Copyright © 2025 Motivate Media Group. All rights reserved.
AlDowayan creates powerful moments for interaction and community for the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale
Artist Manal AlDowayan bears witness to the position and representation of women on a global and local scale. Renowned for her participatory practice that brings together women from across Saudi Arabia, AlDowayan creates powerful moments for interaction and community. Navigating and documenting the changing cultural landscape of her homeland, the artist is perfectly positioned to represent Saudi Arabia at this year’s Venice Biennale. Shifting Sands: A Battle Song was commissioned by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission and is curated by Jessica Cerasi and Maya El Khalil and assistant curator Shadin AlBulaihed.

The Edge of Arabia exhibition
Shifting Sands: A Battle Song amplifies the voices of Saudi Arabian women on an international scale. For the project, AlDowayan held three workshops in Al Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Participants of all ages were invited to join group singing lessons led by the artist and Ileana Yasmin, a vocal coach for the Music Commission within the Ministry of Culture in Riyadh. The women were asked to consider their representation in the context of the international media and to write about and illustrate their perceptions of each other. The result is a highly personal meditation on identity within a global context. The illustrations, texts and songs created in the workshops will be incorporated into the installation. The work is an expression of self-determinism and a document of collectivity.

Manal AlDowayan
AlDowayan is well known for her artworks that foreground the collaborative voices of women. For example, in 2023, she presented From Shattered Ruins, New Life Shall Bloom at the Guggenheim, New York. This piece contained a collection of porcelain scrolls annotated with text sourced from popular culture, media, and literature, that evidence the oppression of women. The work was activated when visitors were called upon to observe and then crush the porcelain objects. The words and their significance were destroyed, leaving space for new narratives to be written. Suspended Together (2011) contains 200 fiberglass dove sculptures. Each flightless bird has a permission to travel document written across its body. The documents were submitted by leading women from Saudi Arabia. The document is issued by an appointed male guardian and must be carried by every female regardless of age or position. In such works, AlDowayan creates powerful opportunities for understanding and action.

Photography by Iman Al-Dabbagh @photosbyiman
AlDowayan’s contribution to the Venice Biennale promises to be an evocative experience that celebrates visibility and autonomy. In a statement, the artist explains, “Shifting Sands: A Battle Song is a call for solidarity in the context of the global representation of women in and from Saudi Arabia, and a rally to take ownership of our identity as we navigate both the physical space we inhabit and the narratives that have historically defined us.”

Photography by Iman Al-Dabbagh @photosbyiman
Roar crafts the PIF Daycare Centre in Riyadh with a calming, sensory-rich environment where design, nature and childhood development come together.
Brush and Switch by Sans Souci bend light in unexpected ways
We speak to Joanna Varettas, Senior Associate Designer at TGP International on the story of Seed & Bloom – a café designed to nurture connection and community engagement
For this year's Downtown Design, Finasi and Pallavi Dean will unveil a bold new installation that speaks the language of material honesty, exceptional craftsmanship, visionary design, and local identity.
This Palm Jumeirah home proves that luxury can be achieved with intention, rather than scale
Here are snippets from the evening.
You can now choose your favourite project from the identity Design Awards 2025 shortlist
The shortlist is revealed for the interior design categories
The Middle East’s leading platform for high-quality contemporary design will showcase a curated mix of international and regional brands, alongside independent designers and studios
Studio Marco Piva has designed the Eden Spa at Excelsior Palace in Rapallo, where architecture, landscape and luxury converge
The new Alémais Sydney headquarters reflects the brand’s flair for colourful prints and embellishments
We step into a sculptural apartment in Istanbul, Turkey