DUBAI: In the Bawwaba section of the most recent edition of Art Dubai, Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman’s installation “Manifesto: Language & the City II” presented photographs and numerous illuminated signs and symbols in Arabic against two black walls, reflecting the urban signage one may find in Riyadh.
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The installation was an evolution of a series that includes 2021’s “Manifesto: the Language and the City,” a multimedia installation exploring the linguistic and architectural landscape of Riyadh for the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which went on to be included in the Lyon Biennale in 2022, and “Fantasy Land,” which Al-Othman created for the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival in 2021 — a neon wall installation exploring themes of human experience and the shifts between reality and illusion.
Abdullah Al-Othman’s installation “Manifesto: Language & the City II” presented photographs and numerous illuminated signs and symbols in Arabic. (Supplied)
“Language & the City II” pulsed with light and color and the expressive characters of the Arabic language made the viewer feel as if they were indeed on a bustling street in the Saudi capital. “Language is akin to history — it’s very deep,” Al-Othman tells Arab News. “Through my research I realized how language is like a brand for a culture — it references history and people. I study the language that we find in cities. The documentation of language affects the architectural style in an urban environment and the relationship between people and their environment.”
