[아츠앤컬쳐] 사우디아라비아 북서부 알울라 사막의 세계문화지역 와디 알판에서 11월 25일~26일에 'Nine Songs'을 초연한다. 수천 년 간직해온 자연과 역사, 문화 유산의 장엄한 풍광 안에서 공연이 펼쳐질 예정이다. 

Wadi AlFann, an awe-inspiring new global cultural destination spanning 65 sq km in the desert of AlUla, north-west Saudi Arabia, presents the world premiere of Nine Songs, taking place Friday 25 - Saturday 26 November 2022. This site-responsive, open-air, theatrical performance of music takes place amidst the extraordinary landscape of a region steeped in thousands of years of natural, historical and cultural heritage. 

Commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and created by Chinese musician, vocalist and artistic director Rui Fu, Nine Songs brings together a world-class ensemble of performers from across the globe. Working with artistic co-director Farooq Chaudhry and musical director Jocelyn Pook, Fu's new work is inspired by the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), an ancient anthology of romantic Chinese poetry from the 1st century BC, while responding to the dramatic topography, undulating vistas, remarkable geological structures of AlUla.  

Nine Songs draws from the Jiu Ge collection, one of the seventeen sections of the Songs of Chu, whose poems act as prayers to clouds, mountains and rivers. The ritualistic performance is set against the backdrop of AlUla’s stunning sandstone cliffs and canyons, re-imagining the sublime, delicate and ancestral bond between art, landscape and humankind while connecting music and movement with the surrounding terrain.  

Rui Fu specialises in the improvisational and impressionistic interpretation of Chinese ethnic musical traditions. Strongly influenced by the temporal, timbral and rhythmic flexibilities of such traditions, she collaborates with musicians from minority tribes in China to explore indigenous practices and rare instruments and is known for singing in her own invented, non-lexical language that cuts across cultural barriers.  

Nine Songs sees Fu’s vocal performance accompanied by new compositions played on violin, harp, dulcimer, oud, guqin and taiko drums, with costumes and scenery designed by Marie Cantenys and Margaux Lalanne and lighting by Fabiana Piccioli. Taking place on a circular stage in the desert at sunset, the performance seeks commonality with rituals and practices from different cultures, with nature acting as the unifying force between them. 

Wadi AlFann, meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’, offers a profound opportunity to experience art in dialogue with nature. This unique site will see era-defining, large-scale, site-specific works by some of the world’s most compelling artists permanently placed in the monumental landscape. The first five works, by Manal AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater and James Turrell, will be completed in 2024, marking the start of an ongoing programme of commissions.  

Co-produced by the Royal Commission for AlUla and Skye Blue Productions, the performance of Nine Songs marks the start of Wadi AlFann’s pre-opening programme, which will also include temporary exhibitions, artist residencies and public symposia. The unveiling of the first five artworks in 2024 will also be accompanied by a public programme offering educational opportunities, skills-based engagement, sessions with art professionals, masterclasses for local creatives and more.  

AlUla is a majestic region of natural and creative heritage steeped in a legacy of cross-cultural exchange. Home to the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the region has been at the crossroads of cultural exchange for millennia, historically lying on the incense trade route and once capital to the ancient Kingdom of Dadan. Today, it is a living museum of heritage, arts and nature, rekindling its legacy as a vital cultural destination. 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Listing information: 

Nine Songs  
Dates: Friday 25 and Saturday 26 November 
Doors: 5.30pm  
Performance: 8pm (duration 75 mins) 
Location: Art in the Landscape pavilion (complimentary shuttle service from the car park to the performance venue) 
Price: Early Bird 99 SAR / Standard 150 SAR 
Booking link: https://www.experiencealula.com/en/discover-alula/arts-culture/wadi-alfann/nine-songs