Meshaal Alobaidallah / Almuqawil Meshal

“D.I.Y. (Do It, Yousef)”, a multidisciplinary project
The work is a preview of an unknown urban project in Riyadh—under construction since
2021. Through social media, Meshal the Contactor documents the daily progress and
the DIY (do-it-yourself) repairs by the participating artist Joseph Vadakkumchery (aka
Yousef). Repair and maintenance are means of dialogue and resistance in the
transforming urban landscape of Saudi Arabia—and the wider region. In these large-
scale developments, the working hands of migrants are invisible hands. The installation
includes multi-channel videos, found objects from the site, a livestream, a phone for
inquiries, and more. As a collaborative community initiative, Meshal and Joseph are
joined by creatives across the Arab region—Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the UAE, Jordan,
and Palestine. It is an attempt to answer the pressing question, “Before it is forgotten,
how can our ever-changing present-day culture be preserved?” through a series of do-
it-yourself repairs and improvised solutions.