Artist Mohammed Alfaraj is the recipient of the second edition of the annual Hayy Jameel Facade Commission

The Hayy Jameel Façade Commission is an annual programme that gives one artist or collective the opportunity to develop a major public work for the 25-metre “canvas” on the front of the building — a feature integral to the architectural intent. The first edition of the commission was awarded to Riyadh-based painter and sculptor Nasser Almulhim and architect and artist Tamara Kalo and their intricate design titled Contours on Collective Consciousness – on view until December 20.

For the second edition, and for the first time, an open call was announced early August 2022. The Facade Commission’s esteemed jury – including Saudi artist Dr. Ahmed Mater, General and Artistic Director of Het Nieuwe Instituut Aric Chen, NEON Director Elina Kountouri, and Art Jameel curator Rahul Gudipudi – considered more than 80 highly-competitive, diverse and ambitious proposals from Saudi and Saudi-based artists.

⁠The jury noted the particularly nuanced and timely nature of Alfaraj’s proposal, set to be revealed to the public at Hayy Jameel in January 2023.

The jury also opted to award a Jury Special Mention to three of the shortlisted proposals in recognition of their originality and bold vision. Congratulations go to:

• Alaa Tarabzouni, Fahad bin Naif, Sarah Abu Abdullah and Afia bin Taleb (collective)
• Ali Hashmi, Majed Munshi, Leila Zahid and Bayan Barboud (collective)
• Obaid Al-Safi

The Commission is kindly supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Motors – Lexus KSA.

About Mohammad Alfaraj

Having studied engineering and growing up loving the camera in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, a region considered to be one of the largest desert oases in the world, Alfaraj’s work can be described as a cinematic collage of mediums, practices and ideas. With his artwork and projects, Alfaraj aims to create a world charged with stories, poetry and the search for truth via exploration, documentation and interpretation, resulting in works that the artist hopes nurture imagination and empathy. His use and reuse of organic and manmade waste work as a physical capsule of memories and time, with these materials and their histories holding a spiritual quality. A visual artist that works in film, photography, sculpture and poetry, influenced by his hometown and his travels, Alfaraj attempts to capture the imprint and impact of life both literally and metaphorically. Alfaraj also engages in workshops and action-based activities with the community as a believer in collective creativity.