JEDDAH - The 3rd edition of 21,39 Jeddah Arts, which consisted of a program of art exhibitions, a symposium, workshops and associated events that ran from February to May, has now come to an end on a high note following record attendance. "The theme of this year's exhibition attracted many visitors to see the various artworks on display, which challenged them to question some of the issues that our society faces today," said Mohammed Hafiz, Vice-Chairman of The Saudi Art Council, which organized 21,39. "With this in mind, many workshops began to take place around similar topics that touched on the exhibition's theme. This in turn created a new audience which previously did not know about The Saudi Art Council." The central exhibition titled "Earth and Ever After," curated by Saudi Art Council members Mona Khazindar and Hamza Serafi, attracted more than 7,000 visitors, while a record number of visitors also attended the other exhibitions which included the Muneirah Mosley Solo Exhibition; the "In Praise of Hands" Exhibition; the Hawamish Group Exhibition; "Show Me the Light," a solo exhibition by Ayman Yossri Daydband; "The Whole Truth," a solo exhibition artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan; Al Mangour "Loved and Beloved" Exhibition; and "The Everlasting Now" Exhibition. Complementing the exhibitions, 16 workshops were held with a total number of 400 attendees. In one of 21,39 successful workshops, Mahmoud Sabbagh, the director of "Barakah meets Barakah," the first Saudi feature film to screen at the Berlin Film Festival held a panel discussion moderated by Saudi artist Ahmed Mater. Other panelists included Hisham Fageeh, actor, producer and writer, best known for his 2013 viral video "No Woman, No Drive," and Fatima Al Banawi, a young Saudi social media writer, activist, and most recently an actress. An important part of the annual 21,39 Jeddah Arts event is the School Trip Program and this year students from 116 male schools and 85 female schools visited the exhibitions. 21,39 Jeddah Arts, a non-profit initiative organized by The Saudi Art Council, takes its title from Jeddah's geographical coordinates. The 3rd edition continued to highlight the history of the Kingdom's modern and contemporary art movements while encouraging further public, private and institutional investment in support of the arts and Saudi artists.
