Tarek Atoui

Tarek Atoui’s long-term engagement with the landscape and community of AlUla led him to consider the archaeo-acoustics of desert kites—vast geometric traces stretching across the arid plateaus of northern Saudi Arabia—and whether these ancient shapes were not only to be seen, but also heard.

Imagining the landscape as an archaeological excavation, the act of digging unraveled a mysterious discovery: a constellation of seven horn-like hollow structures, each oriented with quiet precision and positioned with intent. Half-buried in the ground, softened by time, these horns seemed to emerge as if the earth were exhaling after a long silence.

Not far from this network of horns, the sound of water drops echoed from a stone cavity between the rocks - water slowly gathering through condensation in the desert air. Each time a drop formed and fell, air moved through the horns, bringing them to life to play a generative sequence of tones, a different chant with every drop. Each sound awakened the landscape, activating its surroundings. The horns conversed with the canyon walls in echoes and delayed harmonies. The air itself became part of the composition, and the sound felt like a call, a celebration - a song born from water itself, calling for more water.

By bringing together a wide range of materials and knowledge, Atoui tests both the acoustic properties and the unique ways in which elements like bronze, water, glass and stone transmit and reflect sound. Using custom-built electronic instruments and computers, Atoui references current social and political realities, revealing music and new technologies as powerful aspects of expression and identity. Education and social connection are integral aspects of his practice. He often collaborates with local communities and invites visitors to interact with and experience his multi-sensory environments.

Desert X AlUla 2026 was curated by Wejdan Reda and Zoé Whitley, under the vision of Founding Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and returning 2026 Artistic Director Raneem Farsi. Commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla.

The exhibition brought together 11 artists whose diverse and monumental works reflect a wide spectrum of ideas, materials and traditions. From monumental kinetic sculpture to sound-based explorations above and below ground, each commission is deeply rooted in relationships to AlUla’s dynamic and distinctive environment.