Saudi Arabia: International Video Art Forum Receives 67 Artistic Works from 27 Countries

Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: International Video Art Forum Receives 67 Artistic Works from 27 Countries

Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA

The Organizing Committee of the International Video Art Forum announced on Wednesday that it has received 67 artworks from 27 countries for its sixth edition. Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December.

The forum, organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam in partnership with the Cinema Association, has received submissions from countries including Ethiopia, Australia, Argentina, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, the United States, Japan, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Peru, Slovenia, France, Palestine, Croatia, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Netherlands.

The forum's General Supervisor and Director of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam, Yousif Al-Harbi, elaborated that this year's slogan, "Imagination Embodied, Reality Transformed," reflects the transformation of imaginative ideas into tangible works of art. He emphasized that these works can impact our reality and demonstrate the power of art in bridging the gap between imagination and reality.

Al-Harbi noted that the forum has successfully showcased contemporary visual art experiences using advanced technologies in its previous five sessions, attracting over 823 artworks from more than 70 countries and offering 31 specialized seminars and workshops. It is recognized as the first international gathering for artists in the Gulf region. Each edition features an artistic theme and showcases a wide range of artistic talent, as video art is a technology-based medium that looks toward the future.

The forum and the Cinema Association plan to provide more details about this session and its activities, including a workshop at Khobar's Cinema Association headquarters. The workshop aims to create a visual cultural movement that supports and develops creative human capital by encouraging talents and artists, a commitment the forum is dedicated to maintaining.



Vatican Unveils Restored 'Apollo Belvedere', Roman Marble Masterpiece

A view of the 'Apollo Belvedere' statue after it was unveiled after restoration at the Vatican Museums at the Vatican, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
A view of the 'Apollo Belvedere' statue after it was unveiled after restoration at the Vatican Museums at the Vatican, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
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Vatican Unveils Restored 'Apollo Belvedere', Roman Marble Masterpiece

A view of the 'Apollo Belvedere' statue after it was unveiled after restoration at the Vatican Museums at the Vatican, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
A view of the 'Apollo Belvedere' statue after it was unveiled after restoration at the Vatican Museums at the Vatican, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

The Vatican Museums unveiled on Tuesday a restoration of one of the crown jewels of their collection, a 2nd century marble sculpture of the Greek god Apollo that has inspired generations of artists and poets.

Restoration experts spent years working on the "Apollo Belvedere", repairing fractures in its knees and legs, cleaning the entire cream-colored statue with lasers, and installing a carbon fibre pole anchored to its base to increase stability.

"This type of restoration... is the expression of what we want the Vatican Museums to be," said Barbara Jatta, the Museums' director. "A balance of tradition, linguistics and study, with a gaze that looks to the future."

The Vatican Museums, which house some of the world's greatest Renaissance masterpieces as well as ancient Roman and Egyptian artefacts, are the Holy See's most reliable source of income. They receive some seven million visitors a year, generating income of around $100 million, according to Reuters.

The "Apollo Belvedere" was one of the first works featured in the Museums. It shows the god having just shot an arrow and is famed for its delicate musculature and lightly curled hair.

The sculpture is believed to be a Roman copy of an original Greek bronze statue. It was brought to the Vatican by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century.

The statue was removed from public exhibition in 2019, when museum staff noticed small fissures in its legs.

The structure was in an "incredibly dramatic" condition, said Guy Devreux, a curator in the Museums' stone and marble restoration workshop.

The restoration project was paused for about two years during the pandemic, when the Museums underwent several long closures due to Italy's lockdowns.