![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5JFL3IAFODWQS7WB27NOCMXIXI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2f061f79d7c0bfbdecf99f4be6da23ed03cb6d4a329497f23c477df4e5adb7c2&width=400&height=225)
Gisela Colon's The Future is Now.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P7SZ3QCLUU7ILDY6GKCIAHW6BE.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4a2f2b6e07864ff41598bf4748e5205788b8ee99cc83a45aae397ad4d2a9333&width=400&height=225)
Rashed AlShashai's A Concise Passage.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TMMZDABVEMU64JSJJX6O4GNGBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=46080b4f67643e9152ff2fda344796e1a4aee1d12d485f8fbe6603618930d145&width=400&height=225)
Lita Albuquerque, NAJMA (She Placed One Thousand Suns On The Transparent Overlays Of Space), installation view at Desert X AlUla. All photos by Lance Gerber / Courtesy the artist
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QLRURI4MNYE67LPDQDJFKU232I.jpg?smart=true&auth=6793307edcb368846bafa14bba3f19a11b5656637b899578d717cde22ac0e978&width=400&height=225)
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim's Falling Stones Garden installation.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P62VXNSDK6FR4333YOTALBBI2M.jpg?smart=true&auth=3da97dfeef31f53dd6f6f88e0079be37fb7b8ebecba0210a9530ea4ad81d7e93&width=400&height=225)
Lita Albuquerque, NAJMA (She Placed One Thousand Suns On The Transparent Overlays Of Space), installation.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6N5ZLKYVWKOZ3QMX5CGXVUTXAY.jpg?smart=true&auth=b56c8402c34744c439ccdcca49ce5e09039fea93cf78da7634492676d166b590&width=400&height=225)
Manal AlDowayan's Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7MPVPSBZNTVHBP6AVBGVI6EMPY.jpg?smart=true&auth=0d4d4dca224d2b3181c4c962e92c41732a0794b9b1041fc285218e122687ab78&width=400&height=225)
Nadim Karam's On Parade.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XQD7OUNRZZCE3JPAJCVYS2QWRM.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ac6aac6dfcf443e0d383f30ca7d7ada4a3de220e80acb60ce854991bacdeb44&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M75CKJXSCEGMJ7YYQRQ3BVLT4E.jpg?smart=true&auth=1081a9340c90234859d41cba1f2b3da35566324438220479797321af12b56beb&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HES2MAKCKU4W3VP43KYYJ3DG2U.jpg?smart=true&auth=1274743e2e3c6f60407bea451d8e2e3755f174b6ec7976b0c88dc9e2e5648ce2&width=400&height=225)
Rayyane Tabet's Steel Rings, from the series, The Shortest Distance Between Two Points.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/33G7WWK6RJJL7SA33WOGFSJOZ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=26d0b37a5f33e8882bbebc23aae910ddcf1339c255c1bdc1f71a4f2a29ceee56&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/57W5FYVORFS4BSKUURIPYZO2AU.jpg?smart=true&auth=a4b450ed3f2d5ca28b71e74bd9a0cbd13cceffc857c47fade8d630b478a7b316&width=400&height=225)
Zahrah AlGhamdi's Glimpses of the Past.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BQ6S6GIHGFUFSQAJF2TYLUQG2Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=cca1f5d39b8c001656a3c4e923aec3e15e72f48fcf6386b387e8ab13261e483f&width=400&height=225)
Zahrah AlGhamdi's Glimpses of the Past.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KSQTEUFCMQPCHBZVWDLZXWLRBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=45b82a8a48ed600422a0455e2c25c8aa5084189a72699253ea77a5e9b28ae6f2&width=400&height=225)
Sherin Guirguis's Kholkhal Aliaa.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7HSG5SXJ4Z7VQKHIEOKKDYDB2U.jpg?smart=true&auth=671b3843ceeb6bdcbf70992f0e5b3dfc594153e9d1f5976294385ff206c2d4ed&width=400&height=225)
Wael Shawky's Dictums: Manqia II.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RJP7EZ3XPWDT5NGESUFTJ5ASZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=80dc44ddd9be03d622c0bb34d0241f6998d1196b3b176f3e47eb7897e3d53f0c&width=400&height=225)
Superflex, One Two Three Swing!
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4FOGIHO5RF4KB4OPFFIEHDDUTQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4cfee511f6a6fde8188fdb8fa01973e2189f0680ed18fbdbe96ca8c1af1dc85&width=400&height=225)
Sherin Guirguis's Kholkhal Aliaa.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5JFL3IAFODWQS7WB27NOCMXIXI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2f061f79d7c0bfbdecf99f4be6da23ed03cb6d4a329497f23c477df4e5adb7c2&width=400&height=225)
Gisela Colon's The Future is Now.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P7SZ3QCLUU7ILDY6GKCIAHW6BE.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4a2f2b6e07864ff41598bf4748e5205788b8ee99cc83a45aae397ad4d2a9333&width=400&height=225)
Rashed AlShashai's A Concise Passage.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TMMZDABVEMU64JSJJX6O4GNGBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=46080b4f67643e9152ff2fda344796e1a4aee1d12d485f8fbe6603618930d145&width=400&height=225)
Lita Albuquerque, NAJMA (She Placed One Thousand Suns On The Transparent Overlays Of Space), installation view at Desert X AlUla. All photos by Lance Gerber / Courtesy the artist
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QLRURI4MNYE67LPDQDJFKU232I.jpg?smart=true&auth=6793307edcb368846bafa14bba3f19a11b5656637b899578d717cde22ac0e978&width=400&height=225)
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim's Falling Stones Garden installation.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P62VXNSDK6FR4333YOTALBBI2M.jpg?smart=true&auth=3da97dfeef31f53dd6f6f88e0079be37fb7b8ebecba0210a9530ea4ad81d7e93&width=400&height=225)
Lita Albuquerque, NAJMA (She Placed One Thousand Suns On The Transparent Overlays Of Space), installation.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6N5ZLKYVWKOZ3QMX5CGXVUTXAY.jpg?smart=true&auth=b56c8402c34744c439ccdcca49ce5e09039fea93cf78da7634492676d166b590&width=400&height=225)
Manal AlDowayan's Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7MPVPSBZNTVHBP6AVBGVI6EMPY.jpg?smart=true&auth=0d4d4dca224d2b3181c4c962e92c41732a0794b9b1041fc285218e122687ab78&width=400&height=225)
Nadim Karam's On Parade.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XQD7OUNRZZCE3JPAJCVYS2QWRM.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ac6aac6dfcf443e0d383f30ca7d7ada4a3de220e80acb60ce854991bacdeb44&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M75CKJXSCEGMJ7YYQRQ3BVLT4E.jpg?smart=true&auth=1081a9340c90234859d41cba1f2b3da35566324438220479797321af12b56beb&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HES2MAKCKU4W3VP43KYYJ3DG2U.jpg?smart=true&auth=1274743e2e3c6f60407bea451d8e2e3755f174b6ec7976b0c88dc9e2e5648ce2&width=400&height=225)
Rayyane Tabet's Steel Rings, from the series, The Shortest Distance Between Two Points.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/33G7WWK6RJJL7SA33WOGFSJOZ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=26d0b37a5f33e8882bbebc23aae910ddcf1339c255c1bdc1f71a4f2a29ceee56&width=400&height=225)
Nasser AlSalem's Amma Qabel.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/57W5FYVORFS4BSKUURIPYZO2AU.jpg?smart=true&auth=a4b450ed3f2d5ca28b71e74bd9a0cbd13cceffc857c47fade8d630b478a7b316&width=400&height=225)
Zahrah AlGhamdi's Glimpses of the Past.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BQ6S6GIHGFUFSQAJF2TYLUQG2Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=cca1f5d39b8c001656a3c4e923aec3e15e72f48fcf6386b387e8ab13261e483f&width=400&height=225)
Zahrah AlGhamdi's Glimpses of the Past.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KSQTEUFCMQPCHBZVWDLZXWLRBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=45b82a8a48ed600422a0455e2c25c8aa5084189a72699253ea77a5e9b28ae6f2&width=400&height=225)
Sherin Guirguis's Kholkhal Aliaa.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7HSG5SXJ4Z7VQKHIEOKKDYDB2U.jpg?smart=true&auth=671b3843ceeb6bdcbf70992f0e5b3dfc594153e9d1f5976294385ff206c2d4ed&width=400&height=225)
Wael Shawky's Dictums: Manqia II.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RJP7EZ3XPWDT5NGESUFTJ5ASZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=80dc44ddd9be03d622c0bb34d0241f6998d1196b3b176f3e47eb7897e3d53f0c&width=400&height=225)
Superflex, One Two Three Swing!
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4FOGIHO5RF4KB4OPFFIEHDDUTQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=d4cfee511f6a6fde8188fdb8fa01973e2189f0680ed18fbdbe96ca8c1af1dc85&width=400&height=225)
Sherin Guirguis's Kholkhal Aliaa.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5JFL3IAFODWQS7WB27NOCMXIXI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2f061f79d7c0bfbdecf99f4be6da23ed03cb6d4a329497f23c477df4e5adb7c2&width=400&height=225)
Gisela Colon's The Future is Now.
Desert X Al Ula puts Saudi Arabia's historic site on international arts map
The inaugural exhibition is made up of installations directly inspired by the serene desert location
![Melissa Gronlund](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fc451ae4e-15a2-4553-acaf-7a29665268c0.png?smart=true&auth=7b94f464cacaa1ea45c4eece566b2d02e0a33157f7ea4d7427295d4b2c7fed54&width=70&height=70)
Melissa Gronlund
31 January, 2020
- Listen In English
- Listen In Arabic