Art in Saudi Arabia: A New Creative Economy? - Hardcover

by Rebecca Anne Proctor (Author), Alia Al-Senussi (Author)

This book spotlights the role that contemporary art will play in Saudi Arabia's new push for cultural diplomacy as well as sweeping reform in the country. As the Kingdom mobilises its vast resources behind the economic and social priorities of its Vision 2030 strategy and seeks new terms of engagement with the international community, art is set to take centre stage. This book looks at both the historic and contemporary contexts for this recent state-led focus on art in the Kingdom; at how its planned events and programmes stand apart, in resource, scale and ambition, from seemingly similar initiatives coming from that region; and at both the opportunities and pitfalls, not just for the burgeoning art world of Saudi Arabia, but for practitioners and professionals around the world.

Author Biography

Rebecca Anne Proctor is an independent journalist, editor and broadcaster based between Dubai and Rome. She is the former editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar Art. Alia Al-Senussi is a cultural strategist, patron of the arts, academic and lecturer whose PhD was on the subject of cultural patronage and contemporary art in Saudi Arabia.