Misk Foundation
Riyadh - KSA
15 March 2023 – 15 June 2023
Dr. Marika Sardar
ORGANISED BY:
Misk Foundation
PRESS:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2272366/saudi-arabia
https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/516872/brand-new-ancients/
https://pacitaabad.com/exhibitions/90-brand-new-ancients-co-curated-by-cecilia-ruggeri-and-wassan-al-khudhairi-misk/
Download Press Release
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; March 15, 2023: Misk Art Institute (MAI) is delighted to present a new exhibition at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall titled Brand New Ancients, co-curated by Wassan Al-Khudhairi (Independent Curator and Co-curator of the 2025 Hawaii Triennial) and Cecilia Ruggeri (Curator, Misk Art Institute).
Brand New Ancients derives its title from a poem by Kae Tempest. The poem and the exhibition tell a never-ending story of creation and surprise, of weaving the past with the present through stories passed down in oral and material culture. The exhibition considers the ways tradition and history inform contemporary art practices; how innovation can and does exist within traditional modes of making, rather than being static or archaic. Tradition is not the opposite or lack of modernity; rather, the revival of tradition challenges the current culture, carving out a space for the future. The show also aims to highlight contemporary art’s significant role in innovating and expanding our understanding of today’s world, by using the techniques and traditions of the past.
Bringing together existing works by seventeen Saudi and international contemporary artists, Brand New Ancients delves into transnational dialogues of material culture and its perpetuation within current art practice, interacting with and building upon the history of objects within the current context. The exhibition includes a richly varied selection of painting, sculpture, video, photography, and installation—demonstrating how artists are currently exploring the boundary between tradition and innovation.
The show marks a pivotal moment by exhibiting for the first time in the Middle East, artworks by Derek Fordjour, Lotus Laurie Kang, and Ornaghi & Prestinari; and for the first time in Saudi Arabia, artworks by Pacita Abad, Hamra Abbas, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Sophia Al Maria, and Wardha Shabbir.
Participating Artists:
Pacita Abad, Hamra Abbas, Dana Awartani, Sarah Brahim, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Derek Fordjour, Tarek Al- Ghoussein, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Lotus Laurie Kang, Maha Malluh, Sophia Al Maria, Ahmed Mater, Nasser Al Salem, Ornaghi & Prestinari, and Wardha Shabbir
2016