21, 39 Jeddah Arts
Editions
21,39 is a non-profit initiative organized by the Saudi Art Council, a group of local art enthusiasts who wish to contribute to the local community through the promotion of art and culture. Illustrating the geographic coordinates of the city ( 21.5433°N, 39.1728°E ), 21,39 seeks to maintain and develop the phenomena that has, for decades, seen Jeddah at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene. The program includes curated exhibitions, gallery openings, workshops and a series of talks and discussions that aim to build bridges with the outside world through the universal language of art.
2020
2020
curated by Maya El Khalil
21, 39 - 7th Edition: I Love You, Urgently
I Love You, Urgently contends with the global climate emergency through a series of individual artistic explorations. Driven by emotion and curiosity, the 22 artists whose works are featured have embarked on personal journeys into the collective experience defining our epoch, seeking places of empathy and understanding.Watch Video
Virtual Tour
Download Catalogue
2019
2019
curated by Dr. Effat Fadaq
21, 39 - 6th Edition: Al Obour
Al Obour, defined as the act of crossing, traversing or transcending, is the permeation of time, matter, and existence. In an act of Obour, exploring the physical and metaphysical realms through multiple forms of dialogue in both tangible and intangible mediums. The exhibition presents the concept of Al Obour as one related to artists' individual journey to present their personal semiotics through contemporary art forms.Download Catalogue
2018
2018
curated by Vassilis Oikonomopoulos
5th Edition: Refusing to Be Still
The generation of ideas, concepts and artistic forms is an endless negotiation and a continuous dialogue. Like an evolving reality, artistic practices are constantly transforming, refusing to stand still and become permanent. In a fast-forming landscape of events, which characterises the contemporary moment in Saudi, the 2018 edition of `{`21,39`}` @saudiartcouncil investigates the multifaceted practices that emerge in this continuously active domain.Watch Video
Download Catalogue
2017
2017
curated by Sam Bardaouil & Till Fellrath
4th Edition: Safar
The Arabic word for travel safar has its roots in the word saafer, a term that is used to describe things that are revealed, or unveiled. Instead of simply designating a process of movement from one site to another, the Arabic word safar implies a process of discovery and exploration by which things are revealed to the traveler leading to added knowledge of self, of the other, of the places that were left behind and the places that were arrived at.Watch Video
Download Catalogue
2016
2016
curated by Mona Khazindar & Hamza Serafi
3rd Edition: Earth & Ever After
The Earth is the collective memory that is bound to our subconscious. She is a reflection of ourselves, manifesting herself as a constant flow of images that teem with scent, taste and colour. This exhibition invites you to reflect on humanity’s relationship with the Earth, to explore whether it is reconciled with their own personal bond and how an artist’s environment is inextricably bound to his sense of identity and roots.Watch Video
Download Catalogue
2015
2015
curated by Bashar Al Shroogi
2nd Edition: Fast Forward
Fast Forward, the 2015 exhibition for 21,39, attempts to compile a historical record of the development of the visual arts ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition, arranged as a timeline, presents initial, non-exhaustive research findings into the development of artists, art professionals, collections, foundations, public art, and other factors that contributed to building the art movement and extending its reach.Download Catalogue
2014
2014
Conceived by Hamza Serafi / Curated by Aya Alireza & Raneem Farsi
1st Edition: Moallaqat & Past Is Prologue
This exhibition demonstrates that whilst the world has changed dramatically since the time of the Moallaqat, there is nevertheless a way of life, modes of thought, and cultural foundations that have survived and that have been passed down from generation to generation along with the legend. You will, therefore, find that there is much that still resonates with our artists, and that there are certain constancies in life that survive the constant change, such as love, war, and family values.Watch Video
Moallaqat Catalogue
Past Is Prologue Catalogue
The Newsletter
21, 39 Happenings
Sign up for our newsletter to know more about happenings at The Saudi Art Council.
