James Turrell to Create Mega Installation in Saudi Desert

James Turrell will create a monumental land art installation in the AlUla desert, part of the Wadi AlFann (Valley of the Arts) project. The 65-square-kilometer site aims to become a global Land Art destination. Turrell's project will feature two large and two smaller Skyspaces that engage with the desert's natural light. A concurrent exhibition, "Wadi AlFann presents: James Turrell," curated by Michael Govan (CEO of LACMA), runs until April 16, 2025, at a pop-up space near ATHR gallery in AlJadidah. Other artists commissioned for Wadi AlFann include Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Manal AlDowayan, and Ahmed Mater, under artistic director Iwona Blazwick (former Whitechapel Gallery director). Separately, Villa Hegra, a Saudi-French cultural institution, pre-opened with a dance performance by Noé Soulier's Junior Ballet. Villa Hegra stems from a bilateral agreement signed December 4, 2021, by Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. It will offer artist and researcher programs and join the global network of French villas including Villa Medici, Casa de Velázquez, and Villa Kujoyama. French President Emmanuel Macron visited AlUla in December 2024 to assess projects. Italian architecture and design firms are also involved in the site.