The Red Sea Museum, affiliated with the Museums Commission, today opened the “Photographing Distances” exhibition by Argentine artist Matilde Marin at the museum’s headquarters in Historic Jeddah. Held for the first time in the Kingdom, the exhibition runs until 31 December.
The show presents photographic and video works through which Marin documents maritime lighthouses in various geographic locations, including those in Jeddah and Yanbu, highlighting their associations with the history of navigation, human memory and the relationship between people and place.
The opening ceremony featured a guided tour with the artist, an artistic dialogue with Nadine Abdelghaffar, and a musical performance as part of the opening programme.
The exhibition builds on Marin’s “Pharos” project, launched in 2005, which documents lighthouses around the world as symbols of guidance, hope and direction, extending beyond their architectural and navigational functions into artistic and human realms.
The works underscore the link between contemporary art and the Red Sea’s maritime heritage, evoking the role of lighthouses in sea voyages and the stories and memories tied to them, while also highlighting the Red Sea’s historical significance as a corridor for movement and cultural exchange.
A cultural and artistic programme runs throughout the exhibition, including film screenings, poetry and music evenings, creative workshops and interactive experiences, alongside activities for children and families to build lighthouse models and sessions on photography and landscapes.
The exhibition is part of the Museums Commission’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s cultural and artistic scene and to strengthen the role of museums as platforms for cultural exchange and creative dialogue by hosting international artistic projects and enabling public engagement.
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