the noor riyadh light installation festival lights up the saudi capital

a new city-wide festival of light and art will illuminate saudi arabia’s capital from march 18 – june 12. dubbed noor riyadh, the program features over 60 artworks comprising large-scale public installations across the city and an exhibition titled light upon light: light art since the 1960s. the festival line-up includes international artists including daniel buren, carsten höller, yayoi kusama, dan flavin, and robert wilson, together with saudi artists ahmed mater, lulwah al homoud, ayman zedani, rashed alshashai and maha malluh.

daniel firman
butterfly, 2007
neon tubes
350 x 635 cm
courtesy the artist and the farjam collection
photo © riyadh art 2021

from march 18 to april 3, noor riyadh will light up the sky of the saudi capital with artworks displayed under the theme of ‘under one sky’. the festival takes over multiple locations with two main hubs — the king abdullah financial district (KAFD), and the king abdulaziz historical center. the exhibition ‘light upon light: light art since the 1960s’ will open on march 18 and run until june 12, 2021, and will be held at the king abdullah financial district conference center (KAFD).

teamlab
flowers and people – a whole year per hour, 2020
interactive digital work, 12 channels (6 channels x 2 rows), endless
sound: hideaki takahashi
courtesy ©teamlab, pace gallery and superblue
photo © riyadh art 2021

the noor riyadh festival includes more than 30 city wide public art installations encompassing all forms of light art, from sculptures, to projections, interactive shows, kinetic and immersive pieces and other installations. the focus of the festival is to shed light on the diversity of riyadh and its urban form. the 2021 theme, ‘under one sky’, alludes to the universal human impulse to gather around light, to look into the flames of a campfire and to gaze at the stars. while the theme in its english translation is instantly relatable to an international audience, the words in arabic literally mean ‘we gather under one sky.’ this idea of togetherness becomes particularly resonant in light of the global pandemic.

leo villareal
corona, 2018
led monitors, custom software and electrical hardware
145.1 x 248.6 x 16.5 cm
courtesy of the artist, pace gallery and superblue
photo © riyadh art 2021

director of riyadh art khaled al-hazani said: ‘noor riyadh is a celebration of light and art on an unparalleled scale. art is a universal language and light is a symbol of hope and, in these challenging times, it is my hope that this festival shines like a beacon to the world and illuminates our path to a brighter future reflecting our theme of ‘under one sky’. noor riyadh has been designed as an immersive, interactive festival of light and art and, whether you are here in-person or engaging with us online around the world, this is an opportunity to connect with people from across the globe, sharing experiences based on the warmth of personality, generosity of spirit and creative thought.’

urs fischer
leo (george and irmelin), 2019
paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, pigment, stainless steel, and wicks
214.9 x 98.1 x 146.7 cm
courtesy of the artist and gagosian
photo © riyadh art 2021

noor riyadh is a citywide festival of light and art commissioned by riyadh art, march 18 – april 3, 2021, http://noorriyadh.sa/

light upon light: light art since the 1960s exhibition at king abdullah financial district conference center (KAFD), riyadh, has been commissioned by riyadh art, march 18 – june 12, 2021, http://noorriyadh.sa/

ilya&emilia kabakov
the cupola, 2003
mixed media. 14m diameter
installation view: ruhrtriennale, bochum, 2003
courtesy the artists

carsten höller
light wall, 2000/2017
1.920 led bulbs, control unit, dimmerpack, sound, wooden panels, structural elements, wiring, cables. 1060 x 388 x 150 cm. unique.
installation view : henie onstad sanatorium, henie onstad kunstsenter, høvikodden, norway, may 11 – september 10, 2017 (solo exhibition)
courtesy the artist and massimodecarlo

daan roosegaarde
glowing nature, 2017-2021
installation view: afsluitdijk wadden center, 2017
courtesy studio roosegaarde

ahmed mater
antenna (green), 2010
from the series antenna
150 x 150 x 50 cm
courtesy of a private collection
photo © riyadh art 2021

nancy holt
holes of light, 1973
partition wall perforated with circles and electric light
dimensions variable
courtesy dia art foundation with support from holt-smithson foundation
photo © riyadh art 2021

leo villareal
corona, 2018
led monitors, custom software and electrical hardware
145.1 x 248.6 x 16.5 cm
courtesy of the artist, pace gallery and superblue
photo © riyadh art 2021