Now on view at ATHR Gallery in AlUla, Symbolic Gestures brings together Saudi artist Sultan bin Fahad and Hall Haus, an art and design collective, in a cross-cultural exhibition that explores memory, ritual, and the search for shared spiritual and emotional ground. Featuring sculptural installations and mixed-media works, the show will be open to the public until 18 July 2025.

The exhibition is organised across three conceptual zones: conflict, transition, and resolution. It reflects on personal and collective experiences shaped by repression, resistance, and transformation. Both Sultan bin Fahad and Hall Haus draw from distinct cultural backgrounds and practices, yet, their artistic inquiry converges in a shared desire: to forge a more inclusive visual and symbolic language, one that encourages openness, play, and belonging.

About the artists

Sultan bin Fahad (b. 1971, Riyadh, KSA) resides in his home city. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (1994) from King Saud University (Riyadh) and an MBA (1997) from the University of San Francisco (USA).

Sultan bin Fahad’s practice encompasses paintings, sculptures, photography, installations, and mixed-media pieces. Renowned for his poetic reimaginings of Islamic material culture, he often repurposes sacred objects, relics of pilgrimage, and fragments of oral tradition into contemplative forms. His practice navigates themes of memory, identity, and national heritage, grounding spiritual history within a contemporary artistic framework.

The artist has showcased his works in different exhibitions, including Islamic Biennale (Jeddah, KSA, 2023); Desert X (Al Ula, KSA, 2021); The Red Palace (solo) (Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, 2020); Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition (the Arena Manama, Bahrain, 2019); and London Arabia Art & Fashion Week (Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, London, UK, 2018). His art pieces are part of esteemed public collections such as the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – Ithra (Dhahran, KSA) and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Hall Haus is a Paris-based collective founded in 2020 by Abdoulaye Niang, Sammy Bernoussi, Teddy Sanches, and Zakari Boukhari. Niang, Bernoussi, and Sanches are graduates in industrial design from ENSCI–Les Ateliers, while Boukhari holds a degree in Energy Process Engineering from the École des Arts et Métiers.

Influenced by Bauhaus and Hip-Hop culture, Hall Haus redefines design as a tool for social agency, ecological awareness, and cultural transmission. Their interdisciplinary practice spans object-making, spatial design, and performative installations rooted in urban experience and African diasporic heritage.

The collective advocates for a democratised, inclusive design ethos: one shaped by the intersection of street culture (“hall”) and modernist methodology (“haus”). Their mission is to make design more accessible, especially to younger and underrepresented communities.

To learn more about Symbolic Gestures, please go to the exhibition’s official web page.

Additionally, you might be interested in visiting From Fragments to Coherence, a group exhibition at Sevil Dolmaci Dubai. We would also recommend you read our article about three sustainable female designers from the Middle East.