Manal AlDowayan: Participatory Acts - English

Participatory Acts

Manal AlDowayan

 

Published by The Art Library in cooperation with Rizzoli 2023

 

“I find carrying a message in your work becomes something that’s outside of your inside space. I’m having a conversation in my work, and if this conversation catches, then that’s how it’s supposed to be.” — Participatory Acts

 

This book presents the work of contemporary Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan (b. 1973), whose practice engages themes of invisibility, active forgetting, archives, and collective memory, with particular focus on the condition of Saudi women and their representation. Through photography, sculpture, textiles, and participatory installations, she explores the spatial and social dynamics of public and private spheres, drawing from personal experiences and reflections on time and space to resonate with broader audiences.

 

A focused presentation of a practice shaped by memory, representation, and the shifting boundaries between private and public life.