From Dream to Reality
Workers stand before a hoarding showing the plan for the restoration of the Grand Mosque area. Besides the millions of pilgrims that visit annually, Mecca is home to more than a million inhabitants, making it the third-most populous city in Saudi Arabia. It also has a long history as a site for domestic trade. Here is one of the many billboards in the older city that mask construction sites. Dreams surround this city, a belief that Utopia can be created here. Yet time and again, as with every age of renovation, we live within a reality of drills, demolition, and destruction.
ahmed mater eid al-bassam (1979 –)
Saudi Arabian artist Ahmed Mater explores contemporary Saudi culture through photography, calligraphy & installation. Documenting transformation & faith, his work is globally recognized.
The United Nations (New York City, United States of America)
Explore the United Nations Headquarters – a symbol of global cooperation! Discover exhibits on peace, human rights & sustainable development at this iconic landmark.
About this artwork
- Title: From Dream to Reality
- Artist: ahmed mater eid al-bassam
- Year: 2011
- Format: Landscape
- Copyright status: Under copyright
- Where to see it: The United Nations
- Movement: Contemporary Realism
- Main color: Espresso
- Keywords: urban islamic art , kaaba artwork”, , "faith and architecture"
- Color hue: Yellow-Green Range


