Saudi Arabia Presents the Story of Oil... Through Art
The Black Gold Museum opens in Riyadh with 350 artworks from 30 countries.
A new museum in Riyadh is dedicated to telling the story of oil through contemporary art. Featuring 350 artworks from 170 Saudi and international artists, the Black Gold Museum attempts to reinterpret the history of one of world's most important natural resources through a more human lens.
Among the participating artists are Manal AlDowayan, Ahmed Mater, Muhannad Shono, Mohammad Alfaraj, Ayman Zedani, Doug Aitken, Jimmie Durham, Dennis Hopper, Alfredo Jaar, Renaud Layrac, George Sabra, Pascale Marthine Tayou, and Andy Wauman.
Combining installations, paintings, photography, film and archival material across four interactive sections ('Encounter,' 'Dreams,' 'Doubts,' and 'Visions'), the Museum looks both towards the past and the future of oil, as well as its impact on Saudi, the region and the world. The museum is housed at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in a building designed by Zaha Hadid.
