The National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh has launched "Bedayat: Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement," a landmark survey exhibition documenting the evolution of the country’s art scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Curated by Qaswra Hafez and commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, the show features a vast array of paintings, sculptures, and never-before-seen archival materials. The exhibition is organized into three sections that explore the foundations of the movement, the influence of modernization on daily life, and the specific contributions of four modernist pioneers: Mohammed Al-Saleem, Safeya Binzagr, Mounirah Mosly, and Abdulhalim Radwi.
This exhibition is significant as it challenges Western-centric narratives of Modernism by highlighting a unique regional movement that fused cultural heritage with experimental techniques. By presenting extensive research—including 120 artist profiles and 50 interviews—the project serves as both a formal academic record and a cultural tribute to the artists who laid the groundwork for Saudi Arabia's current contemporary art boom. It positions Saudi Modernism not as a historical relic, but as an essential, expanding chapter of global art history that continues to inform the Kingdom's creative identity.