Jeddah among three biggest art centers in the Mideast

In the Middle East, there are only three important art centers: Beirut, Sharjah, and Jeddah.

Or so opines Chris Dercon, director of the Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the most visited museum in the world located in London.

Dercon was talking at a symposium organized as part of the “21,39 Jeddah Arts” opening events, which took place from February 4 to 8 all over the city and included openings of exhibitions, tours, workshops, and a symposium.

He said the difference with other cities in the Middle East is that Jeddah has the “social fabric” to become a major art hub.

“There is not only a wave of enthusiasm and interest; there is not only a wave of young artists trying to produce something and trying to say something; there are also people who carry these things and take things further,” he said, referring to the organizers of “21,39” and the financial support they received from 37 prominent families in Jeddah.

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Jeddah among three biggest art centers in the Mideast