Edge of Arabia is, in the words of its director, Stephen Stapleton, “a community organisation which creates a platform for Saudi contemporary artists to showcase their work internationally and also to further recognition of contemporary art within the region.” Stapleton, a “child of the art school system” in London, created Edge of Arabia with a group of Saudi friends and uses his connections within the European art world to promote artists from the desert kingdom.
Using the tried and tested approach of getting their feet on the ground, Stapleton and his associates scour Saudi for talent. It’s very much a word of mouth approach, with Stapleton relying upon the art community itself for recommendations, “The arts community is not really well established enough yet to clearly see who are the emerging artists, who are the leading artists. You might find a fantastic artist who has never shown his or her work before, so you have to get out there and travel.” Many cups of coffee later, Stapleton tends to emerge from the sandstorm with an idea of who to talk to.
Gently reproaching Western institutions and galleries, Stapleton clearly feels Edge of Arabia’s approach gives them an advantage when it comes to emerging, authentic talent spotting, “To be honest, many of the museums in the West, they’re not lazy, but they don’t do what we did. They pick up the phone and they ask their network who the best artists are, and usually they work with the diaspora, or the established names that the galleries are working with, often missing out on what’s actually going on in the corners of the Middle East that are difficult to reach.”
The idea of trekking around Saudi, looking for obscure yet talented artists sounds a little romantic, but that’s the reality of Edge of Arabia, “there was one artist showing me traditional paintings, but, in the corner of his studio there was this X-ray painting which he was using, based on his work at a hospital; now, that became the first Saudi painting I brought back to London and it was bought by the British Museum.”
The organisation has, to date, organised a number of successful exhibitions or collaborations with local events. London, Venice, Riyadh, Dubai, Berlin and, most recently, Istanbul, have all played host to Edge of Arabia events, with a further event scheduled in Bahrain in January 2011, beyond Bahrain, it’s all shrouded in secrecy. By seeking a truly international audience, often in the hub of the European art world, the organisation is fighting Saudi Arabian art’s corner.
Fighting is exactly what it was, as the idea that contemporary art could flourish in such a conservative society was an anathema to certain members of Europe’s art elite. Stapleton sighs, “There’s often a reluctance among people to embrace ideas like Edge of Arabia. For example, I was enthusing about Saudi art to quite a high profile lady from the art world and she said that Gulf artists had no right to participate in events like the Venice Biennale. To me that’s ridiculous.”
As time has gone on, Edge of Arabia has proven it’s ability to deliver a high quality exhibition, and, more importantly, people have realised that Saudi artists are not only talented, but that they have something important to say. The realisation that Saudi contemporary art is as relevant as any art created in the cultural capitals of the world is slowly spreading, “We’re starting to get people who are coming to us, or have heard of us and want to collaborate,” says Stapleton. It seems that if you build it, they will come.
Edge of Arabia’s Istanbul exhibit, timed to coincide with the European Capital of Culture events and Contemporary Istanbul, was still underway at the time of going to press. A large international art fair, Contemporary Istanbul serves as the perfect event for Edge of Arabia to attend. As part of the celebrations revolving around the European Capital of Culture, the organisation was granted space in the contemporary art venue, Sinat Limani, an old warehouse in among the docks of the Bosporus.
Titled ‘Transition’, the Istanbul event is set to be Edge of Arabia’s most successful, and biggest, to date. With the aid of curator Basma Al Sulaiman, a Saudi art collector, Edge of Arabia created an innovative concept. The event is split into five distinct rooms, with a clear theme for each. The first, titled ‘Century of the Self’, is autobiographical in nature, “artists were holding a mirror up to themselves, introducing themselves, or identifying their shifting role in Saudi society,” Stapleton explains. The second room, entitled ‘Solitary Prayer’, studies faith from a personal perspective. The artists examined their relationship with Islam and also the “spiritual landscape” of Saudi Arabia. The third room, ‘The Rise of Video Art’ highlights the growing importance of this new media, “video art is a medium that fits their [the artists’] environment very well, it’s radical and experimental and it’s something we’ll see more and more of,” says Stapleton. The fourth room, titled ‘Consumer Kingdom’, deals with the concept of commercialism within Saudi Arabia, the artists critique how international brands are dominating the Kingdom and who local identity is in danger of being lost. The final room, entitled ‘Message to the Messenger’, features the artists’ warnings regarding the future, directed at specific people and often regarding the environment.
With the success of ‘Transition’ and a solid reputation in pioneering Saudi art, Edge of Arabia looks certain to go from strength to strength in the coming years. For its supporting of Arab art, its dedication to the creation of a domestic appreciation for contemporary art and for bringing it to the attention of the world, Edge of Arabia has been nominated for the Escape Award in this year’s Ultimates.
WHAT Edge of Arabia,
VISION An organisation promoting Saudi Arabian art through international exhibitions and events
WHERE London, Venice, Dubai, Riyadh, Istanbul (until December 26th) and Manama (in January 2011)
WHY The promotion of local art on an international scale is of great importance for the future of the art industry in the region. Efforts like those of Edge of Arabia are to be commended.
www.edgeofarabia.com
