(AlUla) Works by pop and modern art master Andy Warhol are on display for the first time in Saudi Arabia, where authorities are seeking to highlight “the big changes” underway in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
In the middle of the desert, in the city of AlUla, iconic portraits of American stars, such as Marlon Brando and Dolly Parton, are presented as part of an exhibition dedicated to the artist’s fascination with celebrity.
But organizers are trying to draw parallels between the world embodied by Warhol – New York City half a century ago – and Saudi Arabia today.
“Warhol grew up in a time of radical change in America in the 1950s and 1960s, of a vibrant and completely new youth culture” that he reflected, says Sumantro Ghose, director of arts programming at ‘Al Ula.
“Currently, in Saudi Arabia, we are living in a period of great change,” he adds.
However, it would be hard to imagine a more unlikely ambassador than Warhol for the kingdom, where a booming art scene is combined with a harsh crackdown on political dissidents, and where homosexuality is criminalized.
“Gay Icon”
The master of pop art with platinum and silver wigs, who died in 1987, is indeed described as a “gay icon” by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, which collaborated on the project.
The exhibition pays little attention to Warhol’s private life, as it does not fit into the theme of the exhibition which is celebrity, according to Patrick Moore.
“Nobody ever said to me: ‘Don’t talk about him as a homosexual'”, assured the director of the Warhol museum, affirming that, himself, “as a gay man”, could express themselves very freely about their “identity” in the context of their work on the exhibition, which runs until May 16.
Andy Warhol also had few ties to the Middle East, other than brief trips in the 1970s to Iran and Kuwait, where he complained of “strange coffee”, and wrote in his diary that “this place has no history”.
But for Mr. Moore, the artist would have appreciated seeing his works exhibited in the Gulf monarchy.
“I think this country that is evolving before our eyes would have fascinated him, and he would have loved to be perhaps the first Western artist to exhibit at this level in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Held in Maraya’s large concert hall, covered in mirrors and surrounded by sandstone mountains, the exhibition presents some of the most glamorous pieces from the Warhol catalogue.
Visitors can discover short videos of celebrities filmed in his “Factory” studio in Manhattan: a pensive Edie Sedgwick, a brooding Dennis Hopper and Lou Reed sipping a Coke.
Then come the portraits of several big names of the time: from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Judy Garland to Princess Caroline of Monaco.
The last part is devoted to the famous “Silver Clouds”, large silver balloons inflated with helium.
Influence
In parallel, an exhibition of the “100 best Arab posters” is held in the open air, highlighting Warhol’s influence in the Arab world.
“You can see the influence (of Warhol) over time, the colors and the pop culture that stems from this era,” said Omar AlBraik, a manager of ArtsAlUla, the official organization in charge of organizing the activities. culture in the city.
The organizers have invited Moroccan artist and photographer Hassan Hajjaj, sometimes nicknamed “the Andy Warhol of Marrakech”, to create portraits of the inhabitants of AlUla against brightly colored backgrounds.
Cultural projects have multiplied in recent months in this city, which the authorities are trying to position as a new world artistic center.
The initiative is denounced by some as “Artwashing” (image laundering through art), the kingdom being accused of using art to divert attention from human rights violations.
But Donald Warhola, Warhol’s nephew, disagrees. “I read the press […] It could be interpreted as ‘Hey, Andy Warhol is being used’, but I personally don’t think so,” he told AFP.
“Nobody knows where this will end up, but I have a lot of hope,” he said, while thanking the kingdom for “allowing Uncle Andy’s art to enter their cultural space “.