What does the word flow mean to you? This is the question that curator Noor Aldabbagh posed to contemporary artists across Saudi Arabia last year. People’s visual answers ranged from the flow of refugees across international borders to the flow of concrete in the ever-expanding sprawl of a modern city. The result was a groundbreaking series of collaborative events across Jeddah that brought together multimedia pieces from over 30 emerging Saudi artists. Now audiences in San Francisco can get a behind-the-scenes look at the unprecedented new energy in the contemporary Saudi art scene.

Harvard graduate and Sotheby's Institute-trained curator Noor Aldabbagh will share and discuss a short film about art and public space in Saudi Arabia through the stories of three featured artists. This event will be moderated by Lawrence Rinder, Director of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. 

Join the Middle East Institute on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at the McLoughlin Gallery for this conversation with curator Noor Aldabbagh, followed by hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

Noor Aldabbagh is an art collector, museum curator, and documentary filmmaker dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding through the arts and to integrating the arts into all aspects of society. She is the founder of Banafsajeel, the only curating platform in the Gulf that promotes collaborative art projects highlighting artistic talent in the region. 

The McLoughlin Gallery is a contemporary art gallery serving as a site for exhibitions and public programs working with established international and local mid-career and emerging contemporary artists.

Learn more at the event website here.

This post is brought to you by the Middle East Institute.