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Throughout the world, French cultural villas reflect France’s tradition of exchange and the dialogue it maintains with the other major creative centres. Each year, their residences welcome international francophone artists and researchers who pursue projects in connection with the host countries.

 

 

Villa Hegra continues this tradition. And by positioning it in AlUla, a city at the crossroads of civilisations between Europe, Africa and Asia, Villa Hegra will represent a real Art and Culture link between France and Saudi Arabia, Europe and the Arab Muslim world.

CULTURAL VILLAS:

A FRENCH TRADITION

OF INFLUENCE

AND EXCHANGE

Between the cradle of Islam and that of the Enlightenment, a new bound is to take form by way of the Villa Hegra, the result of an unprecedented collaboration.

 

Villa Hegra is part of a major broad project to turn AlUla into a worldwide destination for a seamless experience of landscape, heritage, culture and Art. Destined to become the great cultural and artistic villa of the Arab-Muslim world, it provides a space for a genuine exchange between French and Saudi cultures.

Between the cradle of Islam and that of the Enlightenment, a new bound is to take form by way of the Villa Hegra, the result of an unprecedented collaboration.

 

Villa Hegra is part of a major broad project to turn AlUla into a worldwide destination for a seamless experience of landscape, heritage, culture and Art. Destined to become the great cultural and artistic villa of the Arab-Muslim world, it provides a space for a genuine exchange between French and Saudi cultures.

AN OASIS FOR ART AND CULTURE

AN OASIS FOR ART

AND CULTURE

BETWEEN FRANCE AND SAUDI ARABIA

VILLA HEGRA

Large format

Villa Albertine

Villa Kujoyama

Casa de Velázquez

Villa Medicis

Its positioning promotes exchange and co-construction and is expressed through joint intercultural Franco-Saudi artistic direction, reflecting the image of the institution.

 

The relationship between the two countries, which has been strengthened by the specific culture of each of the two civilisations, was first established through archaeological excavation campaigns carried out in the early 20th century. This partnership extends through the development of the AlUla site, in the context of which Villa Hegra “ will symbolise the regeneration of the urban centre as well as the restoration of the oasis, ” according to Etienne Tricaud, Director of Architecture & Urban Development at AFALULA.

FRENCH-SAUDI PARTNERSHIP

“ Villa Hegra sees itself as a place of creation and exchange between France and Saudi Arabia, two great centres of culture and civilisation. The main motive for this project is artistic creation, cultural dissemination, and the importance of exchange and transmission. Given the power and scope of the cultural and artistic renaissance occurring in Saudi Arabia, as well as the country’s strategic weight and influence on the global scene, there is no doubt that Villa Hegra will join as one of the centers of the creative dynamic underway in the Kingdom and possibly more broadly throughout the Arab-Muslim world. ”

 

 

Youssef Safouane

Director of Development at AFALULA

Like the first caravanserais, where merchants from all over the world travelling the Silk Road and Muslim pilgrims on their journey to Mecca would purchase their supplies, Villa Hegra is a cultural and artistic oasis at the crossroads of cultures and arts.

VILLA HEGRA,

AN ARTISTIC AND INTERCULTURAL LANDMARK IN THE HEART OF THE ARAB-MUSLIM WORLD

 

“ To host, manage and run the Villa’s educational activities, we will have to train and recruit mediators, coaches and activity leaders, which will provide excellent opportunities to acquire skills and provide employment for the people of AlUla. ”

 

Guilhem Constans

Director of Human Capital at AFALULA

This is a human experience that sets out to be both accessible and inclusive; it is aimed at both local and international audiences, and amateurs as well as professionals. “ The construction of the Villa doesn’t only revolve around its architectural structure and its gardens, ” remarks Guilhem Constans, Director of Human Capital, “ it’s also about building a team and expertise, creating the necessary human capital to bring the Villa to life. ”

Villa Hegra intends to stand at the centre of an intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue. This contemporary creation space will be driven by dynamic and innovative programming. It will offer artists’ residencies, exhibitions, festivals, podcasts, and numerous other projects dedicated to the emerging scene of both nations. Whether it is archaeology, botany or horsemanship, the various fields of expertise at AlUla will contribute to new artistic productions.

A CREATIVE INCUBATOR AT THE CROSSROADS OF DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES

The ambitious nature of the project is also captured in its architectural vision: the philosophy behind the conception of the built forms; how it relates to the city, the gardens, the regenerated oasis and the broader natural landscape; and how it all comes together to accommodate the people of the city and provide unforgettable experience to the visitors;  these are the key elements in the design of Villa Hegra.

 

AFALULA and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) organised a competition, inviting five teams from among the most talented representatives of contemporary French architecture. A high-level Franco-Saudi jury was entrusted with the selection process to highlight the cultural ambition of the project: to be a major creative centre and a gateway to arts and culture. Rooted in its environment and drawing on its heritage, Villa Hegra will be a place that is open to the world and to the future.

ICONIC

AND AMBITIOUS ARCHITECTURE

 

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TOURISM & HOSPITALITY

 

Villa Hegra is intended to welcome tourists and is therefore an integral part of the overall attractiveness of the region led by this division. In addition to the artistic, cultural, and educational offer, there will be leisure facilities: restaurants, cafés, a bookshop, wellness activities and the possibility of hiring the Villa’s spaces for private events. A residential hotel is also planned nearby.

HUMAN CAPITAL

 

Villa Hegra provides an ambitious and innovative offer with regard to artistic and cultural education, particularly targeting local youth. The aim is to help develop the skills needed for personal creativity and to encourage the emergence of new talent. With the support of renowned partners, the projects will focus on artistic practice, creative technologies, and the dissemination of scientific culture, without overlooking the French-speaking world. The facilities and collections provided will allow access to multiple forms of media for entertainment and education.

CULTURE & HERITAGE

 

The Culture and Heritage division will play a role in the overall identity of the project by developing the cultural programme. Experts in archaeology, museology and cultural mediation will contribute to the implementation of a complete and varied programme while maintaining a global overview.

Created in 1666 by Louis XIV, the Académie de France in Rome (also known as Villa Medicis) has the founding mission of hosting artists and researchers in residency. Committed to being open to the public, it offers a cultural programme that makes it a genuine artistic incubator, in a spirit of openness to Europe and the rest of the world.

VILLA MEDICIS

Casa de Velázquez, which was founded in 1920 in Madrid, has been welcoming artists of diverse geographical and cultural origins for around a century. It also hosts in-residence Humanities and Social Sciences researchers. Casa de Velázquez has an international outlook and its activities focus on the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and Latin America.

CASA DE VELÁZQUEZ

Villa Kujoyama was inaugurated in 1992 and was one of the first artistic research residences founded in Asia. It has hosted more than 370 iconic artists and creators who have made their mark in French contemporary art and handcraft. Villa Kujoyama is now one of the five establishments of the French Institute in Japan.

VILLA KUJOYAMA

Villa Albertine has reinvented the concept of artistic residencies: operating in ten American cities, its specificity is to question the major contemporary issues of the country. It is established throughout the United States, in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.

VILLA ALBERTINE

GO TO AFALULA.COM

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