24 February 2014 - The weeklong Jeddah Art Week opened on January 31 at the Al Furusiya Exhibition Hall, Jeddah Park Hyatt Hotel.
Philippine Consul General Uriel Norman R. Garibay, together with the Saudi Labor Minister Adel Fakeih, Ministry of Culture and Information representative Saud Kateb and Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI) Chairman Mohammed Jameel gathered to open the exhibit. They then viewed the various art works being offered.
Labor Minister Adel Fakeih praised the organizers for showcasing a diverse range of artwork, particularly, the exhibition by Filipino photographers. Minister Fakeih was pleasantly surprised with the various artworks that were presented by the Filipino workers. He pointed out that the Saudi government would like to encourage guest workers in the Kingdom to share their experiences while living in Saudi cities and interacting culturally with Saudi society. He said that the Ministry of Labor is going to further encourage various expatriate communities to participate in future Saudi Arabia’s cultural activities.
On February 02, KAKAIBANG JEDDAH! Photo exhibit opened in JAW 2014. Consul General Garibay welcomed guests that included the Consuls General of Sri Lanka, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, Germany and Japan. Members of the Filipino community in Jeddah and Consulate staff also attended the event.
“KAKAIBANG JEDDAH” brought together for the first time the photographic works of 23 Filipino photographers that celebrates Jeddah as a subject of photographic art and explores its lesser-known aspects that are popular to and enjoyed by Filipino workers. Forty-eight works in display are printed on aluminum and feature the old streets and buildings of Jeddah like those in Balad, as well as scenes at Jeddah’s Corniche.
Consul General Garibay described said the exhibit as a recognition of the talent of Filipinos. He expressed that there would be more exhibitions in future in other areas of expat interest. He praised the works of the Filipino participants as magnificent as they provide a different subject perspective for photography and the arts.
JAW’s 2014 events ran until February 06 at the Al Furusiya Exhibition Hall.
Jeddah Art Week started in 2013 with the object of providing an opportunity for artists to be together and to share their experiences; to encourage the public to appreciate Jeddah’s “public space” more creatively; and to showcase Jeddah’s creative art and design culture while increasing the City’s engagement with the international art community. It is under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information and Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI). END