Art Jameel‘s new creative complex Hayy Jameel launches with an opening season that runs from December 6, 2021, to April 30, 2022. Starting with a focus on visual arts, accompanied by learning and studios programmes, the launch is followed in the spring by the opening of partner spaces and Hayy Cinema, Jeddah’s first independent picture house and audio-visual centre.
The highly collaborative inaugural Hayy Arts programme includes more than 45 artists and practitioners from 20 countries; steeped in long-term research, the exhibitions and commissions are marked by participatory, material interventions that range from sound works, bee hives and sculptures in chocolate through to immersive light works and audiovisual structures.
Hayy Jameel’s opening season programming
Hayy Arts
Staple: What’s on your plate?
December 6, 2021–April 30, 2022
Hayy Arts opens with Staple: What’s on your plate?, co-curated by Art Jameel’s Rahul Gudipudi and Delfina Foundation’s Dani Burrows. The exhibition features 21 works, including seven new research-based commissions developed in a “food lab” that has run for the past year.
Spanning a broad range of material, media and enquiry, the exhibition explores themes of trade, exchange, coloniality, labour, tradition, myth and neo-imperial food production. Participating artists include Leen Ajlan, Moza Almatrooshi, Bricklab x Misht Studio, CATPC (Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise), Annalee Davis, Mohammad Al Faraj, Asunción Molinos Gordo, Mariam Al Noaimi, Pratchaya Phinthong, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Fatima Uzdenova, Munem Wasif and Lantian Xie, with films by Jonathas de Andrade, Florence Lazar, Franziska Pierwoss, Suha Shoman and Zina Saro Wiwa.
An accompanying robust and interactive public programme includes talks, cooking and planting workshops, food tours and pop-ups, led by artists, performers and researchers including Bricklab, Mariam Al Noaimi, Cooking Sections, Salma Serry, Slavs and Tatars and Raed Yassin together with Ute Wassermann.
Illuminate: A Noor Riyadh Capsule
December 6, 2021–February 6, 2022
Illuminate: A Noor Riyadh Capsule brings together 11 large-scale, immersive light installations, on tour and adapted from the inaugural 2021 Noor Riyadh festival organised by Riyadh Art. Participating artists include Ahmed Angawi, Dana Awartani, Ayman Daydban, Manal Al Dowayan, Sultan bin Fahad, Ahmed Mater, Maha Malluh, Marwah Al Mugait, Nasser Al Salem,Rashed Al Shashai and Saeed Gamhawi.
Paused Mirror: The Saudi Artists by Osama Esid
December 6, 2021–December 6, 2022
This new commission by Osama Esid, sparked by the photographer’s long-term exploration of historical methods, is being developed via a collaborative journey with artists and arts spaces across the Kingdom. Esid’s survey of Saudi artists today draws on wet plate collodion technology and is exhibited throughout Hayy Jameel.
The Hayy Jameel Façade Commission
December 6, 2021–August 1, 2022
This new annual programme—giving artists the opportunity to develop a major public work for the 25-metre pedestrian-facing building façade—is awarded in 2021-22 to Riyadh-based artist Nasser Almulhim, working in collaboration with artist and architect Tamara Kalo. The Façade Commission is kindly supported by Lexus.
Public programming
Hayy Learning is a community-focused education platform with a rolling programme embracing in-person and virtual learning, accompanied by Hayy Studios, situated on Hayy Jameel’s third floor. The opening season programme includes dynamic projects realised through local participatory research:
The Hospitable Ear by Julia Tieke, working with Zainab Ali Reza
December 6–16, 2021
A collaboration with the Goethe Institut Saudi Arabia
A Menu and its Leftovers: Finding the Voices in Jeddah’s Food Historieswith Salma Serry
December 8–20, 2021
This is an Edible Gold initiated by artist Moza Almatrooshi, designed and facilitated by Hayy Learning and Beeways
December 11, 14, 18, 2021
Hayy Residents
January–February, 2021, onwards
The first Hayy Residents bringing new partner concepts to the creative complex include Athr, AlComedy Club, Al Mohtaraf, Aysh Academy, Homegrown and Riwaq Dahr.
Hayy Cinema
Opening March–April, 2022, onwards
