A car showroom in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was transformed into a Hajj-themed art gallery for the exhibition "Where the Journey Begins," held from May 4 to 14. Organized by Genesis Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co. and the Darb Al-Fann foundation, the show featured over 25 artworks selected from more than 100 entries by a committee of well-known Saudi artists. The works, created by modern and contemporary Saudi artists including Sultan Othman, Mohammed Jamal, and Majed Baswad, explore the spiritual stages of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, from Makkah through ritual sites to Madinah.
The exhibition matters because it demonstrates how contemporary Saudi artists are engaging with deep religious and cultural themes, using faith as a lens for artistic expression. By staging the show in a non-traditional venue—a car showroom—the organizers also highlight a growing trend in the region to make art accessible outside conventional gallery spaces, fostering broader public engagement with visual art during the Hajj season.