‘Glimpses of Now’ is a visual and auditory exploration of the cities and people of Saudi Arabia. Mohammad Alfaraj shot the video in a documentary format using a video camera and mobile phone. This is an ongoing project, and the artist has been gathering footage for the film since 2015. 

The screening is organised by the Assembly 2022-2023 member Saba Sayfaiee as part of the 2023 Youth Takeover.

Mohammad Alfaraj, Glimpses of Now, 2020, Single channel video, 48 mins. Art Jameel Collection

Mohammad Alfaraj (b. 1993) was born and raised in Al Hassa, a remote town in Saudi Arabia that has fed into his interest in nature and ecology and led him to a multidimensional practice, from video, photography, installations and writing, through which he presents a world on the verge of collapse. The core of his practice is his exploration of the relationship between forms and concepts, as a combination of a variety of elements is visible through superimposed stories in his photographic collages, regrouping and contrasting fiction and non-fiction subjects. Alfaraj’s work has been shown at the Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah; Le murate Pac, Florence (2019); Athr Gallery, Jeddah (2018); 21,39 Jeddah Arts (2017, 2019); Saudi Film Festival, Dammam (2015) and Dubai International Film Festival (2014). Alfaraj worked as a programmer in both the Saudi Film Festival and the poetry house festival in Dammam.

Saba Sayfaiee is a visual designer from the Emirates. She earned a B.S. in Visual Communication at the American University of Sharjah (2021). Her main interests lie in editorial design, typography and branding. She examines and explores different cultural, social and behavioral topics through different mediums. The extensive studio practice, thorough research and design process that Saba has done throughout the years of her practice have all contributed to the journey that has led her to this point.