The project “Aesthetics of AlUla”aims to materialize the aesthetics of the region by creating a book, a toolkit and a short film to help establish a coherent visual and sensory identity for artists and architects working in AlUla, as well as for scientists, journalists and researchers. Throughout one year, Manifesto Middle East liaised with the best experts on site to produce a tool that will support the future creators in AlUla. The results of this research were launched during the AlUla Arts Festival and are exposed at the AlUla Design Space. 

The initiative strives to inspire and foster cultural exchange and dialogue between diverse communities and nations, uniting them through a shared appreciation of the aesthetic and artistic expressions that thrive within AlUla.

Among the elements created, the book first seeks to identify the elements of the aesthetic system of the AlUla ethos, with the research by Bashar Al-Idressi and photographs by artist Mohamed Kilito. The toolkit then focuses on AlUla’s material approach, allowing to discover the stories behind its materials thanks to the design of the Hall Haus collective and the production of Dqiqa. Finally, the film, realized with Omar Sawalha, ultimately inspires viewers with images of its landscapes. 

As part of the “Aesthetics of AlUla” project, aimed at establishing a coherent visual and sensory identity for artists and architects working in AlUla, as well as for scientists, journalists and researchers, Manifesto produced the documentary short film AlUla as a Language. The film focuses on AlUla’s aesthetic essence encouraging an intimate understanding of the rawness and preciousness of its various settings. “AlUla as a Language” is a visual guide that invites viewers to notice and gaze intimately at seemingly mundane scenes encountered every day in AlUla, juxtaposed with the grandeur of its vast and diverse landscape. It shows an evocative imagery of its natural landscapes, crafted forms, design elements, and cultural narratives, accentuated by insightful interview extracts with experts practising in AlUla. 

The film is a resource that can inspire artists, designers, architects, and other practitioners and aid them in discovering the attributes and senses that define and epitomise AlUla. The film likens these attributes to a “language” which we must strive to understand to “converse” with AlUla in meaningful and fruitful ways.

The results of the research were launched during the AlUla Arts Festival and were exposed at the AlUla Design Space.