3321 is the number of a pupil who sat behind a desk. It is no longer just an abstract number after the disappearance of the person for whom it was. Instead, it has become the reminiscent memory of its transient holder.

In my experience with “Dialectics,” I started off from the philosophical representation of a concept, namely the sustainability of traces, to invoke a collective memory. I have inscribed my quest within the scope of a methodological research that aimed at celebrating content and not form, as the main focus in a work of art.

These boards are exhibited in the state they were when I first found them. Their original state reveals their identity, as old images revive the memory of those to whom they belong.

“It was only natural that Jinniyat Lar, a series of paintings by the Saudi Artist Shadia Alem, be brought to the attention of Al-Mansouria. We sought to multiply their message into two hundred copies to be carried to as many as two hundreds different destinations. We thought that the Jinniyat ought to reveal themselves in more than one language. We chose the writer Raja Alem, Shadia Alem’s sister who shared with the artist the same cultural and mythological background.”

We would like to create a new vision of art and its role in the lives of people with various intellectual, social and material capabilities.

Our objective is to test the public and its incentives and evaluate the possibility of enlarging the audience base with newcomers from various social groups:

• those who appreciate art but cannot afford to buy it for financial reasons;
• the youth whose artistic taste has yet to be educated and who require from us support and guidance to learn to appreciate Saudi art and interact with it.

What is most important is that our concept becomes a means to stimulate dialogue between the event and its viewers, and remains open to criticism and further development.

The participation of The Al-Mansouria Foundation in this major art exhibition fits in well with its aim of promoting Saudi art internationally, thereby creating an opportunity for the intermingling of local and international art. It will place Saudi artists in an international arena that is both advantageous and suitable for their work. In addition, it focuses an international spotlight on both the heritage of the country and its serious and talented individuals.

At the Europ’Art 2000 exhibition, Al-Mansouria presents the works of two famous Saudi artists: Abdullah Al-Shaikh and Taha Saban. The Foundation coordinated with professionals in the art field to select the best and most representative works of the two chosen Saudi artists, in order to present the best of Saudi painting. Al-Mansouria is also presenting an art book entitled Jinniyat Lar which is the first of its kind in the Kingdom. The book combines the artwork of Shadia Alem and the writings of Raja Alem.

“The work of Faisal Samra leads us at once to question the meaning of art. Art is nothing but an instrument of expression and knowledge, which is far different from the ordinary perception of reality that is provided by our senses. Art is precisely the medium of that other vision which the artist gets to realize through his work. This alternative perception can only be translated and conveyed by works of art. The work of Faisal Samra lies within the scape of that perspective. When the artist turns away from the objective representation of reality, it is only restored through the energy of his style and the intensity of his vision. The depth of this experience is such that we can hardly catch a glimpse of it.”
Brahim Alaoui

to transport the essence of our generous land spreading over deserts and proud mountains, to different places at different times. The creative results of our artists fill the skies with beauty, and reflect a search within themselves to reveal hidden secrets through their senses and the six colors. The art, illuminated with the soul of our artists, became the first exhibition ever assembled at the Mansouria on the 19th October 1997. “Images Of Saudi Arabia” is ample proof of the love we hold for our land and its beauty.