Saudi and French cultures of art are proposed to meet and thrive on cordiality, talent, and dedication of Saudi and French artists. For this art mission to materialize, the Art and Skills Institute in Riyadh and the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Paris 1 – Pantheon Sorbonne are studying a joint collaboration to bring Saudi and French art students together. “It will be fantastic,” said Dany Leriche, a professor at the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Paris 1 – Pantheon Sorbonne. “This will be a great opportunity for both Saudi and French students to exchange ideas and thoughts and explore new artistic styles.” Leriche is currently on a week long visit to the Kingdom as a guest of the Art and Skills Institute. During this week Leriche will be familiarized with the Art and Skills Institute and other institutes to come to a better understanding of the current art scene in the Kingdom. The professor of French art will pay a visit to Nahda Philanthropic Society for Women, the Institute for Public Administration, Al-Hiwar Art Gallery to meet with a group of Saudi artists. She is also scheduled to visit other places in Riyadh where art is found. “It is amazing,” Leriche told the Saudi Gazette during her tour of the Art and Skills Institute, the first non-government art institute which mainly teaches art and design. The Institute offers a two-year diploma cours for its female students. “I didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect this level of development here in the Kingdom,” she said. With her personal interests entrenched in women in society and gender studies, Leriche ventured to discover the Kingdom through the artist's eyes and senses. “I feel the energy blossoming here, there is a hunger and eagerness to learn and to create which unfortunately is lost in the West,” said Leriche. “It's a great feeling for any art teacher.” Leriche is hoping to start a collaboration with the Art and Skills Institute, “I see a lot of opportunities we can develop. For example, one idea is the exchange of students, teachers and another is to collaborate and synchronize our workshops,” said Leriche. Technology has come to serve art after communication in the past between the two cultures seemed to be a rarity. Innovative arts and designs and today's technologies could be combined to revolutionize communication, producing extraordinary results both in art and cultures. By holding synchronized workshops on art subjects through modern technology, geographical barriers are brought down, she said. Arts students in the Kingdom could interact with their counterparts in France by displaying their works through DVD, the Internet and vice versa, she proposed. Her interest was equally met by her Saudi colleagues to get closer together through engaging interactive experiences that evolve brand and drive bottom-line results. “We are eager to cooperate with Leriche,” said Princess Adwa Bint Yazid Bin Abdullah, chairwoman of the Board at the Art and Skills Institute. “We are also very eager to expand our students' art experience and imagination to express themselves artistically.” Despite the fresh first anniversary of the Institute, it has already made a name for itself in the art scene for its high standards of teaching with two diplomas, one in fashion design and another in the arts. “Our goal is to provide the market with highly skilled fashion seamstress to hold supervisory positions in factories or fashion houses, either in the fashion departments or the cutting departments,” said Princess Adwa. What struck Leriche most about Saudi artists was their combination of culture and history that was interwoven in modern life. “This is very beautiful,” said Leriche. “It is important to keep your roots at this time of McDonald's and Carrefour's boom. We have to keep our culture while developing a modern style which we can not escape from.” __
