Hirst takes centre stage at Jeddah Art Week

International auction house Sotheby’s has returned to Jeddah Art Week in Saudi Arabia this week with an exhibition of contemporary art by a mix of Middle Eastern and international artists. The exhibition will be followed by an auction in April.

A highlight of the show will be two works by Damien Hirst – marking the first display of works by the artist in Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah Art Week (JAW) 2014 intends to build on the success of last year’s well attended inaugural event.

Running until February 6, the weeklong schedule of events is centered at Al Fursiya, Jeddah, and will showcase art and design exhibitions, a series of public performances, a one day international conference on global visual culture, and highlights from an international contemporary art auction.

Jeddah Art Week comes at a time when the world is increasingly looking towards the Middle East for inspiration and creativity. During this week of events, audiences will gain access to visual culture, including paintings and sculptures, photography and multi-media. Longstanding artistic traditions will be embraced throughout, whilst also introducing newer art forms that may be slightly less familiar to some audiences in Jeddah.

“JAW is humbled by the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information, and The Abdulatif Jameel Community initiatives,” said JAW founder, Lina Lazaar. “JAW has certainly become a time of year where creative forces from all communities can collide, gather and share, and we very much look forward to welcoming all cross sections of society to celebrate Jeddah’s vibrant art scene”