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.
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.
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.
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.”
