Arab News | Red Sea lighthouses inspire Argentine artist Matilde Marin’s new exhibition

JEDDAH: The lighthouses of Jeddah and Yanbu are the focus of a new exhibition at the Red Sea Museum. “Photographing Distance: Matilde Marin” opened on Oct. 8 and runs until Dec. 31. The show features photographs and videos created by the Argentine artist, who is exhibiting in the Kingdom for the first time.

At the center of the show is Marin’s ongoing Pharus Project — a study of lighthouses that she began in 2005. The project began when Marin saw a news report about plans to disconnect lighthouses around the world following the advent of GPS technology.

Curious about lighthouses’ significance beyond navigation, she explored the meaning of the word “pharus,” the Latin spelling of the Greek word “Pharos,” the island on which the famed Lighthouse of Alexandria was built and which came to be used as a synonym for lighthouses in general. Marin describes pharus as “the light that guides human destiny.”

According to the exhibition organizers, the project “considers the lighthouse both as an architectural structure and a maritime marker, as well as a symbol of guidance (and) hope.”

“It is a powerful metaphor for my role as an ‘active witness,’” Marin tells Arab News. “I have kept returning to (lighthouses) to document these beacons before they fade, preserving their stories of orientation, hope, and human memory.”

Photographing the lighthouses of Jeddah and Yanbu added a new dimension to the project, revealing connections between locations that might appear distant but share common ground. Their inclusion, the show notes state, “connects Marin’s wider practice with Saudi maritime history and coastal memory, opening a dialogue around movement, belonging and the enduring relationship between people and the sea.”

“It was fascinating to add these two lighthouses to my series and discover how places that seem so geographically distant can actually share such closeness and common ground. Encountering them revealed new dimensions of connection and opened up exciting new horizons for the continuation of the Pharus Project,” she says.

The Red Sea’s history as a route for trade, travel and cultural exchange also shaped Marin’s approach to the works in the exhibition.

“I framed these sites and waters not simply as geographic locations, but as quiet, enduring witnesses to centuries of human movement and shared history,” she explains.

The exhibition’s curator, Nadine A. Ghaffar, tells Arab News: “The Red Sea (coast), especially Jeddah, has arches where people from different countries would gather before beginning their pilgrimage. It represents different cultures and architectures, the Silk Road, and people converging on Jeddah.”

Ghaffar said the setting of the exhibition at the Red Sea Museum further underlined its significance as a meeting point for histories and cultures.

She also highlighted the importance of documenting and preserving the lighthouses of Jeddah and Yanbu, describing them as “iconic parts” of the region’s history.

Marin’s visit to Saudi Arabia has left a lasting impression on her. “It has been a deeply inspiring experience to engage with Saudi Arabia’s dynamic cultural scene and the rich heritage of Jeddah,” she said, adding that the country’s deserts, distinctive light, and night skies would remain sources of inspiration for her future work.

The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue featuring essays on the artist’s use of light and landscape, as well as her reflections on the development of the Pharus Project. A public program running throughout the exhibition includes film screenings, poetry and music performances, creative workshops and activities for children and families.

Marin hopes visitors will find their own connections to her photographs.

“I hope audiences feel a sense of poetic contemplation and connection across space and time,” she says. “The theme of distance is central to my work, and I want viewers to find something of their own stories of belonging, guidance, and hope in these images.”