Edge of Arabia is an arts organization for the appreciation of contemporary Arab art and culture with a focus on

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

History

The initiative was born from a chance encounter in 2003 between British artist, Stephen Stapleton, and Saudi artists, Ahmed Mater and Abdulnasser Gharem, at the Al Meftaha Arts Village in

Abha Abha (, ') is the capital of Asir, Asir Province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha's mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination fo ...

, Saudi Arabia. In January 2013 it opened a permanent space including a gallery and library in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

, London, before moving to central London in 2016.

World Tour

''Edge of Arabia'' officially launched with a major exhibition showcasing 17 artists from Saudi Arabia at London's

Brunei Gallery The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

in October 2008. In just over two months the organizers saw more than 13,000 visitors, breaking the record for attendance at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

's largest gallery. In June 2009, ''Edge of Arabia'' travelled to the 53rd

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

to the Palazzo Contarini Polignac, featuring the work of eight Saudi contemporary artists, and continued its world tour with an exhibition entitled ''Grey Borders/Grey Frontiers'' in Berlin, its ''TRANSiTION'' exhibition in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, both in 2010, and ''TERMINAL'' coinciding with Art Dubai in March 2011. As a collateral Venice Biennale event in 2011, the grassroots initiative further broadened its outreach to produce the first pan-Arab exhibition of contemporary art as part of the 54th Venice Art Biennale: ''The Future of A Promise''. With its first public show inside the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, in January 2012 ''Edge of Arabia'' celebrated its home-coming in an unfinished shopping mall at the Al Furusia Marina with an exhibition entitled ''Edge of Arabia

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

: We Need To Talk''. To continue engaging local school and university students in contemporary art from across the region, ''Edge of Arabias accompanying art education programme included an art symposium, a dedicated education room with workshop, presentation and research facilities for visitors, guided tours of the exhibition, and practical workshops with participating artists. On 6 October 2012, ''Edge of Arabia'' opened its most ambitious exhibition to date, showcasing large-scale, multi-media work by over 30 leading Arab and Islamic World artists in the heart of creative

East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

titled #COMETOGETHER. During its three-week duration, the exhibition together with its side programme of educational events including workshops, talks and film screenings attracted over 10,000 visitors.

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

, 19 October 2012
An exhibition of the lesser known side of Middle East art comes to London’s East End
/ref>

References

External links

''Edge of Arabia'' Official Website

''The Future of a Promise'' Official Website

Ahmed Mater Official WebsiteAbdulnasser Gharem Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edge of Arabia 2003 establishments in the United Kingdom Saudi Arabian art Arab art scene