I’m celebrating Ward’s 7th birthday since its (digital) launch in 2017 today. It feels surreal to say this project, despite the many hiatuses, has survived on your screens and in my heart for this long. Since its first issue, Ward has highlighted the work of +100 Saudi(-based) creatives, published +25 issues, organized +10 exhibits and workshops, and celebrated many more big and small achievements and milestones. But today, I want to dedicate this note to our first issue and Tabuk, where it all began.
The Saudi art scene is rapidly and constantly expanding. Growing up alongside it and witnessing its incredible transformation was both incredible and concerning. It was incredible to see something that was once considered trivial become recognized and acknowledged by institutions and individuals alike, especially when it comes to art’s role in shaping our understanding of ourselves, our world, and our history. However, it was particularly concerning to see the scene congregating in major Saudi cities, highlighting only “polished” artists, and catering almost exclusively to a certain social class. What happens to the creatives of my hometown, Dhahran Al Janub, and my birth town, Tabuk? How are emerging artists included in this scene? What about non-English speaking individuals (in an Arabic-speaking country, mind you)?
These questions shaped Ward’s mission and its first issue. Since it launched, every project it created or contributed to was grounded in and attempting to answer them. While I still don’t have the answers yet, I’m reminding myself of them everyday while I’m tending to Ward. I’m eternally grateful to every creative, collaborator, and publication that brought Ward closer to the answers, even by a step.
