Alexandre Farto aka Vhils & The Jaunt in Petra, Jordan (2022)

In 2022 Portuguese contemporary artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils visited the ancient city of Petra in Jordan to discover its breath-taking monuments, landscapes and the unique culture of its people. This journey was the result of a collaboration with The Jaunt, an art project that invites international artists to travel in order to find inspiration in new locations.

During his time in Petra, Vhils had the opportunity to immerse himself into the Bedouin way of life. Descendants of the ancient and nomadic Nabataeans, Bedouins are intricately connected to their surroundings: the inhospitable desert sand, the scorching heat, the stifling air, the bouldering mountains and their harbouring caves, are part of who they are, both as a community and as individuals. Through lifetimes of experience, knowledge and wisdom, they have perfectly adapted to an environment which is as beautiful as it is punishing, achieving a harmonious way of existing with nature, appreciating that the only true way to achieve this is to recognize that we are also part of it.

As a result of the trip, the artist created two art editions that capture his experience, and that interlace representations of people, places, buildings, practices, traditions and textures that attempt to encapsulate the complexity that is Petra today: a place rich in culture and with a history tracing back several centuries, but that is at grips with the unstoppable current of globalization.

Find out more: www.thejaunt.net