Wadi AlFann
Wadi AlFann presents Manal AlDowayan, one of Saudi Arabia's most significant contemporary artists, in the lead-up to her new Wadi AlFann presents Manal AlDowayan, one of Saudi Arabia's most significant contemporary artists, in the lead-up to her new land art commission, Oasis of Stories. The large-scale labyrinthine installation, inspired by AlUla’s Old Town, will be a permanent fixture in AlUla’s monumental desert landscape from 2026. During AlUla Arts Festival, two adjacent exhibitions—featuring drawing, ceramic, soft sculpture, painting, and weaving—will take place in AlJadidah arts district, at the heart of AlUla’s arts community.
The first exhibition marks a milestone in the development of Oasis of Stories: on display are hundreds of drawings gathered from the artist’s participatory workshops with communities across AlUla. These drawings and stories will eventually be inscribed into the walls of Oasis of Stories, enabling AlUla’s residents to leave their permanent trace in Wadi AlFann. A parallel exhibition, presented in collaboration with Sabrina Amrani Gallery, titled Their Love Is Like All Loves, Their Death Is Like All Deaths, delves further into AlDowayan’s practice. Works include: soft sculptures made of tussar silk, printed with images related to AlUla’s heritage; labyrinth-like drawings inspired by AlUla’s Old Town; engraved clay works made of mud gathered from across Saudi Arabia; and wall pieces featuring Sadu textile weaving, a technique traditionally used by Bedouin women.