Documenting the Arduna Exhibition in AlUla, Saudi Arabia
The Arduna Exhibition in AlUla marked a defining moment in Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural landscape—a collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Centre Pompidou that brought world-class contemporary art to the heart of the desert. As the official photographer documenting the project from its earliest stages to the VIP opening, the experience offered a rare opportunity to witness the transformation of an ambitious vision into a landmark exhibition.
The partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the Centre Pompidou represents a long-term cultural exchange aimed at developing AlUla as a global destination for art and heritage. Arduna, meaning “Our Land,” was conceived as a dialogue between Saudi and international artists, exploring themes of identity, landscape, and transformation. The exhibition served as a cornerstone of this partnership, blending contemporary artistic expression with the region’s deep historical and natural context.
Capturing the Construction Phase: The documentation began months before the opening, as the exhibition site took shape within AlUla’s striking desert environment. Photographing the construction phase required balancing technical precision with creative storytelling—capturing not only the physical progress but also the human effort behind it.
Workers, curators, and engineers collaborated under the desert sun, assembling structures that would soon house installations of global significance.The challenge lay in portraying scale and texture: the interplay between raw materials, scaffolding, and the surrounding sandstone cliffs. Early morning and late afternoon light revealed the sculptural qualities of the site and provided a sense of the exhibition’s integration into the broader AlUla landscape.
The first stage after receipt of the artworks was to unbox and assess any impacts of the transportation. It’s a slow, methodical process, surveying every inch of the masterpieces.
Installation and Artistic Detail - As the artworks arrived from around the world, the focus shifted to the installation process. Each piece demanded careful handling and precise placement, often under the supervision of curators from the Centre Pompidou and RCU’s cultural team. Photographing these moments required sensitivity—respecting the creative process while documenting the craftsmanship and coordination behind the scenes. Close-up compositions highlighted the textures, materials, and conceptual depth of the artworks, while wider frames captured the dialogue between art and architecture.
Reflections on a Cultural Milestone - Documenting the Arduna Exhibition was more than an assignment—it was an immersion into a moment of cultural transformation. The collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the Centre Pompidou demonstrated how art can bridge geographies and generations, creating new narratives rooted in place and shared creativity.From the first foundations to the final applause, the project revealed the power of visual storytelling to preserve the spirit of an event that will shape AlUla’s artistic legacy for years to come.
