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Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla and Centre Pompidou Announce ‘Arduna’ Exhibition This February

The exhibition will feature more than 80 significant artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world. (SPA)
The exhibition will feature more than 80 significant artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world. (SPA)
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Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla and Centre Pompidou Announce ‘Arduna’ Exhibition This February

The exhibition will feature more than 80 significant artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world. (SPA)
The exhibition will feature more than 80 significant artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world. (SPA)

The exhibition Arduna will welcome visitors to the fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival from February 1 to April 15.

Presented by Arts AlUla and organized through a joint curatorial collaboration with Centre Pompidou, with the support of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), the exhibition features more than 80 significant artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world.

Arduna offers visitors an early insight into the artistic vision of the Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla, envisioned as a global institution drawing inspiration from AlUla’s location and heritage as an ancient cultural oasis.

The exhibition is based on works drawn from a growing collection of the Royal Commission for AlUla, alongside important pieces from the collection of the Musée National d’Art Moderne at Centre Pompidou. The exhibition is overseen by co-curator Candida Pestana, with associate curator Ftoon AlThaedi from the Royal Commission for AlUla, and curator Anna Hiddleston with associate curator Noémie Fillon from Centre Pompidou.

As an oasis located along the ancient Incense Trade Routes that connected India and the Arabian Gulf with the Levant and Europe, AlUla served as a safe haven for passing traders, offering protection and tranquility. It was a place where merchants entrusted their goods during their absence, and a space for rest, contemplation, and reflection - a living green garden set within the vast desert.

The exhibition takes the image of the garden as its starting point, drawing inspiration from the site of AlUla to explore how modern and contemporary artists examine the evolving relationship between humanity, nature, and the land.

Featuring more than 80 artworks across multiple disciplines, the exhibition brings together pioneers of modern art such as Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, Joan Mitchell, and Wassily Kandinsky, alongside leading contemporary artists including Saudi artists Ayman Zedani and Manal AlDowayan, as well as artists from the Arab world such as Imran Qureshi, Samia Halaby, and Etel Adnan.

The exhibition is divided into six chapters that explore the multiple manifestations of nature - real and imagined - through a journey that moves from gardens and orchards to deserts and their cosmic reflections.

Through the presentation of impactful and inspiring artworks, the exhibition highlights key global challenges, including the Anthropocene era, the threat of climate change, human displacement, and expanding urbanization.

As artists seek to unpack humanity’s complex and often strained relationship with the environment, the exhibition may be seen as an invitation to reimagine new ways of coexistence among all forms of life.

Arduna also presents a selection of newly commissioned artworks by the Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla, developed through close engagement with the region’s unique natural environment and rich cultural contexts. These include new works by Saudi artist Ayman Zedani and Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui, produced as part of the AlUla Artists Residency Program.

The exhibition further highlights new works that collectively reflect the museum’s central role in fostering artistic practices rooted in dynamic interaction between artists, curators, and local communities, contributing to the development of AlUla’s distinctive creative identity.

Director of Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla Hamad Alhomiedan stated that Arduna represents a pivotal moment in the journey of the AlUla Arts Festival and embodies Arts AlUla’s aspiration to position itself at the heart of global discussions on art, culture, and the environment.

He noted that the exhibition brings together exceptional works from Saudi Arabia, the region, and the world, engaging audiences through themes that reflect the collective relationship with nature and land.

Arduna presents bold artistic propositions and offers artists meaningful opportunities to engage with AlUla’s unique heritage and breathtaking landscapes, he added, describing the exhibition as an open celebration of creativity and a foundational step toward establishing AlUla as a sustainable hub for cultural innovation and artistic excellence.

President of Centre Pompidou Laurent Le Bon said the exhibition represents an important step in the partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla, allowing the public to experience the first outcomes of Centre Pompidou’s strategic advisory role for the forthcoming Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla.

He underlined the shared mission of promoting cultural heritage and fostering long-term cross-cultural dialogue, expressing his anticipation of welcoming visitors, particularly young audiences, to explore this unique exhibition and the diverse artistic landscapes of Saudi Arabia, France, and beyond.

Arduna, which serves as a preparatory step toward the opening of the Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla, will be staged in the museum’s experimental pre-opening gallery spaces and will be accessible through ticketed entry.

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Culture

Bangladesh Sari Weaving Tradition Hangs by a Thread

A Bangladeshi craftsman weaves fabric on a traditional handloom inside a workshop in Tangail on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
A Bangladeshi craftsman weaves fabric on a traditional handloom inside a workshop in Tangail on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
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Bangladesh Sari Weaving Tradition Hangs by a Thread

A Bangladeshi craftsman weaves fabric on a traditional handloom inside a workshop in Tangail on March 2, 2026. (AFP)
A Bangladeshi craftsman weaves fabric on a traditional handloom inside a workshop in Tangail on March 2, 2026. (AFP)

Bangladesh's Tangail sari is fighting for survival as weavers warn that automation and economic pressures are pushing the centuries-old craft to the brink despite its global acclaim.

The detailed designs and fine textures of the garments made in the central Tangail city won UNESCO recognition in December as intangible cultural heritage reflecting "local social and cultural practices".

But it has brought little relief to crowded local workshops where a shift to automated looms, evolving fashion choices, unstable yarn prices and a lack of government support have squeezed weavers at every turn.

Ajit Kumar Roy, who spends the day interlacing warp and weft threads while paddling the shuttle back and forth, says the honor has done little to ease his daily hardship.

"It's all hard work," the 35-year-old weaver told AFP as he worked the handloom he has operated for nearly two decades.

"Hands, legs and eyes must move together. If I make a mistake then there is a problem."

Men typically lead the weaving, dyeing and design work, while women prepare threads, apply rice starch and add finishing touches.

- High-profile clients -

Once considered a well-paying profession, weaving has suffered from a market slump that began during the Covid-19 pandemic and never recovered.

Roy said his factory owner used to run 20 handlooms but now has only 10.

"Some factories have shut down entirely," Roy said.

With demand falling and costs rising, many weavers have abandoned the craft, turning to driving or construction work to survive.

"We earn 700 taka ($6) per sari, and it takes at least two days to make one. How can a family of four live on 350 taka a day?"

Raghunath Basak, president of a local sari traders' association, whose family has preserved Tangail weaving for generations, fears the craft may end with him.

His ancestors migrated in search of weather and water suitable for weaving before settling in Tangail, nestled in a low-lying floodplain near the Jamuna River.

"I brought my son into the profession too, but I don't know how he will cope after I am gone," Basak, 75, said from his showroom, where shiny crests line the walls.

Despite high-profile clients -- from political leaders in India's West Bengal state to ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who wore his sari to deliver a speech to the UN General Assembly -- Basak says the industry is struggling.

- Cultural symbol -

A halt to land-port trade with neighboring India following a diplomatic fallout has also affected business.

"We used to export saris by road and import yarn when local prices shot up. Now land ports on both sides are sealed. Export has become almost impossible," he said.

In the 1960s, the sari emerged as a cultural symbol as Bengalis in what was then East Pakistan embraced their ethnic identity.

But consumer preference is slowly shifting.

Kaniz Neera, 45, buys two dozen Tangail saris a year, favoring their distinctive patterns and comfortable design, but worries that the younger generation is drifting away.

"Sari is integral to our identity," she said. "My mother wears sari at home and outside. I wear it mostly outside. (But) girls now wear sari only on special occasions."

But researchers remain cautiously optimistic.

Shawon Akand, author of a book on the subject, notes that the Tangail sari is a relatively recent evolution by the descendants of Dhakai muslin weavers whose creations once captivated Mughal rulers and European aristocracy.

"The Tangail weavers inherited fine yarn techniques from their ancestors and adapted with unique designs in Tangail sari," Akand told AFP.

"Tangail sari will evolve. It will endure."

Culture

Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Launches Pavilion at London Book Fair

The commission's participation aims to promote Saudi literary and intellectual output while showcasing the rapid development of the literature, publishing, and translation sectors in the Kingdom. (SPA)
The commission's participation aims to promote Saudi literary and intellectual output while showcasing the rapid development of the literature, publishing, and translation sectors in the Kingdom. (SPA)
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Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Launches Pavilion at London Book Fair

The commission's participation aims to promote Saudi literary and intellectual output while showcasing the rapid development of the literature, publishing, and translation sectors in the Kingdom. (SPA)
The commission's participation aims to promote Saudi literary and intellectual output while showcasing the rapid development of the literature, publishing, and translation sectors in the Kingdom. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission officially launched the Kingdom’s pavilion at the London Book Fair 2026, held at Olympia London from March 10 to 12. The participation underscores the Kingdom’s growing presence in the global publishing industry and reflects its expanding cultural engagement on the international stage.

Commission Chief Executive Dr. Abdullatif Alwasel said the commission's participation aims to promote Saudi literary and intellectual output while showcasing the rapid development of the literature, publishing, and translation sectors in the Kingdom.

The initiative seeks to highlight the vibrancy and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s cultural landscape, presenting it as a dynamic environment that reflects the richness of the Kingdom’s cultural identity, he stressed.

The commission is working to strengthen the presence of Saudi publishers at major international events while promoting its programs and initiatives in literature, publishing and translation, he added.

Its participation also aims to establish professional and knowledge-based partnerships with leading stakeholders in the global publishing industry, thereby expanding opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange, he went on to say.

Alwasel added that the London Book Fair is one of the world’s most important platforms for networking among publishing professionals, facilitating the exchange of expertise in areas such as translation rights, publishing innovation, and content creation.

Such engagement helps boost the global visibility of Saudi cultural production and opens new markets for Saudi literary content. The Kingdom’s pavilion brings together several national institutions representing the cultural and knowledge sectors, reflecting the integrated nature of Saudi Arabia’s cultural development efforts.

Participating entities include the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance; the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex; the King Abdulaziz Foundation; the King Fahd National Library; the King Abdulaziz Public Library; the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language; Prince Mohammed bin Fahd University; and Nasher Publishing and Distribution Company.

The Kingdom’s participation reflects its ongoing commitment to strengthening its presence at major international book fairs, supporting the publishing industry, and expanding cultural and intellectual cooperation with countries around the world. These efforts align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to promote culture as a bridge for civilizational dialogue and human exchange.

Culture

Italy Buys Caravaggio Painting for About $35 Million, One of Its Largest Payouts for a Single Work

A visitor looks at the private collection and never previously shown to the public painting "Portrait de Maffeo Barberini" by Italian master Caravaggio at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in the Barberini palace in Rome on November 22, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP)
A visitor looks at the private collection and never previously shown to the public painting "Portrait de Maffeo Barberini" by Italian master Caravaggio at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in the Barberini palace in Rome on November 22, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP)
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Italy Buys Caravaggio Painting for About $35 Million, One of Its Largest Payouts for a Single Work

A visitor looks at the private collection and never previously shown to the public painting "Portrait de Maffeo Barberini" by Italian master Caravaggio at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in the Barberini palace in Rome on November 22, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP)
A visitor looks at the private collection and never previously shown to the public painting "Portrait de Maffeo Barberini" by Italian master Caravaggio at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in the Barberini palace in Rome on November 22, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP)

Italy has bought a rare portrait by baroque painter Caravaggio for 30 million euros (about $35 million), one of the largest state investments ever for a single artwork, the country’s Culture Ministry said Tuesday.

The portrait, painted around 1598 and attributed to Caravaggio in 1963, depicts Maffeo Barberini, a nobleman who later became Pope Urban VIII.

The painting was acquired from a private collection by the Italian state after over a year of negotiations and will now enter Rome’s Palazzo Barberini permanent collection.

“This is a work of exceptional importance,” Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said in a statement, noting the painting was a turning point in Caravaggio’s modern rediscovery and its purchase has helped strengthen the presence of his works in Italian public collections.

The new acquisition follows a recent one of Antonello da Messina’s “Ecce Homo,” and is part of Italy’s broader project to strengthen the national cultural heritage, making some art history masterpieces accessible to scholars and the public.

The “Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini” depicts the future pope in his 30s, dressed as a cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, at a crucial moment in his rise to power.

The work was made famous by art critic Roberto Longhi in his 1963 article “The True ‘Maffeo Barberini’ of Caravaggio,” and has since been widely recognized by critics as a work by Caravaggio, also known as Michelangelo Merisi.

Longhi called the painting “one of the founding moments of modern portraiture,” emphasizing how Caravaggio ushered in a new psychological intensity.

Caravaggio revolutionized painting at the turn of the 17th century by introducing a dramatic use of light that became the cornerstone of the Baroque style. He is currently one of the most studied artists in the world, yet the number of his confirmed works remains extremely limited.

At Palazzo Barberini, the portrait will be displayed alongside Caravaggio’s other works — one of the world’s most important collections — in particular along another of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, “Judith Slaying Holofernes,” also purchased by the Italian state in 1971.