Official Italy Visit by Saudi Arabian Delegation Provides Vibrant Cultural Exchange

Venice, Italy, April 19, 2024, SPA -- A two-day visit to Italy by the Saudi Minister of Culture, Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud, marks the continued cultural collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Italy.
Highlights of the visit included a meeting with Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Italian Minister of Culture. During the meeting, they discussed enhancing cultural cooperation between the two countries as well as the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding, celebrating the steps taken since signing the agreement to increase cooperative initiatives, the meeting was attended by Vice Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez and Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim AlTouq.
During his visit, the minister visited the Saudi Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which is marking the fourth time the Ministry of Culture has participated in the Venice Biennale. This year, Manal AlDowayan will represent the Saudi Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from 20 April to 24 November 2024, at the Arsenale, Sale d’Armi, Venice, Italy, with a multimedia installation entitled Shifting Sands: A Battle Song. Curators Jessica Cerasi and Maya El Khalil, and Assistant Curator Shadin AlBulaihed have worked with the artist on the commission.
The minister also visited ‘Wadi AlFann, Journeys in Land Art, Towards Wadi AlFann, AlUla’, a showcase organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. The showcase spotlights the first five commissioned artists that will be exhibited at AlUla’s new destination for contemporary art, Wadi AlFann and takes place at the Abbazia building in Venice between April 16 and 30. The first five artists creating new, large-scale, site-specific commissions for Wadi AlFann are Manal AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater and James Turrell.
Prince Bader said: “Through the Saudi Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and the Wadi AlFann showcase, we are delighted to be able to share a taste of Saudi Arabia’s culture and future projects with Venetian audiences and international visitors during this important moment in the cultural calendar. We are committed to working with our Italian counterparts and will continue this cultural exchange between our two countries.”
--SPA