Shifting sands: An art exhibition, a desert landscape and an insight into Saudi society

Stephanie d’Arc Taylor | The Independant | 5th February 2020

Saudi Arabia doesn’t do things by halves. It plans to develop an area the size of Belgium into an arts hub and conservation area. A key event will be Desert X AlUla, an exhibition of “grand-scale art” in the striking desert landscape. Can a society that restricts freedom of expression foster a vibrant arts community? “[Y]es, but only up to a point. [The work] is often visually spectacular but feels ultimately insubstantial.”