Abdullah AlOthman, Geography of Hope, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

This Open-Air Art Exhibit in the Saudi Arabian Desert Will Make You Doubt Reality

Saudi Arabia News Art + Architecture
by Morgane Croissant Feb 6, 2020

AlUla has been nicknamed “The World’s Masterpiece” by the public relations people at the Saudi Arabia tourism board, and while this moniker may sound like an exaggeration only fit for advertising purposes, it’s actually not far from the truth. Especially since Desert X started.

AIUla is an immense desert region (nearly 8,500 square miles) in the northwest of Saudi Arabia that is home to world-class archeological sites, including Hegra, a Petra-like ancient city designated as a UNESCO Heritage site; enormous sandstone mountains; and an oasis valley. And since February 11, 2022, it is also the location of the second Saudi edition of Desert X.

Desert X is an international contemporary art exhibit that happens every odd year in California’s Coachella Valley, and every even year in AIUla. This year’s Desert X, the second to take place in Saudi Arabia, has the themes of mirage and oasis — a perfect motif for the location.

@matadornetwork Jim Denevan, "Angle of Repose", installation view, #DesertX AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, video by Lance Gerber #SaudiArabia ♬ original sound – Simp Archives

15 international artists participated in this year’s exhibit, with specular large-scale installations.

“[…] participating artists have responded with new works that address dreams, camouflage, fiction, dis/appearance, extraction, illusion, and myth, while also examining the dichotomy between the natural and man-made worlds,” a press release from Desert X explains.

Below are the 15 dream-like installations on view until March 30, 2022, in AIUla, Saudi Arabia.

Art installation in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Zeinab Alhashemi, Camouflage 2.0, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in the shape of a key hole in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Sultan bin Fahad, Desert Kite, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in Saudi Arabia

Stephanie Deumer, Under the Same Sun, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Shezad Dawood, Coral Alchemy I (Dipsastrea Precisosa), Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Shaikha Al Mazrou, Measuring the Physicality of Void, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation of a large wooden refuge in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Dana Awartani, Where the Dwellers Lay installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Shadia Alem, I Have Seen Thousands of Stars and One Fell in AIUla, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Artwork of an illusory gold waterfall in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Serge Attukwei Clottey, Gold Falls, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Monika Sosnowska, Silent Witnesses of the Past, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Artwork of a circle of trees in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Khalil Rabah, Grounding, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation made of sand in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Jim Denevan, Angle of Repose, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation of large black and white panels in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Claudia Comte, Dark Suns, Bright Waves, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Art installation of a tree and electrical wires in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Ayman Zedani, The Valley of the Desert Keepers, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Artwork of mirrors in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Alicja Kwade, In Blur, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

Artwork of an illusory lake in the Saudi Arabian desert for Desert X 2022.

Abdullah AlOthman, Geography of Hope, installation view, Desert X AIUla 2022, courtesy of the artist and Desert X AIUla, photo by Lance Gerber.

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