Five Land Art Giants to Create Monumental Works in Saudi Arabia's AlUla Desert

Five internationally renowned land artists—Manal AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater, and James Turrell—have been commissioned to create site-specific works for Wadi AlFann (Valley of Art) in the AlUla desert of Saudi Arabia. The first five pieces are slated for completion and inauguration by 2024, marking the start of an ongoing commissioning program that will transform the 65-square-kilometer area into an open-air museum. The artists will engage with the desert's unique topography, geological formations, and ecosystem, with works designed to respect the landscape. AlUla already hosts the annual Desert X AlUla exhibition, and Wadi AlFann aims to provide local communities with unprecedented access to art as education and enrichment, while boosting cultural tourism and intercultural exchange.