Andy-Warhol-1
The Andy Warhol exhibition at Arts AlUla examines fame and celebrity. Shown, Muhammad Ali, 1978, print. Image Credit: Supplied

Arts AlUla has collaborated with The Andy Warhol Museum for a major highlight of the festival starting February 16 and running to February 28, announcing an exhibition celebrating one of the world’s most famous and recognisable artists and an icon of the emerging 1960's pop culture movement.

The exhibition, called FAME, examines Warhol’s personal fascination with celebrity, bringing together some of his most iconic artworks to a specially curated presentation in AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Curated by the Director of The Andy Warhol Museum, Patrick Moore, FAME will feature Warhol’s works depicting Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Dolly Parton, and cultural and sporting legends like Muhammad Ali.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with Arts AlUla on this exhibition, bringing some of Warhol’s most vibrant and iconic works to this monumental landscape,” said Moore. “FAME is intended to be an introduction to the aspect of Warhol that I believe is most fascinating to many young people, including Saudi youth, as Andy Warhol’s journey, which started as a child staring at the movie screen and collecting publicity stills, is becoming more common through the rise of social media. FAME is an opportunity to further extend Warhol’s legacy by reaching new audiences through the display but also the talks programme and screen-printing workshops that will run in parallel.”

Andy-Warhol-2
Arts AlUla festival runs from February 16 to 28, 2023. Shown, “Liz”, 1964, lithograph. Image Credit: Supplied

Along with the paintings and prints, the exhibition will also include rare archival photographs as well as his groundbreaking installation Silver Clouds which consists of balloons in a room.

The Arts AlUla festival, launched last year, is AlUla’s flagship festival with the goal of nurturing cultural vibrancy in the region, and inspiring all generations to be a part of that legacy.

“In homage to a heritage built by diverse cultural perspectives, Arts AlUla will present FAME: Andy Warhol in AlUla as part of a long term vision of spectacular and multicultural arts initiatives,” said Nora Aldabal, Executive Director, Arts and Creative Industries for Arts AlUla. “We aim to drive a new era of cultural exchange, including exhibitions that feature the most important regional and international artists from the mid 20th century to the present day.”