AlUla Arts Festival Launches 'Arduna' Exhibit Starting February

The fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival will feature ‘Arduna’, an exhibition running from February 1st to April 15th. Presented by Arts AlUla in collaboration with Centre Pompidou and supported by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), the showcase brings together more than 80 works by local and international artists.

Upon entering the gallery spaces, visitors are met with a growing collection of works presented by the Royal Commission for AlUla, alongside pieces on loan from the Musée National d’Art Moderne at Centre Pompidou. The exhibition is overseen by curators Ftoon AlThaedi, Candida Pestana, Anna Hiddleston, and Noémie Fillon.

Arduna explores the evolution of AlUla – once a safe haven for passing traders and those seeking tranquility – envisioned as a living green garden set within the vast desert. Highlights include works by Picasso, Hockney, and Kandinsky, alongside contemporary artists such as Manal AlDowayan, Ayman Zedani, Imran Qureshi, Samia Halaby, and Etel Adnan. Newly commissioned pieces by Zedani and Tarek Atoui respond directly to AlUla’s unique natural and cultural environment.

Divided into six thematic chapters, the exhibition examines the relationship between humans and nature, addressing themes including climate change, urbanization, and more. ‘Arduna’ will be hosted in the museum’s pre-opening gallery spaces and is accessible through ticketed entry.