Festival of light and art Noor Riyadh returns to illuminate Saudi capital

Noor Riyadh 2022 will feature over 120 installations in over 40 locations across the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Noor Riyadh

Noor Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s festival of light and art, is set to light up the night sky once again in November.

Following its inaugural edition in 2021, this year’s festival will triple in size, bringing together more than 100 Saudi and international artists, who will showcase over 120 installations in over 40 locations across the city of Riyadh.

Over the course of just over two weeks (Nov 3-19), the city will come alive with immersive site-specific installations, monumental public artworks, ephemeral sculptures, art trails and virtual reality offerings.

The line-up includes world-renowned artists such as teamLab, Daniel Buren, Douglas Gordon and Alicja Kwade, and Saudi talent Muhannad Shono, Ayman Zedani, Sarah Brahim and Ahaad Alamoudi.

Angelo Bonello's 'Run Beyond' iron and LED lights installation at last year's Noor Riyadh. Photo: Noor Riyadh

Noor Riyadh’s theme this year "We Dream Of New Horizons" is centred around a sense of hope for the future, with connotations that are positive, optimistic and reflective of a confidence in renewal and transformation.

The festival is co-curated by Herve Mikaeloff, Dorothy Di Stefano and Jumana Ghouth.

Additional programmes include group exhibition From Spark To Spirit, which will start on Nov 3 and run till Feb 4, 2023, at JAX 03 in Riyadh.

Curated by Neville Wakefield and Gaida AlMogren, the exhibition traces the role light plays in shaping our relationship, to a world where light has become the signal of change.

Noor Riyadh, presented by Riyadh Art and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, was the first of the Riyadh Art programmes to launch last year. It is part of a bigger project to turn the city into “a gallery without walls”.