‘Between Two Cultures’: Contemporary Art Context for Historical Diversity between Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
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‘Between Two Cultures’: Contemporary Art Context for Historical Diversity between Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)
The exhibition highlights the similarities and differences between Saudi culture and other cultures (Saudi Culture Ministry)

Riyadh is hosting a unique art exhibition that sheds light on both the similarities and differences between Saudi Arabian culture and other cultures.

In its first round, the exhibition will place special emphasis on Yemen and its close ties to Saudi culture, showcasing areas such as fashion, visual arts, architecture, design, and culinary arts.

Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the “Between Two Cultures” display will delve into the exploration and presentation of diverse cultures.

The concept of intersectionality is manifested in the intricacies of the exhibition, where human experiences converge in shared fields that reflect human awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings amid responses to challenges.

This perspective extends to life, encompassing realms such as music, fashion, arts, and folk games, all of which serve as icons of human expression.

The exhibition zeroes in on the culture of Yemen, highlighting its connection with Saudi Arabian culture.

It delves into various aspects like fashion, visual arts, architecture, design, and culinary arts, aiming to enhance cultural exchange and collaboration between the Kingdom and Yemen.

Designed based on the concept of intersectionality, the exhibition guides visitors towards boundlessness, displaying cultural exchanges at these intersections through two fundamental concepts.

The first concept is clarity, which illuminates the facets of resemblance, divergence, and shared elements. The second is transparency, symbolizing the openness between cultures.

The exhibition’s immersive experience promises an enriching exploration for visitors, beginning with the entrance where intersecting geometric forms embody the foundational creative essence of the show.

Attendees will encounter a captivating array of images and dynamic visuals that vividly illustrate the shared aspects between Saudi and Yemeni cultures.

A heartfelt resonance is evoked through a backdrop of music from both Saudi and Yemeni traditions, enhancing the overall inspirational ambiance.



Little Hope in Gaza that Arrest Warrants will Cool Israeli Onslaught

Palestinians gather to buy bread from a bakery, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip November 22, 2024. REUTERS/Hussam Al-Masri Purchase Licensing Rights
Palestinians gather to buy bread from a bakery, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip November 22, 2024. REUTERS/Hussam Al-Masri Purchase Licensing Rights
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Little Hope in Gaza that Arrest Warrants will Cool Israeli Onslaught

Palestinians gather to buy bread from a bakery, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip November 22, 2024. REUTERS/Hussam Al-Masri Purchase Licensing Rights
Palestinians gather to buy bread from a bakery, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip November 22, 2024. REUTERS/Hussam Al-Masri Purchase Licensing Rights

Gazans saw little hope on Friday that International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Israeli leaders would slow down the onslaught on the Palestinian territory, where medics said at least 24 people were killed in fresh Israeli military strikes.

In Gaza City in the north, an Israeli strike on a house in Shejaia killed eight people, medics said. Three others were killed in a strike near a bakery and a fisherman was killed as he set out to sea. In the central and southern areas, 12 people were killed in three separate Israeli airstrikes.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces deepened their incursion and bombardment of the northern edge of the enclave, their main offensive since early last month. The military says it aims to prevent Hamas fighters from waging attacks and regrouping there; residents say they fear the aim is to permanently depopulate a strip of territory as a buffer zone, which Israel denies.

Residents in the three besieged towns on the northern edge - Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun - said Israeli forces had blown up dozens of houses.

An Israeli strike hit the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, one of three medical facilities barely operational in the area, injuring six medical staff, some critically, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement, Reuters reported.

"The strike also destroyed the hospital's main generator, and punctured the water tanks, leaving the hospital without oxygen or water, which threatens the lives of patients and staff inside the hospital," it added. It said 85 wounded people including children and women were inside, eight in the ICU.

Later on Friday, the Gaza health ministry said all hospital services across the enclave would stop within 48 hours unless fuel shipments are permitted, blaming restrictions which Israel says are designed to stop fuel being used by Hamas.

Gazans saw the ICC's decision to seek the arrest of Israeli leaders for suspected war crimes as international recognition of the enclave's plight. But those queuing for bread at a bakery in the southern city of Khan Younis were doubtful it would have any impact.

"The decision will not be implemented because America protects Israel, and it can veto anything. Israel will not be held accountable," said Saber Abu Ghali, as he waited for his turn in the crowd.

Saeed Abu Youssef, 75, said even if justice were to arrive, it would be decades late: "We have been hearing decisions for more than 76 years that have not been implemented and haven't done anything for us."

Since Hamas's October 7th attack on Israel, nearly 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, much of which has been laid to waste.

The court's prosecutors said there were reasonable grounds to believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution, and starvation as a weapon of war, as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza".

The Hague-based court also ordered the arrest of the top Hamas commander Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif. Israel says it has already killed him, which Hamas has not confirmed.

Israel says Hamas is to blame for all harm to Gaza's civilians, for operating among them, which Hamas denies.

Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum have denounced the ICC arrest warrants as biased and based on false evidence, and Israel says the court has no jurisdiction over the war. Hamas hailed the arrest warrants as a first step towards justice.

Efforts by Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt backed by the United States to conclude a ceasefire deal have stalled. Hamas wants a deal that ends the war, while Netanyahu has vowed the war can end only once Hamas is eradicated.