As part of the kingdom’s attempt to change its ultraconservative image, religious artifacts and modern artwork are on display in the Saudi city of Jeddah under a large tent canopy.
Segments of the “kiswa,” the black fabric embroidered with gold and silver that covers the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure that all Muslims face during prayer, are the focal point of the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, “And All That Is In Between.”
Hundreds more works are on display at the west terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in the coastal city, including valuable objects on loan from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the Louvre in Paris, and rare artefacts from the Vatican Library such as a medieval Quran in Hebrew script.
“This bringing together of the contemporary and the past really emphasises the change that Saudi Arabia is going through,” said Saudi artist Muhannad Shono, curator of the exhibition.
Wahhabism, a conservative interpretation of Islam that forbids the depiction of humans and animals, has long controlled the country, which is home to some of Islam’s holiest sites.
Geometric patterns became frequently used in Islamic art since most Sunni Muslim schools of thought forbade such representations.
However, the biennale in Jeddah includes medieval Persian illuminations, such as royal portraits, and a fountain created by Yemeni-Indonesian artist Anhar Salem, whose mosaic tiles are composed of online avatars that are put together by color using artificial intelligence.
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