With the participation of more than 250 artists, “Misk Art 2018” festival was organized by Misk Art Institute as one of the largest festivals to highlight the artistic movement and cultural orientation in the Kingdom. The festival was held at Durrat Arriyadh, from 30 October to 3 November, and organized in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Saudi Telecom Company STC, General Entertainment Authority GEA, and Alarabia for advertising.
The festival focused on transforming the city of Riyadh into a city of art through live performances and workshops, as well as art exhibitions including Arabic calligraphy, phone art, Saudi art leaders, dedicated areas for children, 120 corners for Saudi artists, and interactive sculpture symposium for local, regional, and international sculptors.
The festival held a dialogue among different generations in the Kingdom. It also highlighted the best ways of marketing arts within different communities in Riyadh and raising awareness of the positive impact of creativity. In addition, it encouraged artists to dedicate their original cultural identity in all their artistic works inside and outside the Kingdom.
The festival targeted a wide range of over 100,000 visitors from all age groups and different segments of the population, including artists, artworks owners, exhibitions and museums owners, and art students and academics. It offered a range of activities that help to define the role of arts as a civilized language of dialogue in all societies.
On that occasion, Dr. Ahmed Mater, Executive Director of Misk Art Institute, commented that Misk Art 2018 will be a platform for establishing long-term partnerships between the Institute and a wide range of Saudi, Arab, and international companies and organizations in support of the idea of establishing this initiative as an annual program that brings together various experiences to facilitate positive cultural dialogue and embrace local artists’ talents and bring them to the world.
It is worth mentioning that this activity is part of Misk Art Institute interest in supporting artistic talents and encouraging local art markets. It offers an opportunity for professional development of various artists through the promotion of education by applying interactive discussions. It also allows the exchange of skills and direct learning among participants in various fields such as design, drawing, music, architecture, and filmmaking.
