Category: MENA

ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Open to all, Desert X AlUla is a recurring and temporary, site-responsive, international open-air art exhibition taking place in AlUla, a globally significant ancient desert region in the Arabian Peninsula. Desert X AlUla takes place as a highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival. Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield will return as this year’s artistic directors and the exhibition will be curated by Maya El Khalil and Marcello Dantas. El Khalil is a renowned art advisor and curator with a focus on the MENA region. Dantas is an award-winning curator known for innovative interdisciplinary practices linking science, history and technology to create engaging and participatory exhibition experiences.

Following two exhibitions since 2020, Desert X AlUla returns for its third edition from 9 February – 23 March 2024, placing visionary contemporary artworks by Saudi and international artists amidst the extraordinary desert landscape of AlUla, a majestic region in north-west Saudi Arabia of natural and creative heritage steeped in a legacy of cross-cultural exchange.

Under the theme of In the Presence of Absence, Desert X AlUla 2024 asks ‘what cannot be seen?’ Often dismissed as spaces of emptiness, deserts are rendered mute, static, but there is much more than meets the eye. Artists taking part in Desert X AlUla 2024 have been invited to explore ideas of the unseen and the inexpressible. Encouraged to engage with what is not immediately apparent, they stage new encounters with the landscape, imagining alternative perspectives that appreciate the imperceptible forces and atmospheres of time, wind, light, the flows of history and myths woven into the place.

Dana Awartani, Where The Dwellers Lay, Desert X AlUla 2022, photo by Lance Gerber, Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla.

Desert X AlUla is a collaboration between Desert X and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) established to advance new cultural dialogue through art. The first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia, it fosters exchange between artists, curators and international and local communities, shaped by a curatorial vision that takes the desert as its inspiration. Building on the legacy of Desert X, which takes place in California’s Coachella Valley, Desert X AlUla draws on principles of land art, offering a profound opportunity to experience art in dialogue with nature.

Desert X AlUla has played a pivotal role in paving the way for the development of another initiative due to open in AlUla in 2026, Wadi AlFann, a 65 square kilometre site set to become a global destination for monumental site-specific, permanent land art. Marking a major milestone in the Royal Commission for AlUla’s Cultural Manifesto, the epic, monumental scale of Wadi AlFann’s cross-generational commissions will open a new chapter in art history, expanding and continuing for years to come. Both Desert X AlUla and Wadi AlFann are examples of RCU’s vision for art in the landscape.

As well as being a historic cultural site, AlUla is at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning arts scene. Arts AlUla is dedicated to creating a culturally enriched place to live and visit, to revive the rich legacy of arts in the region and to create opportunities for the community to experience art as a source of education and enrichment through job creation and skills development.

The upcoming edition of Desert X AlUla will be situated in locations within the Wadi AlFann desert, Harrat Uwayrid and AlManshiyah Railway Station, inviting visitors to wander through and experience spectacular and varied landscapes as they weave their journey between the works. Desert X AlUla aims to contribute to and continue the artistic heritage of the local community and region: Works from Desert X AlUla 2020 by Sherin Guirguis, Lita Albuquerque, Manal AlDowayan, Superflex, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and Nadim Karam have been acquired by RCU, some of which are on view at Habitas, AlUla. Works from Desert X AlUla 2022 by Dana Awartani, Alicja Kwade, Monika Sosnowska, Sultan Bin Fahad, Khalil Rabah, Shezad Dawood and Serge Attukwei Clottey have been acquired by RCU, some of which are on display. Jim Denevan’s work for Desert X AlUla 2022 also remains in its original location, where it will dissipate naturally. Desert X AlUla has been building local and international audiences over the years, with a 53% increase in average visitors per day from 2020 to 2022 editions.

Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, built by the Nabataeans over 2,000 years ago, the AlUla region has been at the crossroads of cultural exchange for millennia, historically lying on the incense trade route and once capital to the ancient Kingdom of Dadan. Today, it is once again a crossroads of cultural inspiration, valuing arts and creativity as an essential layer of enrichment.

Desert X AlUla takes place as a highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival, which runs from 9 February – 2 March 2024. During the festival, More than meets the Eye, an exhibition of modern and contemporary works by Saudi artists will be presented by the contemporary art museum, AlUla. There will also be an exhibition of work by Wadi AlFann commissioned artist Manal AlDowayan in Aljadidah Arts District. The festival will immerse visitors in a vibrant celebration of contemporary visual and public art, design, curated cinema, art tours, and artist residencies. At AlUla’s mixed-use creative hub, Madrasat Addeera, there will be hands-on workshops on crafts such as palm weaving, pottery, jewelry, geometry, 3D strictures, textiles, and many more.

Maya El Khalil, curator, Desert X AlUla 2024, says:
The region of AlUla is monumental. Formed of inconceivable spans of time and space, the urge is to meet it with imitations of similar size and impact. But the reality is, human efforts struggle to match the grandeur sculpted here across eons. We challenged the artists to adjust their perspective to encounter the unseen aspects of the place with reverence, attuning to the forces, rhythms and processes that shape the landscape in imperceptible ways. Their works diagram and engage ephemeral phenomena like the movement of light or the erosion of wind, becoming performed by these forces to reveal the monumental significance of what might at first seem absent.

Marcello Dantas, curator, Desert X AlUla 2024, says:
The desert, often perceived as a place of emptiness, gradually unveils its intricate layers of existence as one immerses in it. These layers manifest through the ever-shifting terrain, the intricate dance of time, the evidences of life, and the transformative power of climate. Desert X AlUla invites artists to create original works with a unique canvas on an unprecedented scale. We tasked these artists with the mission of uncovering traces that transcend the limits of our sight, blurring the line between what we see and what we truly perceive, in the presence of absence.

Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Arts and Creative Industries at RCU says:
We are delighted to have Maya and Marcello as the curators for Desert X AlUla 2024. Both have spent time in AlUla and understand its rich heritage as a place of cultural exchange and connect with the complex and spectacular landscapes of AlUla. Under their curation, the selected artists will explore themes of the unseen, challenging human-centric perspectives in an awe-inspiring landscape, we look forward to seeing the works that will be on show.

For more information please visit:

www.livingmuseum.com/arts

@artsalula @experiencealula @alulamoments @_desertx (Instagram)
@desertx (Facebook)

#desertxalula

PRESS CONTACTS

Desert X AlUla:
Saskia Deliss, Pelham Communications saskia@pelhamcommunications.com
Victoria Newark, Pelham Communications vicky@pelhamcommunications.com
+44 (0)20 89693959

Desert X:
Lyn Winter, Inc. desertx@lynwinter.com

Notes to editors:

About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.

The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of more than 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is home to fascinating historical and archaeological sites such as: Ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, which is considered one of the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula; thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah; AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12^th century, and Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.

About The Royal Commission for AlUla:
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to protect and safeguard AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in North-West Saudi Arabia. RCU is embarking on a long-term plan to develop and deliver a sensitive, sustainable transformation of the region, reaffirming it as one of the country’s most important archaeological and cultural destinations and preparing it to welcome visitors from around the world. RCU’s development work in AlUla encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts, reflecting the ambitious commitment to cultivate tourism and leisure in Saudi Arabia, outlined in Vision 2030.

About Desert X:
Desert X is produced by The Desert Biennial, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, conceived to produce recurring international contemporary art exhibitions that activate desert locations through site-specific installations by acclaimed international artists. Its guiding principles include presenting public exhibitions of art that are free to the
public and respond meaningfully to the conditions of desert locations, the environment, indigenous communities, and promote cultural exchange. Desert X is committed to education and public programming with a robust series of initiatives that expand the breadth and depth of the organization’s engagement with the surrounding community. The exhibitions provide a platform for artists from around the world to address ecological, cultural, spiritual and other existential themes. From its inception in 2017, Desert X has presented four exhibitions in the Coachella Valley. In 2020, the organization began to engage with exhibitions outside the United States and helped establish Desert X AlUla in the desert of Saudi Arabia. The exhibitions to date have explored new configurations of site-responsive work by more than 80 artists from North America, South America, South Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa creating a new paradigm for the presentation and experience of art and welcoming an audience of over 1.7 million. Desert X is funded by its board of directors and an international group of individual donors, foundations, and sponsors.

Maya El Khalil
Maya is a renowned art curator that has over 14 years of experience in the arts industry with a focus on the MENA region. She was born in Beirut and is based out of Oxford, UK. She is the former founding director of Athr Gallery, a contemporary art space in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she curated several exhibitions that showcased the works of emerging and established artists from around the world. One of her notable curatorial works was the annual 21,39 Jeddah Arts exhibition. Maya has also worked as an independent art advisor and curator.

Marcello Dantas
Marcello is an award-winning curator and artistic director with 35 years of experience, known for innovative interdisciplinary practices and the use of Science, history and technology, to create engaging exhibition experiences. Dantas has conceptualized several museums and cultural institutions across South America and Asia including the Museum of Portuguese Language and Japan House Sao Paulo, and, curated solo exhibitions featuring influential contemporary artists like Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor. He also curated Vancouver Biennale, BienalSur and Mercosul Biennale. In 2021, he became the curator of the SFER IK Museo in Tulum, Mexico.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8995133

Dover, DE, Dec. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Green Technologies, Inc. (“Pacific Green”, OTCQB: PGTK) is celebrating a year of significant progress in its mission to build a global pipeline of grid-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

In 2023, the business has hit a series of key strategic milestones for its international pipeline of BESS sites in development or construction, which now approaches 6 GWh of energy storage capacity.

For the UK pipeline, consisting of pioneering projects, Richborough Energy Park Limited (“Richborough”), and Sheaf Energy Park Limited (“Sheaf”), Pacific Green concluded agreements that secure the long-term future of these assets as an integral part of the UK energy grid.

In June, Pacific Green completed the sale of 99.8 MW / 99.8 MWh Richborough to energy transition fund Sosteneo for an enterprise value of £74 million (US$93 million). Richborough has now been handed over to optimiser Shell for trading across the entirety of the UK’s energy markets.

In November, 249 MW / 373.5 MWh Sheaf reached financial close – securing a combined £120 million from NatWest and the UK Infrastructure Bank and becoming one of the largest project-financed BESS sites in the world. Simultaneously, a 10-year optimisation contract was secured for Sheaf with leading energy provider SSE, and Pacific Green entered into a transaction to sell 100% of its shares in the project to Sosteneo for an enterprise value of £210 million (US$258 million).

Building on these achievements, Pacific Green has successfully expanded its BESS interests into high potential markets overseas.

In Italy, Pacific Green acquired 51% of the shares in five 100 MW battery energy parks from energy originator, Sphera Energy, with the balance of shares to be acquired upon the achievement of certain milestones by Sphera. Commercial operation will commence on these projects throughout 2026, with the total capacity up to 2.8 GWh.

In Australia, Pacific Green has entered into a pair of exclusivity agreements to secure land for two major battery energy parks – the first a 1.0 GW / 2.0 GWh project in Portland, Victoria and the second a 0.5 GW / 1.0 GWh site in Limestone Coast, South Australia. Development is well underway for these projects, which will add significantly to regional BESS capacity in Southern Australia and are slated for commercial operation in 2026.

Scott Poulter, Pacific Green’s Chief Executive, said: “2023 has been a pivotal year for Pacific Green as we take huge steps to become a major global player in the battery energy storage market. The pioneering agreements we’ve secured in the past 12 months are testament to the unique combination of technology, infrastructure, and project finance expertise within our BESS team, as well as the strength of relationships we’ve built with our international manufacturing and development partners. We’re looking forward to taking these projects further in 2024 and beyond.”

About Pacific Green Technologies, Inc.:

Pacific Green is focused on addressing the world’s need for cleaner and more sustainable energy. It offers grid-scale battery energy storage systems, renewable and environmental technologies.

For more information, visit Pacific Green’s website:
www.pacificgreen.com

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the continued development of the Project, any potential business developments and future interest in Pacific Green’s battery, solar and environmental technologies.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the continuation of the development of the Project, general economic and political conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and Pacific Green assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although Pacific Green believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in Pacific Green’s annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, Pacific Green’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Scott Poulter, Chairman & CEO
Pacific Green Technologies, Inc.
media@pacificgreen.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8994919

Veson Nautical will strengthen its unique data position, AI expertise, and ability to optimize workflow across the value chain, while integrating internal and external communication tools to the IMOS Platform, which furthers its vision to be the standard platform that propels maritime commerce

BOSTON, Dec. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veson Nautical (Veson), the global leader of maritime freight management solutions, today announced its acquisition of Shipfix, the collaborative data platform for the maritime and trade sectors driven by advanced AI-enabled tools. As Veson’s second acquisition this year, Shipfix will further Veson’s pursuit to deliver quality, contextual data to the industry. Veson will continue to offer Shipfix’s suite of maritime solutions and bring the full Shipfix team onboard.

Sean Riley

Shipfix was founded in 2018 to solve the email overload challenge encountered by chartering desks. By developing innovative products and groundbreaking AI-enabled tools, Shipfix provides a unique data platform allowing trade professionals to make smarter decisions and ultimately trade smarter and faster. Their product suite has expanded beyond front-line trading and chartering into operations teams and physical trading. Shipfix supports dry and tanker clients alongside other customers interested in freight market insights.

John Veson and Sean Riley

Shared clients will see the combined impact of Veson Nautical and Shipfix as Shipfix’s pre-fixture data and insight capabilities are combined with Veson’s existing end-to-end workflows to produce an unmatched freight trading and operations solution for the market. In addition, the data intelligence offerings from both Veson Nautical and Shipfix will become stronger through the consolidation, rationalization, and standardization of critical industry reference data.

John Veson

John Veson, Co-founder and CEO at Veson Nautical, said: “A massive amount of data goes into pre-fixture decision-making. We’re fortunate to have a growing integrated dataset that helps clients leverage contextual data across vessel specifications, ownership structures, commodities, trade flows, and tonnage flows, all in one place. I am thrilled to officially welcome Shipfix’s expert team to Veson as we add their market-validated and accepted chartering and operations platform to our suite of solutions.”

Antoine Grisay, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Shipfix said: “Together with Veson Nautical, we will deliver the ultimate integrated workflow and data experience shipping and trading companies have demanded for over a decade. We are very excited to start executing on the synergies between the companies. Our combined expertise will allow us to build a set of trading and operating insights that meet the increasingly sophisticated requirements of freight market participants.”

Sean Riley

Serge Alleyne, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Shipfix, said: “When Antoine and I founded Shipfix five years ago, our vision was to emerge as the ultimate solution for the maritime and trade community, commencing with an AI-powered collaboration platform and a suite of data insights products. Today, as Shipfix joins forces with Veson Nautical, it presents a unique opportunity for us to truly become the premier maritime platform, integrating best-in-class maritime expertise, data insights, and communication workflows from pre to post-fixtures. This union aims to maximise our clients’ efficiency and operations in ways never seen before. It’s the perfect match for us, leveraging extraordinary data and workflow synergies to accelerate our growth and consistently deliver maximum value for the entire shipping industry.”

About Veson Nautical
Veson Nautical delivers maritime freight management solutions that propel the global shipping economy. Trusted by buyers and sellers of bulk marine freight in every region of the world, Veson solutions are responsible for managing $109 billion in freight traded and moving 4.4 billion tons in annual trade each year.

With a suite of offerings in marine freight trading and operations, vessel documentation, and data and analytics, Veson’s products are widely recognized for their strong utility, sustained innovation, and measurable business impact.

Veson is a champion of progress that actively supports its clients, partners, and broader community in navigating change while shaping the best practice workflows and standards of tomorrow’s connected maritime shipping ecosystem. Veson.com

About Shipfix
Shipfix is a collaborative workflow and data platform for the maritime and trade sectors, driven by ground-breaking AI-enabled tools. Shipfix went live in 2018 and has over a thousand users globally across more than 70 global clients. The platform streamlines maritime workflows using market and operational intelligence with a focus on shipowners, commodity traders, industrials, freight forwarders and shipbrokers. The company has 4 offices globally in Paris, London, Singapore and Tbilisi (Georgia).

With Shipfix, maritime and trade professionals make better-informed decisions and move faster. Users are enabled to find their market edge in highly volatile markets by turning their communications data into a competitive advantage. Shipfix is pioneering data transformation across the industry by enabling a subtle mix of artificial and human intelligence. Shipfix’s software solutions include a front-end platform, a mobile app and a full API suite. www.shipfix.com

Media Contact
Claudia Norrgren
PR & Communications Manager
Veson Nautical
E: press@veson.com
C: +447736675334

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8994867