Dammam, November 17, 2024 – The sixth edition of the International Video Art Forum, organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam in collaboration with the Cinema Association, has officially closed registration for its upcoming exhibition and competition. The forum, a prominent event in the global art calendar, continues to build on its legacy of fostering creativity and innovation in video art.
Yousif Al-Harbi, the forum’s general supervisor and director of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam, revealed that this year’s event received an impressive 127 artistic submissions from 41 countries, with 104 works selected for exhibition in the Kingdom. These submissions are now under review by the forum’s selection and judging committee, which will determine the final lineup of works to be showcased and entered into the competition.
Al-Harbi emphasized the forum’s dual mission: to spotlight Saudi and Arab artistic experiences while attracting diverse international contributions. This year’s forum, held under the theme “Imagination Embodied, Reality Transformed,” aims to celebrate the transformative power of video art by blending imagination with cutting-edge technologies to create impactful visual narratives.
The sixth edition will officially launch on November 26 with its first artistic workshop at the Cinema Association headquarters in Khobar. Al-Harbi highlighted the forum’s success in its previous five editions, which collectively showcased over 823 works of art from more than 70 countries. These earlier iterations also featured 31 specialized seminars and workshops, offering artists and audiences opportunities to engage with contemporary visual art practices and technologies.
Al-Harbi noted that the forum has become a significant platform for exploring innovative artistic expressions, fostering cultural exchange, and enriching the video art community in Saudi Arabia and beyond. By offering a space for dialogue and creativity, the International Video Art Forum continues to solidify its position as a global hub for video art and cultural innovation.
The sixth edition promises to carry forward this legacy, presenting a dynamic lineup of works and activities that reflect the evolving landscape of video art and its role in shaping contemporary cultural discourse.