultural programming and represents a crucial platform for the global art world. The auction house plays a multifaceted role in connecting individuals with art and culture, continually shaping and enriching the landscape of the art market. A special thank you to artist and art teacher Yasmin Sinai, who worked alongside Sotheby’s to assemble the workshop.  Since joining Sotheby’s in 2008, Mai Eldib has made a significant mark in the art world. Initially working with Jewellery and 19th Century Paintings in New York, she specialized in Orientalist art before relocating to Cairo in 2010. As SVP and regional head of sales and advisory for the Middle East, Mai has extensively promoted Modern and Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art. She has been pivotal in achieving record-breaking sales for Egyptian Modernists and recently set new records for Saudi artists like Abduljabar Alyehia and Mohammed Al Saleem.

The Blue Lotus Affair: Spirituality and Micro Intuition Hacking

As Saudi Arabia diversified from oil revenues under the historic Vision 2030 initiative, and as we witness a human species with declining intuitive capacities, the era of the Blue Lotus has dawned. A native species to western Africa and the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Blue Lotus genetic code offers humanity a rare opportunity to reclaim its lost senses. In this moderated talk Panel between Sara Almutlaq and Rahel Aima, we explore the recent rise of the Blue Lotus from a naturally occurring ecological species, to a bio hacked genetic code that hopes to re-engineer our consciousness. Through the panel we explore the ethics of biogenetics and the strange events that surround it, from Neom, through Alula to the Blue Lotus urban agricultural initiative in Riyadh. Sara Al Mutlaq, based in Riyadh, blends a background in architecture with critical theory to explore societal themes. With a Master's from Columbia University, she's contributed significantly to Saudi Arabia's cultural scene, developing programs and strategies for the Ministry of Culture and playing a key role in establishing Diriyah Art Futures and Fenaa Alawwal. Her curatorial work includes the upcoming exhibition "Unfolding the Embassy" at Fenaa Alawwal, and her writings and visual art have been featured in various platforms and exhibitions, including Noor Riyadh. Rahel Aima is a writer and critic from Dubai. She's written for publications like Artforum, Frieze, and Art Review. Holding a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University, she has directed a writing residency, edited the forthcoming BXD, and won the 2018 Andy Warhol Arts Writers grant. Aima's past roles include leading THE STATE, where she showcased projects at significant global events. She is currently focusing on a collection of essays that delve into Khaleeji Ideology and environmentalism in the Arabian Gulf.

What is a Non-Human?

We are surrounded by other than human life forms that make up to 99.9% of life on the planet. We ask important questions such as: Do non-human species have consciousness? Do they experience embodiment? How do they communicate and make decisions so that they can survive in any condition? Join us as we take into consideration the alternative forms of experiencing the world. Anna Kirikova   Anna Kirikova is an independent curator and cultural projects developer based in Paris. Between 2018 and 2022, she was the Director of the International Programme at The Manege Central Exhibition Hall in St. Petersburg, where she commissioned and organized programming for exhibitions and other cultural events. Her most notable projects at The Manege include ‘Éspirits’ by Christian Boltanski, ‘Utopia Saved’ by Lee Bul, ‘As They See Us’ in collaboration with Magnum Photos, and NEW NOW – a research project delving into ideas of the present moment and exploring potential scenarios for our shared future. As a result of the collaboration with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Anna has created and is co-presenting a major public program, ‘Other Minds’, at the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale.      Paco Calvo   Paco Calvo (Ph.D., University of Glasgow, 2000) is a Professor of Philosophy of Science, and Principal Investigator of the Minimal Intelligence Laboratory (MINTLab) at the University of Murcia (Spain). His research interests range broadly within the cognitive sciences, with special emphasis on plant intelligence, ecological psychology and embodied cognitive science, robotics, and AI. He uses time-lapse photography to explore perception-action and learning in plants. His scientific articles have appeared in Annals of Botany, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Frontiers in Neurorobotics, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Journal of the Royal Society, Plant, Cell & Environment, Plant Signaling & Behavior, Scientific Reports, and Trends in Plant Science, among other journals. He is the author of the popular best-selling book Planta Sapiens (Norton 2023, with Natalie Lawrence).   Ayman Zedani   Ayman Zedani’s investigative practice works to upend our comprehension of the past and challenge our acceptance of the future. His work includes videos, installations, and immersive environments that consider the future of the Gulf. His resultant projects are platforms to invite audiences to observe human-nonhuman symbiosis, leaving his narratives open to a multitude of interpretations and questions. His arc of inquiry highlights the interactions and relationships of humans in the more-than-human world, framing his practices and projects as extended animism.

New Institutions: Diana Campbell, Hou Hanru, Azu Nwagbogu

Working in very different geographies—from Bangladesh to Rome and Lagos—senior curators and heads of institutions share their experience in institution-building and creating alternative models while navigating the intricacies of private, national, and self-organized institutions. Diana Campbell is the Founding Artistic Director of Dhaka-based Samdani Art Foundation, Bangladesh, and Chief Curator of the Dhaka Art Summit, having lead its critically acclaimed 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023 editions. Concurrent to her work in Bangladesh from 2016–18, Campbell was also the Founding Artistic Director of Bellas Artes Projects in the Philippines and curated Frieze Projects in London for the 2018 and 2019 editions of the fair. She chairs the board of the Mumbai Art Room. Her writing has been published by Mousse, Frieze, Art in America, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), among others. Hou Hanru is an international curator and art critic and served as an Artistic Director of MAXXI, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, from 2013 to 2023. He has also served as Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs and as the Chair of Exhibition and Museum Studies at the San Francisco Art Institute from 2006 to 2012. He has curated over 150 exhibitions across the world, notably biennales and triennials in Johannesburg, Shanghai, Gwangju, Venice, Guangzhou, Istanbul, Lyon, Auckland, Shenzhen. He has been a consultant and advisor at many international institutions, including the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, De Appel Foundation in Amsterdam, and the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai. Snejana Krasteva is a curator and educator. She is currently Head of Curatorial programs at Diriyah Contemporary Biennale 2024 and co-founder of the Eastern Balkans Institute for Art and Architecture in Bulgaria. She served as Chief Curator at Luminous Art Foundation, Lisbon (2022–2023) and as Senior Curator of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (2013–2022). She grew up between Bulgaria and Morocco, received her BA in Chinese studies from the University of Nanjing, China, in 2004 and her MFA in Curatorial studies from Goldsmiths College, London, in 2011. Azu Nwagbogu is an internationally acclaimed curator, interested in evolving new models of engagement with questions of decolonization, restitution, and repatriation. Nwagbogu is the Founder and Director of African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), a non-profit organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria and the Founder and Director of LagosPhoto Festival, an international arts festival of photography. He is the publisher of Art Base Africa, a National Geographic Society Explorer at Large, and the curator of the first ever Republic of Benin pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale.

What Does Sustainability Mean for the Art World?

The Visual Arts Commission in partnership with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation Public Program invites you to join Alice Audoin, Ute Meta Bauer and Qutouf Elobaid for a conversation on sustainability in the art world. The panelists will discuss how the visual arts sector can play a critical role in disseminating information and introducing innovative practices and initiatives in response to the climate emergency. They will elaborate on examples of engagements with local and international artists and institutions that bring future perspectives for a sustainable art world. This talk is made possible by The Visual Arts Commission. Ute Meta Bauer (born 1958 in Stuttgart, Germany) is an educator and curator in the field of contemporary art. Since 2013, she has been the Founding Director of the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore and a Professor at the School of Art, Design, and Media at Nanyang Technological University. She co-chairs the Master of Arts in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and leads the “Climate Crisis and Cultural Loss” research project. Bauer co-curated Documenta11 (2002) and the 3rd Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art (2004). With Paul C. Ha, she co-curated the US Pavilion at the 56th Biennale di Venezia (2015), receiving an honorary mention. She also curated the Singapore Pavilion at the 59th Biennale di Venezia and was a curator of the 17th Istanbul Biennial (2022). Chair and founder of Art of Change 21, consultant, curator, and author, Alice Audouin has spent 24 years in sustainable development, focusing on contemporary art and the environment. She organized the first international symposium on “The Artist as Stakeholder” at UNESCO in 2004. With Art of Change 21, Audouin enriches the intersection of art and environmental issues and introduces art to global events like the COP Climate Conferences. She has curated numerous exhibitions on environmental themes and served as a guest curator at Art Paris 2022. Audouin was instrumental in establishing Novethic for the Caisse des Dépôts Group and was the sustainable development director for Havas Group. She has published six books and has taught at the University of Cergy-Pontoise and the University of Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. Qutouf Elobaid is the Special Projects Coordinator at Art Jameel, where she leads the Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform. Her work focuses on supporting regional artists and sustainability projects. Beyond her primary role, she is a dedicated writer and curator, emphasizing Sudanese art and culture.