Saudi Arabia is making another giant leap forward, pushing its art scene onto the global stage with its first ever pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia (the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair). The pavilion will feature sisters Shadia and Raja Alem from Makkah with their collaborative installation, “The Black Arch.”

The 54th International Art Exhibition, titled “ILLUMInations,” will have a record number of 89 national pavilions. It will kick off for a preview today and will be open to the public June 4 until Nov. 27.

The Kingdom’s debut at the festival comes through the siblings, artist Shadia and writer Raja Alem, who will showcase their complex artwork. They will project their collective memory of black and its relation to their past and Makkah where they grew up. Their project is commissioned by Dr. Abdul Aziz Alsebail and its curators, Mona Khazindar, Director General of the Paris-based Arab World Institute; and Robin Start, an art expert advisor and curator.

“The Black Arch” is a multifaceted inspired work of art that represents the journey and attempt to explore oneself and the world as well. It also blends various worlds together through the living experimentation of the two artists from Makkah.

As Shadia puts it: “This is a meeting of countless worlds — an accumulation of what is stored in the human entity through its travel around the world and interaction with various cultures.”