Athr Gallery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Athr Gallery in Jeddah

• Through its multifunctional space in Jeddah and elsewhere, ATHR serves as more than just a gallery by offering chances for expanding knowledge and experience. Through its thorough programming, ATHR has led the way in exposing the Saudi contemporary art scene, bringing it to the global stage, and elevating Jeddah to the fore.
• ATHR is committed to identifying and supporting up-and-coming artists and uses its Young Saudi Artists (YSA) project to do so. Additionally, there are the yearly 21,39 Jeddah Arts, which is organized in association with Jeddah’s art patrons and consists of curated exhibitions, gallery openings, and public events.
• In 2022, ATHR established the ATHR foundation, a non-profit group that runs a wide range of initiatives to support artists financially and emotionally.
• In order to fill the gap left by the absence of public art institutions, museums, and art schools and to create a sustainable, open to the world art scene with an international presence, Hamza Serafi and Mohammed Hafiz, the founders of Athr, took the initiative. Their passion and network allow Athr to have a deeply engaged discourse in the local art scene.

Main Attraction at Athr Gallery

• The Royal Commission for AlUla has unveiled plans for Wadi AlFann, also known as the “Valley of the Arts,” a breath-taking new international cultural hub for contemporary art, where some of the most compelling artists from around the world will permanently install era-defining works in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-western Saudi Arabia, which is rich in thousands of years of natural, historical, and cultural heritage.
• A whole art display that launched in Jeddah last year was accidentally inspired by a well-known Arabic song by a renowned Saudi vocalist.
• One of Saudi artist Ahmed Mater’s most well-known pieces has a gas pump silhouette that transforms into a man holding a gun to his head as a direct criticism of the destructive effects of oil.
• Since its founding in 2009, it has facilitated artistic interaction among contemporary artists from all around the world.
• It occupies 20,000 square feet in the center of Jeddah and features a visual arts bookshop, a terrace for outdoor events, and facilities for creative experimentation.
• The gallery also houses a number of pieces by notable Saudi painters, including Dana Awartani, Ahmed Mater, and Muhannad Shono.