Gulf Theater Festival in Riyadh revives tradition, fosters regional cultural exchange

DUBAI: Saudi artist Muhannad Shono has been selected to take part in the fifth edition of Desert X, the international site-specific art exhibition which will take place across California’s Coachella Valley from March 8 to May 11.

Produced by non-profit organization The Desert Biennial, the event will feature artistic talent from across Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

Curated by artistic director Neville Wakefield and co-curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, the 2025 iteration will feature themes of temporality and nonlinear narratives of desert time.

Shono’s work, “What Remains,” explores the ever-changing nature of identity and land. The piece features long strips of fabric infused with native sand, allowing them to move freely with the wind. As the wind shifts, the fabric twists and reshapes while the sand forms dunes.

“The land of Desert X is no longer the mythical and endless expanses of the American West but has come to include the effects of our ever-growing human presence,” said Wakefield.

“Artists continue to be inspired by the idea of unadulterated nature but … they have also come to recognize that this is an idea and that the realities of the world we live in now are both more complex and contested. Time, light and space permeate every aspect of this work but so too does an urgency to find new sustainable approaches to living in an increasingly imperiled world.”

The full list of participating artists is as follows: Sanford Biggers, Los Angeles, California; Jose Davila, Guadalajara, Mexico; Agnes Denes, Budapest, Hungary; Cannupa Hanska Luger, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and Lakota, b. Standing Rock Reservation, North Dakota, based in Glorieta, New Mexico; Raphael Hefti, Neuchatel, Switzerland; Kimsooja, Daegu, Korea; Kapwani Kiwanga, Hamilton, Canada; Sarah Meyohas, New York; Ronald Rael, Conejos Country, US; Alison Saar, Los Angeles, California; Muhannad Shono, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JEDDAH: Saudi street artist San Shyn has unveiled a bold and colorful mural in the heart of Mayfair, London, outside the Saudi Embassy.  

The piece, created in collaboration with London-based graffiti artist Cept, is part of an ongoing cultural-exchange initiative between Saudi Arabia and the UK, and follows other embassy commissions such as Rashed Al-Shashai’s luminous sculpture in its garden.  

Commissioned by Khalid Bin Bandar Al-Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the UK, Shyn’s mural will be on display until mid-February. 

 The opportunity to create such a significant piece came through Stephen Stapleton, founder of Edge of Arabia, a platform known for bridging cultures through art.  

“Stephen connected us and showed some of my work to the ambassador, who was really happy with it,” Shyn tells Arab News. “I’m so happy that he allowed me to express my art as it is, in a very unique location in London.” 

The mural is a major milestone for Shyn, and came as something of a surprise.  

“In the beginning, the plan was to create many art projects and murals inside Saudi Arabia — to be known in different cities in the country. The next step was to create something internationally, but I thought it would take longer,” she says. “I was really happy to be chosen for this project, and I hope in the future to create murals in many cities all around the world and leave a legacy.” 

The creative process for the mural began in December. Shyn worked closely with Edge of Arabia and Cept to define the direction of the piece. “We discussed what kind of look and feel we wanted — something colorful, bold, and creative,” she says. She developed sketches, decided on the color palette, and refined the concept before bringing Cept into the project.  

“It was a very smooth process because Cept is a very professional artist. He implemented my work exactly as I wanted it. I’m really grateful for his participation in this project,” Shyn says. 

The mural is deeply rooted in the values of street culture — a movement Shyn has been drawn to since childhood.  

“I remember seeing someone doing a kickflip (a skateboarding trick) in a movie, and I thought, ‘What kind of sport is this?’ That led me to discover hip-hop, breakdancing, and graffiti,” she says. “Street culture welcomes everyone as they are. It doesn’t care about your background, what language you speak, or whether you’re rich or poor. That’s something I’ve always loved about it.”  

Growing up, Shyn used art as a way to process and express her emotions. She created characters to represent different feelings, a practice she continued into adulthood.  

“Whenever I had difficulty expressing certain emotions, I would create a character for that emotion. One of them, for example, was called ‘Sappy,’ which was a mix of sadness and happiness,” she explains. “When I had a job that didn’t require much creativity, I felt restricted and I realized I needed a way to express myself, and that’s when these characters became part of my art again.” 

The mural outside the Saudi Embassy embodies Shyn’s belief in the universality of street art. “Street art is a universal language. It’s not specific to a certain country or culture — anyone can understand it,” she says. “That was my intention with this mural. I wanted to create something that anyone can see and connect with, (wherever) they’re from. It should tell a story that doesn’t require words.” 

This project is part of a broader initiative by the Saudi Embassy to promote cultural exchange through art. “Saudi Arabia is changing, and the rise of dynamic street artists like San Shyn is a great example of this,” an embassy statement reads. “Art is a bridge between cultures, and this mural demonstrates that Saudi Arabia and the UK have more in common than we might imagine.” 

Stapleton highlighted the importance of such projects in a statement, saying: “This playful, joyful artwork … reflects a new era of cross-cultural collaboration between the UK and Saudi Arabia. The language of art transcends the borders that divide us, and we need that language now more than ever.”