ATHR Gallery in AlUla is hosting ALAMAAT, a duo exhibition featuring Saudi artist Daniah Al Saleh and German artist Susanne Kriemann. Curated by Salma Al Khalidi, the exhibition showcases works produced during their residency in AlUla, supported by the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy. Running until 26 March 2025, ALAMAAT explores the intersection of art, archaeology, and cultural exchange.
As part of the 20th anniversary of the German Archaeological Institute’s (DAI) excavations in Saudi Arabia, Al Saleh and Kriemann visited the archaeological sites of Tayma and AlUla in 2023. Their research examined the dialogue between ancient histories and contemporary realities.
The exhibition encourages visitors to think about how past and present narratives intertwine, shaping our understanding of time and place. It highlights how history is not only marked by monumental events but also by the subtle, tangible and intangible traces we leave behind. Through their works, Al Saleh and Kriemann explore the lasting impact of physical and organic materials, ancient and modern, on our relationship with time and the environment.
Al Saleh’s work focuses on carnelian stones and beads, semi-precious gemstones found in ancient artefacts, investigating how they bridge past human activity with contemporary contexts. Meanwhile, Kriemann examines the coexistence of ancient artefacts and modern consumer waste, revealing the tensions between visible and hidden environmental challenges.
About the artists
Daniah Al Saleh (b. 1970, KSA), who resides in her home country, obtained an MFA in Computational Art from Goldsmiths, University of London (UK), in 2020. Her artistic practice examines cultural conditioning, questioning behavioural patterns and paradigms embedded in everyday life. She explores elements often taken at face value (mundane, ordinary, and widely accepted cultural norms), revealing their relationship with memory, connectedness, and division. Through her work, Al Saleh offers alternative perspectives on daily life, human fragility, and vulnerability.
Al Saleh’s artworks have been exhibited internationally, including at the First Ad-Diriyah Biennale In Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, 2022), BIENALSUR (Qasr Khuzam, Jeddah, 2021), AI and International Dialogue (Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2019), and Abu Dhabi Art (2015-2018). In 2019, the artist received the Ithra Art Prize.
Susanne Kriemann (b. 1972, Germany) is a Berlin-based artist, photographer, professor for Code & Image at the University of Arts and Design Karlsruhe (Germany), and a lecturer at NYU Berlin. She studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart (Germany) and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (Paris, France).
Kriemann’s work is deeply rooted in ecology, exploring landscapes as “recording systems” for human-induced processes. Her research focuses on radioactivity, mining, archaeology, and the concept of “slow violence.” A defining characteristic of her work is her integration of researched materials into prints and exhibitions, layering historical and geological narratives with contemporary realities and speculative futures.
Kriemann’s work has been featured in international exhibitions, such as the 11th Gothenburg International Biennale for Contemporary Art (Sweden, 2021), the 2nd Karachi Biennale (Pakistan, 2019), Canopy Canopy (CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco, 2018), and A Silent Crazy Jungle Under Glass (Kunsthalle Winterthur, Switzerland, 2011).
To learn more about ALAMAAT, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in reading our article about what art lovers can expect in the Gulf region this spring.
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