An institutional overview of the fourth edition of the open-air exhibition in AlUla
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Imole Red, Desert X AlUla 2026. Courtesy of Lance Gerber.
Desert X AlUla returned for its fourth edition in January 2026, presenting a series of site-responsive installations across the desert landscapes of north-west Saudi Arabia. Organised by Arts AlUla in collaboration with Desert X, the exhibition forms part of the AlUla Arts Festival and continues the partnership’s focus on large-scale public art projects developed in direct response to the place. This edition brings together eleven Saudi and international artists working across sculpture, sound, architecture and environmental installation.
Curated by Wejdan Reda and Zoé Whitley, with artistic direction by Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi, Desert X AlUla 2026 is structured around the curatorial theme ‘Space Without Measure’. The title draws on the writings of Kahlil Gibran and is used here to frame questions of scale, perception and spatial experience in relation to AlUla’s distinctive geological and cultural environment. Rather than presenting the desert as a neutral backdrop, the exhibition positions the landscape as a determining factor in both artistic production and curatorial approach.
The exhibition is staged across a range of sites, including valleys, canyons, and oasis areas, requiring audiences to navigate the terrain to encounter individual works. This dispersed format reflects Desert X AlUla’s emphasis on site responsiveness and reinforces the relationship between artwork, environment, and movement through space. Works are encountered in relation to natural features, light conditions and existing pathways, shaping how they are viewed and experienced.
Material choice and production processes are central components of the 2026 edition. Several commissions employ locally sourced materials such as rammed earth, stone and wood, alongside living plant matter and sound-based elements. All works were produced and fabricated in Saudi Arabia, with contributions from regional artisans and collaborations with local institutions, including Madrasat Addeera and the AlUla Music Hub. These processes reflect a stated commitment to local production, skills development and sustainability.
The participating artists represent a range of practices and geographies, with works addressing themes including ecology, memory, architecture, sound and the relationship between human activity and landscape. While individual approaches vary, the exhibition avoids imposing a single stylistic or ideological framework. Instead, it allows each commission to respond independently to AlUla’s physical and cultural conditions, resulting in a plurality of forms and methods.
Desert X AlUla 2026 also functions within a broader institutional context. The exhibition serves as a pre-opening programme for Wadi AlFann, the planned permanent Valley of the Arts, scheduled to open in 2028. As such, it serves as both a standalone exhibition and a testing ground for long-term approaches to commissioning, installing and maintaining large-scale works in the landscape. The project contributes to Arts AlUla’s broader strategy to develop cultural infrastructure and position AlUla as a site for sustained engagement with contemporary art.
Within international discussions on public art and biennials, Desert X AlUla occupies a distinct position as an open-access exhibition situated within a fragile environmental context. The 2026 edition foregrounds considerations of sustainability, site management and institutional responsibility, alongside artistic ambition. These factors are increasingly central to the evaluation of large-scale outdoor exhibitions and their long-term impact on both landscape and community.
Desert X AlUla 2026 is on view at AlUla, Saudi Arabia until 28 February 2026, as part of the AlUla Arts Festival. For more information, please visit Desert X AlUla.
