after rain x2

After Rain: Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024 catalog (left; FOTO: Kaph Books) and visual reader (right), both edited by Ute Meta Bauer

there's nothing quite like the feeling of first holding a book you've worked on, let alone two across two years at once; perhaps it's like the sensation after rain. titled after an Arabic poem, After Rain, Saudi Arabia's second edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in 2024, produced two collateral publications i'm proud to have written, copyedited, and/or proofread: a catalog (2024) and the upcoming visual reader (2025).

the visual reader, in particular, is pretty special, if i may say so myself. it's designed (with grace by Kai von Rabenau of mono.studio) to be read in any order or dipped in and out of, as it is indexed by artists and keywords—my faves are "aniconism", "tarab", "tears", "traces", and "Wadi Hanifah". this flexible, welcoming arrangement invites the reader—even non-visitors to the Biennale like myself, or non-artsy folk—to embark on their own journey through the 400+ pages. there's an intergenerational wealth of artistic and research work within After Rain: i was privileged to discover or re-encounter the works of emerging and veteran artists alike, such as the late Safeya Binzagr of Saudi Arabia, Munem Wasif's evocative video "Kheyal" (2015-19), Ade Darmawan and his affinities with Pramoedya, and Simryn Gill, whose nonpareil art i've enjoyed over the years.

though split across three time zones, the editorial team made the publication process work. special thanks to editor and artistic director Ute Meta Bauer for having me onboard, managing editors Laura Schleussner and Eva Ebersberger for all their tireless coordination, and designer Kai for his patience. the catalog is available here, while the visual reader will be launched at Ocean Space in Venice on 8 May. for pre-orders/a sneak preview of the latter, head here: https://www.hatjecantz.com/products/66606-after-rain.