Balad Al-Fann Returns to Jeddah with Celebrations of Memory, Culture, and Heritage
JEDDAH – The second edition of the highly anticipated art program, Balad Al-Fann, has opened its doors in the heart of the Jeddah Historic District, presenting a deeply immersive festival of artistic expression that runs until June 15. This year’s program, themed “Our Storied Walls,” presents a dynamic tapestry of visual narratives rooted in the city’s rich and diverse heritage.
At the core of this cultural celebration is a renewed focus on local narratives, emphasizing the tangible and human heritage of Jeddah. Deeply personal exhibitions tell stories of place, memory, and identity, reflecting the power of art in connecting communities to their collective past and cultural roots.
A central highlight of this year’s program is an evocative exhibition held at the Nassif Boutique, dedicated to the late artist Hisham Binjabi — a towering figure in the Kingdom’s modern art movement. This emotional tribute, curated by Ayman Yossri Daydban, a former student of Binjabi and one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent conceptual artists, blends rare archival materials, selected artworks, personal possessions, and voice recordings to form a poignant homage to the late master.
Quote from Ayman Yossri Daydban:
“This is a personal exhibition. My journey with Hisham Binjabi began over 35 years ago when he discovered my work, admired it, and encouraged me. For a whole year his name echoed in my mind, until I held my first solo exhibition in 1991. It was his encouragement and appreciation of my boldness — he said I thought outside the box — that pushed me forward. I found myself naturally drawn to contemporary art.”
While Daydban is known for his conceptual art steeped in social commentary, Binjabi remained committed to more classical styles. Their contrasting approaches only deepened their mutual respect.
Quote from Ayman Yossri Daydban:
“For years we observed each other’s work from afar, and every time we met I felt like a student reuniting with his mentor. But Hisham was more than an artist — he was a social figure, a cultural activist who managed and promoted art within the community, bringing art into social and human contexts. His greatest influence was not just in his paintings, but in his presence, personality, and wisdom.”
The exhibition unfolds across three carefully curated layers:
- A profoundly emotional audiovisual experience, where nostalgic sounds fill the space through daily refreshed voice recordings.
- The first-ever public display of his wife’s artwork, offering a unique perspective on their creative family life.
- An audio room, where voices of peers, students, and family come together in a collective sonic journey of remembrance.
The exhibition transforms the history-laden walls of Nassif House into a portrait of one man’s artistic and societal legacy, rooted firmly in the community of Al-Balad.
Another powerful tribute at Balad Al-Fann honors the memory of Safeya Binzagr, one of the Kingdom’s foremost female visual artists. The exhibition, titled “Revealing What Was Hidden,” is curated by Effat Fadag and casts a light on Binzagr’s vision and legacy as both an artist and documentarian of Saudi cultural life.
With rare exhibitions of handwritten letters, paintings, and personal belongings, the exhibit weaves a compelling visual and literary narrative of Hejazi women’s lives, traditions, homes, and dress.
Quote from Effat Fadag:
“I asked myself: What can I say that hasn’t already been said? I wanted to highlight aspects of her journey that aren’t widely known.”
Binzagr’s contributions are historically significant: she was the first woman in Saudi Arabia to publicly depict private family life, giving voice to the often-silenced domestic sphere of Saudi women.
Quote from Effat Fadag:
“I tried to reflect this (voice) through the layout of the exhibition, using the historic Nassif House, starting from the main building to the external annex, with three symbolic doors that narrate her story.”
The exhibition follows an intimate path, tracing Binzagr’s life from her childhood and education through to her exploration of Saudi traditional attire, which she often modeled herself to capture its details authentically.
Quote from Effat Fadag:
“In the clothing room you see very personal images — she even modeled for her work so she could better understand and express the exact details she wanted to paint. She knew exactly how to translate her vision.”
In its final section, the exhibit emphasizes Binzagr’s legacy of community engagement and cultural education, illustrating how her art extended far beyond the canvas to shape learning and societal awareness.
Complementing these main exhibitions, Balad Al-Fann also includes a special spotlight on emerging talents through a national photography competition, and a platform to showcase excellence in traditional calligraphy, ceramics, ornamentation, and engraving.
Balad Al-Fann reaffirms Jeddah Historic District not only as a landmark of heritage but as a contemporary hub of cultural expression, where art bridges generations and revives stories embedded in the city’s soul.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
