Ithra Launches Baseqat Exhibition To Celebrate Date Palm As Cultural Heritage

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, has unveiled the ‘Baseqat’ exhibition. This event celebrates the date palm as a cultural emblem and a living heritage significant to the Arabian Peninsula. The launch coincides with the ‘Khoos Initiative,’ held in Ithra's Great Hall, which aims to modernise the traditional craft of palm frond weaving during the Year of Crafts.

Farah Abushullaih, Head of the Ithra Museum, highlighted that ‘Baseqat’ encourages makers, families, and young learners to engage in palm frond weaving. This tradition is deeply rooted in Saudi Arabia’s history and is an artistic journey shared with a community spirit. Through this interaction, heritage is revitalised as this ancient craft's expertise is passed down through creativity and community effort.

The exhibition showcases 15 artworks by 25 artists from Saudi Arabia and other countries. Curators and art specialists supervise these pieces, offering a creative experience that explores the palm tree's presence in memory. The artworks reinterpret it artistically by blending heritage with modernity, tangible elements with symbolic meanings.

Incorporating elements like wood, rope, and fiber from palm trees, the exhibition design reflects multiple meanings through artistic spaces. These spaces create a visual scene reminiscent of traditional areesh that shades memory. The exhibition is divided into six sections: Oasis, Roots, Trunk, Fronds, Dates, and a lab for experimentation and workshops.

A diverse group of artists from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Mexico, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Germany, and Spain contribute to the exhibition. Their works range from sculptures and installations to contemporary media using palm materials. These artistic narratives oscillate between heritage and innovation.

The exhibition also includes a theater screening the documentary film ‘Sa‘fa’ alongside various discussion sessions. Together with hands-on workshops in the dedicated lab section, these components offer new artistic interpretations of the palm tree’s role in architecture, food, medicine, environment, and poetry.

This initiative not only celebrates cultural heritage but also fosters creativity by reimagining traditional crafts with a modern twist. By engaging different generations in this craft revival process, Ithra ensures that such traditions continue to thrive within contemporary contexts.

With inputs from SPA