The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced the signing of an agreement with Paris-based Centre Pompidou to formalise, strengthen, and expand collaboration and knowledge sharing ahead of the establishment of a new contemporary art museum in AlUla in 2027.
The new Executive Programme Agreement, RCU said, builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between RCU and Centre Pompidou in March to develop a world-class contemporary art museum in AlUla, with defined multi-year phases leading up to its public opening in 2027.
RCU shared it has made significant progress in its plans to establish the new museum, including the announcement of Lina Gotmeh as the architect.
RCU noted that Gotmeh was chosen for her track record of ‘high-quality designs that merge outstanding levels of creativity with sustainability.” Further, it said that the new museum will reflect Gotmeh’s “responsible, considered, and conscious vision” of a modern art landmark inspired by AlUla.
The museum will create a platform for critical thinking in contemporary art by offering a regional and international collection that highlights the artists’ overall production and unique artistic research, it said.
The signing of the new Executive Programme Agreement is an opportunity to fine-tune and enhance the existing ecosystem of successful partnerships and cross-cultural cooperations between RCU and Centre Pompidou, it highlighted, and sets out a working framework of clear priorities, new proposals, and collaborative activities to be pursued over the next four years.
The programme allows for the ongoing exchange, acquisition, loan, and display of artworks and artefacts between RCU and Centre Pompidou, as well as the promotion of various scientific and cultural initiatives based on the sharing of unique items from each partner’s collection.
Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Art and Creative Industries at RCU, said: “The signing of the Executive Programme Agreement between RCU and Centre Pompidou marks a new phase in our mutually beneficial partnership that is helping to define successful cross-cultural collaborations between AlUla and our colleagues at one of France’s leading institutions.
Adding: “By establishing a clear roadmap of growth that covers key areas of cooperation in diverse sectors related to culture, heritage, and art, this partnership will allow for the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and new ideas. It will give colleagues from Paris and AlUla the chance to work closely in important fields related to museology, and to contribute to the development of AlUla’s new contemporary art museum. Both sides of this partnership have a great deal to offer and a great to learn from the other. I look forward to deepening RCU’s relationship with Centre Pompidou.”