King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is hosting the exhibition 'Bidayat: Beginnings of the Saudi Art Movement' in collaboration with the Visual Arts Commission, starting Monday until November 7, in a cultural experience that documents a pivotal phase in the history of Saudi art, highlighting the emergence and development of the modern art movement from the 1960s to the 1980s. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Sunday, the exhibition is an extension of national efforts to preserve Saudi art history and make it accessible to the public, and the exhibition offers a documentary reading that highlights the interaction of Saudi artists with their cultural heritage, and social and economic transformations. The exhibition features more than 150 artworks created by 68 Saudi artists, along with over 200 archival materials and multimedia displays, providing a visual narrative that documents the evolution of artistic practices and the role of pioneering artists in building an artistic system inspired by local heritage and interacting with social and economic changes and global artistic trends. The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive cultural program including discussion sessions, workshops, and specialized training sessions, with the participation of artists, specialists, and researchers in the history of Saudi art, enhancing visitors' experience and deepening their understanding of the foundational stages that contributed to shaping the local art scene. The exhibition presents in its sections the development of the Saudi art movement from a thematic and contextual perspective, addressing the emergence of the art scene through the interaction between individual initiatives of artists and institutional support, and the artistic and intellectual trends that shaped Saudi artistic production during that period. Ithra's hosting of the exhibition stems from the center's role in spreading culture and highlighting the history of the Saudi art movement, promoting dialogue between artists, the public, and cultural institutions, thereby contributing to consolidating awareness of the national artistic heritage and creating an interactive space that draws inspiration from the past to envision the future of arts in Saudi Arabia.