Noor Riyadh 2021 The Annual Festival of Light and Art
© 2021 Riyadh Art
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written consent of the publisher.
Published for Noor Riyadh 2021, The Annual Festival of Light and Art, March 18 - April 3, 2021.
All works are © the artist(s) unless otherwise stated.
Citywide Installations Curated by: Eiman Elgibreen and Pam Toonen, with the consultancy of Vincenzo de Bellis
Light Upon Light Exhibition: Light Art Since the 1960s Curated by: Susan Davidson and Raneem Zaki Farsi
Editorial Coordination: Sara Maestro with Lana Wafa Arabic Editorial Consultant: Khulod AlBugami Art Direction: Francesca Martinazzo Graphic Design: Giulia Marocchino
ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0
Printed by Sarawat Printers and Publishers, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Presented by
Partners 7
Contents
8 Message from the Riyadh Art and Noor Riyadh Teams
12 Transcending the Boundaries of Time and Space
14 Noor Riyadh 2021 8 9 Art and culture reflect the spirit of a city, and the Riyadh Art project has been developed to turn the whole capital MESSAGE FROM into a creative canvas – a gallery without walls. With art at its center, Riyadh Art will unite people and communities THE RIYADH to create a more vibrant, livable, and beautiful city for Riyadh's young and rapidly growing population and its ART AND NOOR visitors to enjoy. It will enrich lives, ignite creative expression RIYADH TEAMS and kindle the creative economy. The idea of a public art festival, a celebration of art in the streets, parks, squares of this extraordinary city was A very warm welcome our guiding principle. The launch edition’s program to the first edition of Noor includes large-scale public installations across Riyadh, a landmark exhibition of light art since the 1960s – Riyadh: Riyadh’s new Light Upon Light: Light Art since the 1960s – the largest annual calendar fixture, retrospective of its kind, and a diverse special activities program of talks, workshops, family activities, film and a citywide celebration music. In all, the work of over 60 artists from 22 countries of light and art, illuminating now illuminates Riyadh, a dynamic selection of art and a celebration of light like nothing seen before in the city. the capital through a first- The theme of this year’s festival is intentionally simple. of-its-kind international ‘Under one Sky’ alludes to the universal human impulse to gather around light, to look into the flames of a campfire, cultural festival. to gaze at the stars. 10 11
While the theme in its English translation This meant selecting contemporary artworks thank each of them for their dedication and is instantly understandable to international that were fundamentally artistic – original tireless work. audiences, in Arabic the words tajmaena and thought-provoking – rather than simply samaa’a wahda make it more poetic and entertaining. We would also like to thank all our partners expansive. Meaning literally "we gather under for their valuable support: Ministry of Culture, one sky", the phrase also shares roots with From the outset we felt it was also important General Entertainment Authority, Riyadh the words for mosque and university. This to connect Noor Riyadh to the pioneering Municipality, Diriyah Gate Development idea of togetherness, with its environmental international artists who used light as a Authority, King Abdullah Financial District, message, became particularly resonant at a medium in the twentieth century, influencing King Fahad National Library, Riyadh Front, time of global pandemic. later generations across the world, including Kingdom Tower, Digital City, and JAX District. in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is already a city full of light, so a Finally, sincere thanks go to all the wonderfully key challenge was to create a selection of Achieving something so ambitious would not gifted artists, without whom none of this artworks that was significantly different to be possible without an incredibly talented would be possible. the vibrant commercial lighting that is already team. It has been an unusual and challenging an enjoyable part of the fabric of the city. 12 months, and we would like to personally 12 13
phenomenon and a source of energy. Some of the artists Mohammed Alsaleem and Ali Alruzaiza. Some of their use light to investigate our perception of the world works have become part of the city’s collective memory TRANSCENDING surrounding us, others have created impressive sculptures and were for this reason chosen as the basis to create two through manipulation of light, colors and shadows. What grand installations that pay homage to their importance. the artworks have in common is their ability to touch the These artists have also faced a number of challenges and public: exceptional experiences through a visual medium found their ways to cope with change. A reminder that THE BOUNDARIES create unique and meaningful encounters by fostering if there is a norm in Riyadh, it would be constant, connections and ideas. drastic change.
Although it is important to underline the cosmopolitan Through the public exhibition of this selection of artworks, OF TIME AND nature of an event of this kind through a broad and Noor Riyadh turns the city into a large open-air museum international selection of artworks, it is equally important for two weeks, giving the citizens of Riyadh a glimpse into to acknowledge the ways in which it can illuminate a the world of contemporary (light) art in an accessible way. thriving local art scene, o!ering opportunities to examine This is a valuable contribution to the years of e!ort that SPACE its future directions and to unearth the roots that feed have been made to take visual art out of the white cube it. To reflect Riyadh’s collective identity, as a city and as and place it into the public space: closer to the public, a society, a group of established and emerging Riyadh- and especially to a public that would not have access to based artists were chosen to present site-specific a museum to enjoy art. installations that interact creatively with the history and Discovering Riyadh in daylight is something completely mood, appetite and alertness. Moreover, light plays a vital nature of their city. For many of the artworks on display, interacting with di!erent than at night. In the daytime, the warmth of the role in our daily lives and has become an important tool public space, with its distinct architectural and natural sun and its shimmering reflection on the city’s powerful in meeting the needs of our twenty-first-century world. The inherent positive and spiritual connotation of light features, adds a new dimension and a special appeal. architecture can be overwhelming. In the evening, the Light-based technologies protect health and safety, made it an excellent medium for Riyadh’s artists to heal Through their specific placement, the installations are urban character changes significantly; enveloped in a glow provide sustainable energy, advance lighting options in their nostalgia against the city’s everchanging face. The inextricably linked with the city and its image and experience. of light emerging from the streetlamps, from illuminated rural areas, enable communication via the Internet, and excitement of jumping into a promising future has indeed In this way, some of the artworks embellish or awaken buildings and from the thousands of glimmers that hold the promise of limitless possibilities to improve created a subtle feeling of anxiety in some of them, that memories, others amaze and encourage thinking. By shine through its windows, the city is plunged into an the human condition and protect the earth. And most can be traced back to fears of losing their safe place, as making use of public space, the exhibition is accessible atmosphere of calm and tranquility. importantly, our great collective light source, the sun, well as their physical or mental state of being. What links to everyone and brings people together: artists, residents contributes immensely to what our life on earth is like: the local artists’ installations is the idea of reconnecting to and visitors. Together they give the city new meaning, The sensitivity and intensity of light lends certain emotions through its presence we are all ‘under one sky.’To honor a single moment that the audience can absorb before just like the art itself, which will reach a new audience. to the environment and can turn a familiar place into this idea of togetherness we have invited artists from moving forward to the future. Some works present Therefore, Noor Riyadh is able to open the seemingly something radically new. It can highlight and enhance all over the world, presenting a selection of 33 artworks metaphoric experiences that allude to how Saudi society closed doors of the art world to a new generation of certain details, or, on the contrary, emphasize the adjacent in which light is the most important means of expression. was created, such as a bolt of lightning striking the ground art lovers. darkness. Light from a lamp, reflected light in a painting and shaping unique forms of fulgurite; or describe how or photo, light as an information carrier, light as a natural Many of these artists and designers use light as their one feels while comprehending one’s existence, such as phenomenon: this powerful force is able to reflect, distort medium, while others reference it in a more conceptual the magnified scene of a burning thought, or the moving Eiman Elgibreen and create a world of its own, transcending the boundaries and philosophical way, addressing the power of light in shadow of a fixed body. Others resort to the power of Curator of time and space. its metaphorical meaning: light as enlightenment, as prayers, poems, sounds, light, colors, and shapes to Pam Toonen that force that can instill in us all a sense of knowledge create spiritual experiences that exceed the physical Curator Light is one of the most important connecting elements and understanding about the past, the present, and the world and travel through time and space. Vincenzo de Bellis between people and between human beings and nature. future. The artworks on display range from large-scale International Artist Curatorial Consultant It belongs to all of us and has a direct e!ect on our interventions on iconic buildings to dialogues with the The festival is also the perfect opportunity to celebrate emotions and on our physical well-being, a!ecting our natural environment or reflections on light as a natural two Saudi pioneers who contributed to Riyadh’s history, 14 15 Noor Riyadh is a spectacular international light and art festival that for two weeks transforms the city of Riyadh into an open-air gallery, illuminated by a series of ambitious large-scale public art installations created by some of the most exciting Saudi and international artists.
Each of the 60+ artworks has been The festival’s two main hubs are selected by a team of international located at King Abdulaziz Historical and Saudi curators, exploring the Center (KAHC), and King Abdullah unifying theme ‘Under One Sky’. Financial District (KAFD), where a landmark exhibition of light art, Light Artworks located around the city Upon Light, features work by some create a transformative experience, of the most important names in the shifting perceptions of familiar places history of contemporary art. and generating moments of wonder, reflection and enlightenment. For more information on the program including details of talks, workshops The curators honor Riyadh’s rich and other special activities, please cultural heritage and areas of natural visit noorriyadh.sa, download the beauty, creating a dialogue between app and follow the conversation on tradition and modernity and the city’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. past and future. Noor Riyadh is for everyone.
Karim Jabbari Shine over the world, 2021 Conference Center Interior Light Upon Light: Light Art Since the 1960s examines the theme of illumination as a primary aesthetic principle in art through the presentation of 30 masterworks from the 1960s to the present.
Throughout the history of art, the ephemeral LIGHT element of natural light as a means of expression has been elusive for artists. They have been UPON LIGHT intrigued " and simultaneously perplexed " in their e!ort to harness its mystical beauty, the EXHIBITION way it moves, and its reflections. Light Art Since the 1960s Curated by Susan Davidson and Raneem Zaki Farsi The exhibition is organized into four “rays” that survey light as an artistic medium. Each ray blends time, mixes established and mid-career artists of diverse geographic origin, and marshals a diversity of media. From immersive environments that people can move around in " and even through " to video and sculpture, visitors to Light Upon Light will experience a richly illuminated exhibition in all its spatial, sensory, and perceptual phenomena. Conference Center Interior Environmental Light
Environmental Light focuses on six engaged and inventive artists working today. Their works interweave social awareness with aesthetic concerns that forge 25. DANIEL FIRMAN .25 bonds between the viewer and art as well as between French, b. 1966 1966 Butterfly, 2007 2007 technology and the environment. Artists have represented Neon light and examined the real and conceptual meanings of 350 x 635 cm 635 350 The Farjam Collection, Dubai natural light as manifest in the environment for centuries. The artists in this ray either address the ecological 26. ABDULLAH ALOTHMAN .26 Saudi, b. 1985 1985 future of our planet by focusing on natural elements or Casino AlRiyadh, 2021 2021 look to the decay of urbanization as a reminder of our Various Neon and LED compositions, and steel 180 x 576.7 cm 576.7 180 responsibility to a sustainable future. This section features Courtesy the artist works by Abdullah AlOthman, Sarah Abu Abdallah, 27. SARAH ABU ABDALLAH .27 James Clar, Mohammed AlFaraj, Daniel Firman and Saudi, b. 1990 1990 Trees Speaking with Each Other, 2019 2019 Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Wooden container, soil, tomato plants, and electric light 60 x 110 x 500 cm 500 110 60 Courtesy the artist and Athr Gallery, Jeddah
28. MOHAMMED ALFARAJ .28 Saudi, b. 1993 1993 The Sun, Again, 2017 2017 Video projection 27 26 25 Variable dimensions Courtesy the artist, The Saudi Art Council, and Athr Gallery, Jeddah
29. JAMES CLAR .29 Filipino–American, b. 1979 1979 Render (Tree), 2016 2016 Artificial tree, rubber, paint, LED lights, and metal 223.52 x 60 x 60 cm 60 60 223.52 Courtesy the artist and Jane Lombard Gallery, New York
30. RAFAEL LOZANO!HEMMER .30 Mexican-Canadian, b. 1967 1967 30 29 28 Recurrent Anaximander, 2020 2020 Custom LED display, steel, aluminum, glass, circuits, PC running custom software, and internet connection 200 x 200 x 18 cm 18 200 200 Courtesy the artist and Superblue © Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
All photos: Riyadh Art Conference Center Interior Projecting Light
Projecting Light addresses art that relies on external sources to convey light. Rather than using light as the medium, the artists in this ray “throw” light via 18. SULTAN BIN FAHAD .18 means of projection. Film, video, reflective lenses, and Saudi, b. 1971 1971 Once Was a Ruler, 2019 2019 X-rays here distribute their light source. Projected light Chromogenic print, X-ray, and lightbox originated with magic lanterns popularized during the Variable Dimensions Courtesy the artist and Athr Gallery, Jeddah Industrial Age. That instrument used a series of mirrors and reflectors to project an image from a glass slide 19. DANA AWARTANI .19 Palestinian-Saudi, b. 1987 1987 to a surface. Our technologically rich world still relies Diwans of the Unknown, 2021 2021 on a mechanical device and a surface to achieve this Embroidery on silk and 3D projection 50 x 348 x 15 cm 15 348 50 projected light as an art form. References to place, time, Courtesy the artist and Athr Gallery, Jeddah and language dominate the work of the seven artists in 20. ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA .20 this ray, including Anila Quayyum Agha, Ahmad Angawi, Pakistani–American, b. 1965 1965 Hidden Diamond- Sa!ron, 2019 2019 Dana Awartani, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Sultan bin Laser cut, lacquered steel, and electric light Fahad, Maha Malluh and Ahmed Mater. 121.9 x 121.9 x 121.9 cm 121.9 121.9 121.9 Courtesy Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York
21. MAHA MALLUH .21 Saudi, b. 1959 1959 20 19 18 Capturing Light, 2005 2005 Lambda print mounted on twenty Forex panels 25 x 20 cm, each 20 25 Private Collection
22. AYMAN YOSSRI DAYDBAN .22 Palestinian-Jordanian, b. 1966 1966 Somewhere Beautiful, 2021 2021 Video installation of film stills Courtesy the artist and Athr Gallery, Jeddah
23. AHMED MATER .23 Saudi, b. 1979 1979 Antenna (Green), 2010 2010 23 22 21 Neon light installation 150 x 150 x 50 cm 50 150 150 Private Collection
24. AHMAD ANGAWI .24 Saudi, b. 1981 1981 Proportion of Light, 2021 2021 Wood and engraved glass 170 x 103 x 175 cm base with engraved glass, 175 103 170 230 x 4 x 98 cm wooden panel 98 4 230 Courtesy the artist
All photos: Riyadh Art 24 Conference Center Interior Experiencing 9. URS FISCHER .9 Swiss, b. 1973 1973 Leo (George and Irmelin), 2019 2019 Light Para!n wax, microcrystalline wax, pigment, stainless steel, and wicks 214.9 x 98.1 x 146.7 cm 146.7 98.1 214.9 © Urs Fischer, courtesy the artist and Gagosian
10. YAYOI KUSAMA .10 Experiencing Light investigates contemporary artists Japanese, b. 1929 1929 whose artwork depends on advanced technologies for Infinity Mirror Room—Brilliance of Souls, 2014 2014 Mirror, wooden panel, LED, metal, one’s encounter with light. While each has a unique acrylic panel, and water approach to emitting light in varying formats of 287 x 415 x 415 cm 415 415 287 Royal Commission for AlUla immersion, all rely on human interaction to experience their art. This ray converts visitors to participants, 11. LARA BALADI .11 Egyptian-Lebanese, b. 1969 1969 further blurring the boundaries as to how people view Roba Vecchia, 2007 2007 Acetate on mirror-polished stainless steel and experience art. Artists featured in this ray include 153 x 300 cm 300 153 Manal AlDowayan, Nasser AlSalem, Rashed AlShashai, The Farjam Collection, Dubai Lara Baladi, Urs Fischer, Yayoi Kusama, Iván Navarro, 12. IVÁN NAVARRO .12 Leo Villareal, and teamLab. Chilean, b. 1972 1972 Podium, 2018 2018 Neon light, plywood, one-way mirror, glass, and electric energy 77 x 208 x 197 cm 197 208 77 Courtesy the artist and Galerie Templon, Paris-Brussels © Iván Navarro/ADAGP, Paris 2020 2020
13. MANAL ALDOWAYAN .13 Saudi, b. 1973 1973 Nostalgia Takes Us to the Sea But Desire Keeps Us from 11 10 9 the Shore, 2010 2010 Archival Giclée Print on Hahnemuhle paper Mounted on Dibond, and Aluminum LED 250 x 155 cm 155 250 Private Collection
14. LEO VILLAREAL .14 American, b. 1967 1967 Corona, 2018 2018 OLED monitors, custom software, and electrical hardware 16.5 248.6 145.1 145.1 x 248.6 x 16.5 cm Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Superblue © Leo Villareal 14 13 12
15. RASHED ALSHASHAI .15 Saudi, b. 1977 1977 Searching for Darkness, 2021 2021 Kinetic light installation Variable dimensions Courtesy the artist and Hafez Gallery, Jeddah
16. TEAMLAB .16 Art Collective, est. 2001 2001 Flowers and People - A Whole Year per Hour, 2020 2020 Interactive Digital Work, 12 channels 12 (6 channels x 2 rows), endless Sound: Hideaki Takahashi 17 16 15 Variable dimensions Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Superblue © teamLab
17. NASSER ALSALEM .17 Saudi, b. 1984 1984 God Is Alive, He Shall Not Die, 2012 2012 Neon light, one-way mirror, Acrylic box 121 x 121 x 16 cm 16 121 121 Courtesy the artist and Athr Gallery, Jeddah
All photos: Riyadh Art Conference Center Interior Perceiving Perceiving 1. LUCIO FONTANA .1 Italian, b. 1899-1967 1967 1899 Light Ambiente SpazialeLight a luce rossa, 1967 1967 Environment 600 x 480 x 220 cm 220 480 600 Courtesy Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano Ambiente Spaziale a luce rossa (Spatial Environment in 2021 red light), 2021, installation view at KAFD, Riyadh. Perceiving Light brings together the most recognized mid-twentieth century light art practitioners, some still 2. JULIO LE PARC .2 Argentine, b. 1928 1928 working today. These artists introduced light and natural Continuel lumière cylindre, 1962 1962 phenomena as a viable artistic medium, using modern Metal, light, wood, electric motor, and plastic 252 cm diameter x 37.5 cm depth 37.5 252 materials and developing post-war technologies. By giving projector 41.5 x 30.5 x 36 cm 36 30.5 41.5 Courtesy the artist light form, depth, and mass, the artists in this ray manipulated the perceptual property of light to a degree 3. JAMES TURRELL .3 American, b. 1943 1943 that had not been experienced in art before the 1960s. Afrum (Pale Pink), 1967 1967 Artists include Mary Corse, Dan Flavin, Lucio Fontana, Projector, ballast, and color filter Variable dimensions Nancy Holt, Robert Irwin, Julio Le Parc, James Turrell Afrum Pale Pink, 1967 © James Turrell 1967 and Keith Sonnier.
4. NANCY HOLT .4 American, b. 1938-2014 2014 1938 Holes of Light, 1973 1973 Partition wall perforated with circles and electric light Variable dimensions Dia Art Foundation with support from Holt-Smithson Foundation. © Holt/Smithson Foundation and Dia Art Foundation/ Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. 3 2 1
5. KEITH SONNIER .5 American, b. 1941-2020 2020 1941 Neon Wrapping Incandescent V, 1970 1970 5 Argon and neon tubes, porcelain fixtures, incandescent bulbs, light switch, transformer, and electrical wire 133.4 x 315 x 22.9 cm 22.9 315 133.4 Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Superblue © 2021 Keith Sonnier / Artists Rights Society (ARS), 2021 New York
6. DAN FLAVIN .6 American, b. 1933-1966 1966 1933 Untitled (to Sabine and Holger), 1966-71 6 5 4 Red fluorescent light 243.8 x 243.8 cm, across a corner 243.8 243.8 Peder Bonnier, Inc. © 2021 Stephen Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), 2021 New York
7. ROBERT IRWIN .7 American, b. 1928 1928 Buzy Body, 2018 2018 Shadow, reflection, and color 182.9 x 290.2 x 10.8 cm 10.8 290.2 182.9 Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Superblue © 2021 Robert Irwin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), 2021 New York 8 7
8. MARY CORSE .8 American, b. 1945 1945 Untitled (Electric Light), 2019 2019 Argon, plexiglass, high-frequency generator, light tubes, and monofilament 144.5 x 145.1 x 15.2 cm 15.2 145.1 144.5 Courtesy the artist, Kayne Gri!n Corcoran, Pace Gallery, and Superblue © Mary Corse
All photos: Riyadh Art ConferenceSection Center Interior
Around the City
1 KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT
2 KING ABDULAZIZ HISTORICAL CENTER
3 ALNAKHEEL SPORTS PARK COMPANY NEW HEROES, WE LIGHT RIYADH
4 DIGITAL CITY DAAN ROOSEGAARDE, GLOWING NATURE
5 KINGDOM TOWER KOERT VERMEULEN, STAR IN MOTION
6 WADI HANIFAH DAM PARK WANG YUYANG, ARTIFICIAL MOON
7 WADI NAMAR PARK ALEKSANDRA STRATIMIROVIC, NORTHERN LIGHTS UXU STUDIO, ILLUSION HOLE
8 AT!TURAIF WORLD HERITAGE SITE ROBERT WILSON, PALACE OF LIGHT
9 JAX DISTRICT MUHANNAD SHONO, THE MIND SHIP EXODUS SULIMAN ALSALEM, WILL HUMANS EXCEED THEIR STATE OF BEING? 10 DIPLOMATIC QUARTER CULTURAL PALACE NOJOUD ALSUDAIRI, , RICOCHET 11 MASMAK FORT ALI ALRUZAIZA, TRIBUTE TO ALI ALRUZAIZA
12 KING FAHAD NATIONAL LIBRARY MOHAMMED ALSALEEM, TRIBUTE TO MOHAMMED ALSALEEM ZAMAN JASSIM, WHEN THE MOON IS FULL
13 RIYADH FRONT VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX, HALO II CHRISTOPHER BAUDER AND KANGDING RAY, SKALAR HUB 1 King Abdullah Financial District
1 CONFERENCE CENTER OUTDOOR PLAZA ROBERT WILSON, DAYDREAM
2 MOSQUE PLAZA LULWAH AL HOMOUD, THE INFINITE BLUE
3 AL WADI SQUIDSOUP, SUBMERGENCE
4 303!304 ALLEY FELIPE PRADO, PICTO SENDER MACHINE
5 AL WADI AHMED MATER, MITOCHONDRIA: POWERHOUSES
6 MONORAIL ANGELO BONELLO, RUN BEYOND
7 ZEBRA BUILDING DANIEL CANOGAR, BIFURCATION
8 CONFERENCE CENTER DANIEL BUREN, COLORED TRIANGLES BY MYRIAD, FOR RIYADH
9 CONFERENCE CENTER INTERIOR LIGHT UPON LIGHT EXHIBITION HUB 2 King Abdulaziz Historical Center
1 PALM OASIS TOM & LIEN DEKYVERE, RHIZOME
2 KING ABDULAZIZ CONFERENCE HALL SQUARE AMIGO & AMIGO, PARABOLIC LIGHTCLOUD
3 MURABBA SQUARE ILYA & EMILIA KABAKOV, THE CUPOLA
4 HERITAGE HOUSES AYMAN ZEDANI, EARTHSEED 5 NATIONAL MUSEUM RIVER MARWAH ALMUGAIT, , MAY WE MEET AGAIN 6 NATIONAL MUSEUM ENTRANCE CARSTEN HÖLLER, LIGHT WALL !OUTDOOR VERSION"
7 AL SOUR PARK B RALF WESTERHOF AND TALAL AL ZEID, NOCTURNAL DIALOGUE
8 AL SOUR PARK A VOUW, CITY GAZING RIYADH
9 AL SOUR PARK C SAEED GAMHAWI, MY MOTHER’S RUG !UNIQUE EDITION"
10 AL HARAS PARK KAROLINA HALATEK, BEACON Riyadh Front Christopher BAUDER and Kangding RAY
Christopher Bauder (b.1973) is an artist and designer working 1973 in the fields of light and installation art, media design and scenography. He has brought his installations and performances to events and spaces around the world, including the National Opera, Beijing; The Jewish Museum, Berlin; MUTEK Montreal; Centre Pompidou, Paris, and the National Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan. His city-wide light art installation Lichtgrenze (Berlin, 2014 2014) received international attention. David Letellier (b.1978), aka Kangding Ray, is a French Berlin- 1978 based electronic music producer and founder of the techno- experimental record label ARA, known for remixing artists such as Martin Gore, Ben Frost and Battles for Warp and Mute. Letellier has successfully explored the convergence between techno and experimental since his debut album on the German imprint Raster-Noton in 2006. 2006
SKALAR, 2021 2021
SKALAR is a large-scale art installation, conceived by Christopher Bauder with Kangding Ray, that explores the complex impact of light and sound on human perception, a reflection on the fundamental nature and essence of human emotions. By combining a vast array of kinetic mirrors and perfectly synchronized moving lights with a sophisticated multi-channel sound system, it o!ers an audio-visual narration of radiant light vector drawings and multi-dimensional sound. Visitors are encouraged to walk around, sit or lie down on the floor and drift as far away as 200,000 possible from everyday life and the outside world. SKALAR 2021 has already been visited by more than 200,000 people in 2021 Amsterdam, Berlin, Mexico City and Zurich. A customized version of the installation has been made for Noor Riyadh 2021.
SKALAR, 2021 Reflections on Light and Sound Light and sound installation Dimensions variable Courtesy the artists Photo: Christopher Bauder Riyadh Front
VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX
VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX (est. 2012), was founded by Joost van Bergen, 2012 Dirk Schlebusch and Onne Walsmit. As VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX, they work on a wide range of architectural, interior and conceptual design projects, as well as interdisciplinary interactive installations. With each project VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX enters new and exciting worlds, learning new skills and new techniques. This approach has resulted in works that have travelled the world, such as Lightbattle (Amsterdam Light Festival 2013). 2013
HALO II, 2021 2021 2
VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX has created a brand-new edition of their installation HALO for Noor Riyadh 2021. HALO II 2021 refers to the sun as the greatest source of light and 2 warmth that shapes the conditions for life on our planet. A halo is an optical phenomenon produced by light interacting with crystals in the atmosphere. On a spiritual and cultural level, the halo has a universal place in symbolizing a sacred being. HALO II 2 lifts visitors up for precious moments and lets them universally dream thanks to an abstract yet 2 comprehensive experience, with a dynamic light sequence that reaches its climax when HALO II is fully lit.
2021 2 LED 825
HALO II, 2021 LED lighting and gold aluminium 825 cm diameter Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art King Fahad National Library
Zaman JASSIM
Zaman Jassim (b. 1971) is a Saudi artist whose mixed media 1971 work features visually striking and evocative forms, often enriched by a variety of symbols, patterns and calligraphic 2011 signs. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Al Kharafi Biennial Award for Contemporary Arab Art, Kuwait. Jassim has held solo shows in Beijing, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Paris, Riyadh and Seoul. He has participated in group exhibitions in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. His work is in the collections of the Al Mansouria Foundation, the Barjeel Art Foundation, Emaar International, the Kinda Foundation, the League of Arab States and the Saudi Aramco Company.
WHEN THE MOON IS FULL, 2021 2021
Zaman Jassim’s When the Moon is Full is a project in which the artist stands in a nostalgic pause before a moment of farewell and reflects on all that is beautiful in a lifetime. Two separate scenes represent the inevitability of departure: of the moon after the completion of its cycle, and of life and the fleeting memories of the past. As the moon is illuminated by sunlight, man is illuminated by the light of his life partner, leaving the viewer to ponder on the metaphorical similarities between man and the celestial bodies that orbit our universe. The piece presents multiple layers of sensory stimuli – sounds, scripts, images and illumination – to transport the audience to another dimension outside of space and time. The light emanating from the installation’s luminous holograms reflects the impact that humans have on this universe and urge us to do well. Poetry is by 2021 Yusef Al-Breih, photography by Mohammed Alkharari, LED 270x1000x1000 calligraphy by Hassan Radwan, filmmaking by Mohammed Salman, performance by Muhammad Talaqif and Rabab
Al Ismail. When the Moon is Full, 2021 Fiberglass, LED lights and video projection 1000x1000x270 cm Courtesy the artist Photos: Riyadh Art King Fahad National Library
Tribute to Mohammed ALSALEEM, 2021
Saudi artist Mohammed Alsaleem (b. 1939, d. 1997) was 1997 1939 one of the first to hold an exhibition in the city of Riyadh, in 1967 1967. He became famous for his “horizonism” style that was inspired by observing the skyline of the city from the desert. In the 1970s, he designed many public sculptures in Riyadh, one of which was located in front of the old airport and destroyed by an Iraqi missile. Always committed to supporting 1979 younger artists, designers, and architects, in 1979 he founded Dar Al-Funoon Al-Sa’udiyyah, the first art house in Riyadh, a multipurpose creative space where artists could meet and exhibit their work, as well as find art supplies which were not readily available in the country at that time.
Noor Riyadh 2021, the first light art celebration in the 2021 country’s history, is the perfect setting to unveil a never- before-seen work by pioneer Saudi artist Mohammed Alsaleem and to reveal a missing chapter in the history of Saudi art. This work consists of two computer graphics that the artist made towards the end of his life and were found in his Florence residence after his death, framed together with a floppy disc that includes the digital paintings’ original files; a third, more vibrantly coloured, file was also discovered inside the floppy disc. The three images are used to create an animated tribute to the artist’s many contributions to the field and acknowledge his trailblazing role in Saudi Arabia as a digital artist: a homage to his 2021 continuing interest in painting with light – after all, are pixels not dots of light? The tribute is projected on the façade of the King Fahad National Library, which hosts a collection of art books donated by Alsaleem.
Tribute to Mohammed Alsaleem, 2021 Video projection Dimensions variable Video design by Sara Caliumi and Carlo Camorali Courtesy Najla Alsaleem 2021 Photos: Riyadh Art Masmak Fort
Tribute to Ali ALRUZAIZA, 2021
After studying interior design in Italy, Ali Alruzaiza (b. 1945) returned to Riyadh and, seeing the dramatic urban growth of 1945 the city, decided that his challenge was to incorporate the traditional motifs of Riyadh architecture in modern design. Today, his work, especially his interior designs, is seen in many prestigious buildings in Riyadh. One of Alruzaiza’s most notable contributions to the history of Riyadh was his decision to include Masmak Fort in the logo he designed for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Saudi Arabia, which became part of the collective memory of Saudi people.
The tribute dedicated to Ali Alruzaiza is based on a unique group of acrylic paintings and doors designed by the artist himself and highlights his multidisciplinary skills and creative vision. Graphic shapes of triangles and circles have always been a unifying aspect of traditional Najdi houses. Alruzaiza turned these long-established decorations into very modern designs by a constant deconstruction and reconstruction of their compositions. The tribute is a rare opportunity for the audience to see these elements move and gather to construct a complete scene, deconstruct themselves, and make the design disappear. The unlimited number of compositions created 2021 by a limited number of shapes forces the audience to admire Alruzaiza's creativity.
Tribute to Ali Alruzaiza, 2021 Video projection Dimensions variable Video design by Sara Caliumi and Carlo Camorali Courtesy the artist 2021 Photos: Riyadh Art 1
Diplomatic Quarter Cultural Palace
Nojoud ALSUDAIRI
Nojoud Alsudairi (b.1994) is a Saudi interdisciplinary artist and architect based in Riyadh. Her research driven practice 1994 focuses on the personal and collective identity rooted in urban contemporary Saudi culture. Having a formal education in architecture and situated practice, her work ranges from painting, woven sculptures and multimedia installations. She is the cofounder of Syn Architects, an interdisciplinary, community-driven firm that focuses on ecologically sensitive SaudiArchitecture.org design, as well as of SaudiArchitecture.org, a research and archive collective that examines Saudi Arabia’s modernist and contemporary architectural and urban projects.
RICOCHET, 2021 2021 RICOCHET
Can we address public space via poetry? Nojoud Alsudairi’s Ricochet is a performative architectural installation that combines literature with light to convey conversations between Riyadh and its residents. The haikus presented on public building signages have been collected and 2 deconstructed from letters written by the city’s residents. The multiple interventions include a pavilion that provides a social space and o!ers co!ee in an attempt to inspire new physical and social arrangements within an existing urban context. Additional luminous signs are placed at JAX District and Lakum Artspace, extending the artwork across an electric urban landscape. 2021 Ricochet
, Ricochet, 2021 LED signs and cubic pavilion Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist Photos: Riyadh Art JAX District 2021 860
Will Humans Exceed Their State of Being? Suliman (The 'State of Being' Series), 2021 Circular structure, light projector system 860 cm diameter Courtesy the artist ALSALEM Photo: Riyadh Art
Suliman Alsalem (b. 1993) is a Saudi artist from Jeddah with 1993 a background in architecture. Alsalem’s work revolves around research and discovery in an attempt to reach a new understanding of the concept of the “state of being”, its image and the feeling 2015 that accompanies it. He began his career as an artist in 2015 with his work Breathing, and held his first solo show, The State 2020 of Being, in 2020.
WILL HUMANS EXCEED THEIR STATE OF BEING? "THE ‘STATE OF BEING’ SERIES#, 2021 2021
Everything that exists exists in a state of being. This state illustrates its underlying conditions and circumstances. Everything is in a fixed or transient state that is conjoined, ephemeral or in flux. The state of something responds and interacts with its surrounding environment, molding a singular emotional reaction that is contextual to the conditions it finds itself in. Suliman Alsalem relies on the use of light, shadow and motion as mediums to make the viewer interact constantly with the work. The shadow is evidence of the presence of our bodies in space, but we are not used to our shadow’s continuous movement while we are no longer doing so. Will Humans Exceed Their State of Being? is part of the State of Being series, which introduces the concept of the “state” from the artist’s point of view. The series discusses the nature and image of the state, the importance of understanding it and of trying to abstract it from its context, as well as to understand its future.
JAX District
Muhannad SHONO
Muhannad Shono (b. 1977) is a Saudi artist whose multidisciplinary 1977 practice includes ink on paper, large-scale experiential, sculptural and technological installations. A self-taught artist based in Riyadh, his work deals with the singular, the minute and the individual unit of thought and how it then coagulates into systems 2015 of belief, tribalistic action and the formation of human factions. X Select group exhibitions include Desert X, Al Ula (2020); I Love 21,39 2020( You Urgently, 21,39, Jeddah (2019); and Bridges to Seoul, Seoul 2019 (2019). Solo exhibitions include The Silence Is Still Talking, 2019 Athr, Jeddah (2019); Ala: Ritual Machine, Ithra, Dammam and 2018 Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2018); and Children of Yam, Athr, 2016 Jeddah (2016).
THE MIND SHIP EXODUS, 2021 2021
Muhannad Shono’s The Mind Ship Exodus is a new site- specific installation conceived for Noor Riyadh 2021 and 2021 inspired by narratives conjured up around the nature, mythology and mysticism of fire. Shredded steel wire and steel mesh manifest an alien landscape upon which a vessel of the mind is adrift upon a sea of new ideas. Both industrial and organic, it creates an atmosphere of wonder and mystery, its surface coming to life with patterns and 2021 waves of burning light, in a call to reignite the mind and unleash its power to change our world. With this artwork, 1620x2700 the artist o!ers us a symbolic means of escape into the cosmos of our minds, a trip towards new ways of thinking and transformative ideas. A once mighty vessel lies The Mind Ship Exodus, 2021 forgotten and dormant, waiting to be reassembled, Steel mesh and shredded steel wire with video projection, sculpture and film ignited and relaunched towards our imagination. The mind, 2700x1620 cm like a burning bush with its neurons forever ablaze with Courtesy the artist Photo: Riyadh Art hope, is the source of limitless energy, able to propel us to new and as-yet-unknown horizons.
2021
Sketch for The Mind Ship Exodus, 2021 Courtesy the artist At-Turaif World Heritage Site
Robert WILSON
Born in Waco, Texas in 1941, Robert Wilson lives in New 1941 York and works worldwide. Wilson is the founder and artistic director of The Watermill Center, a laboratory for the arts in Water Mill, New York, that fosters research in the arts of the stage, providing young and emerging artists with a unique environment for creation and exploration in theater and all its related art forms.
PALACE OF LIGHT, 2021 2021
Whether he is directing an opera or a play or designing a work for the theater or for a public space, Robert Wilson always starts with light. Without light, there is no space. Wilson has often said that time is a vertical line from the center of the earth to the heavens, and space is an endless horizontal line. This cross between time and space, this tension between the vertical and the horizontal, is the basic architecture of everything. Reflecting on time, space, light, and the unique landscape of At-Turaif, Wilson has designed PALACE OF LIGHT, an installation that consists of two major elements. On the one hand, numerous individual light sources, or light gems, pulsing like stars, interacting with a silver sea that works as a reflective surface during the day and creates patterns on the adjacent façade when lit at night. On the other, a large copper dish 2021 rising from the sea, an artificial sun, juxtaposed to the 2021 moon of DAYDREAM, Wilson’s other work for Noor Riyadh 2021. A heartbeat in the desert – irradiating life – a light installation in constant evolution, testifying to both the fragility and resilience of life.
PALACE OF LIGHT, 2021 Aluminium, copper, steel, lights, video projection and music Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist Photos: Riyadh Art Wadi Namar Park
UXU STUDIO
UxU Studio (est. 2013) is a Taiwanese collective founded by 2013 UxU Kuan-Hung Chen and Ying-Chu Chen, that consists of architects, designers and artists. The collective’s work varies from objects to spatial installations, always with the aim of giving visitors a new perspective on everyday materials. Its experimental, multi-disciplinary way of working produces surprising designs – often made of simple or everyday materials, and usually featuring light. Notable works include the light installation Desire for Amsterdam Light Festival (2018): two large red lips formed by 1,500 lights.
ILLUSION HOLE, 2020 2020
Illusion Hole is the sixth artwork in the Use Your Illusion series. Since UxU Studio began to create its series UxU of artworks using meteor lights, it has been curious about how the visitor experiences its flowing light. According to UxU Studio, light is not merely a substance but something which can be transformed to produce meaning. Through a geometrically arranged pattern, light appears to morph into water, flowing towards an unknown black hole. When we watch the flowing light, do we really care about the existence of the actual water around it? Or do we treat the false as true, as the real becomes false? 2020 LED 2000x2000x40
Illusion Hole, 2020 Metal, LED Lights, wood 2000x2000x40cm Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection UXU Photo: Riyadh Art Wadi Namar Park
Aleksandra STRATIMIROVIC
Aleksandra Stratimirovic (b. 1968) is a Swedish artist with an 1968 extensive knowledge and understanding of light and lighting technologies, who creates temporary and permanent site-specific works in the public space, in her native country and abroad. In addition to her work as visual artist, Stratimirovic is cofounder of the Lighting Guerrilla Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia and artistic director of Skopje Light Art District in North Macedonia. Public works include: Transmission, 2020 Grimeton Radio Station (2020); You Are The Dream, Gothenburg, Sweden (2020); Northern Lights, Amsterdam Light Festival; 2015 Heroes, Lilla Alby School, Sundbyberg (2015); Northern Lights, Jardin du Palais Royal, Paris; My Light Future, Ljubljana (2014); and Kaleidoscope, Skåne University Hospital, Lund (2013). 2014 2013
NORTHERN LIGHTS, 2021 2021
Ever thought of seeing the aurora borealis in Riyadh? Aleksandra Stratimirovic makes this possible with Northern Lights. For this light art pioneer, the phenomenon of polar lights symbolizes the beauty of friendship and she hopes the installation will convey that thought to the 50 public. The breathtaking artwork extends over 50 meters in the air and is programmed in such a way that an unpredictable curtain of light is created. Just like the real aurora borealis, this work creates a magical experience. 2021 LED 300x5000
Northern Lights, 2021 Programmed LED 5000x300 cm Courtesy the artist and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art Wadi Hanifah Dam Park 2007 400
Artificial Moon, 2007 Wang Energy saving lamps, metal frame 400 cm diameter Courtesy the artist and MASSIMODECARLO YUYANG Photo: Riyadh Art Wang Yuyang (b.1979) is a Chinese artist who creates works 1979 using emergent media but does not deliberately emphasize the novelty of technology. Solo exhibitions include: Lucciole per lanterne, Museo Novecento, Florence (2019); The Moon, 2019 Massimo De Carlo, Hong Kong (2018); Singularity, Heydar 2018 2018( Aliyev Center, Baku (2018); Lettering – Folklore of the Cyber 2015 World, Chronus Art Center, Shanghai (2015); Liner, Copeland 2015 Park, London (2015). His work is displayed in prominent K11 Chinese public collections including the K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong; the Long Museum, Shanghai; Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing; and 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai.
ARTIFICIAL MOON, 2007 2007
Wang Yuyang’s Artificial Moon is an imposing sculptural piece with a diameter of over four meters. The installation 4 recreates the earth’s moon and uses thousands of lightbulbs to simulate craters and other surface features of the much admired and celebrated earth satellite. For Noor Riyadh, Wang hangs his piece from a crane in a public desert space, an iconic Middle Eastern landscape. By placing the sculpture in a natural yet easily accessible location and by allowing visitors to walk around it, the artist enhances our connection to the work and casts new light on our relationship with the moon. In a time in which science has regained a prominent role in defining people’s liberties, and recent Chinese space missions have reignited the public’s fascination with the moon, Wang speculates on the artificiality of media messages. With Artificial Moon, Wang challenges our points of view and inspires a new appreciation of nature, as well as posing other questions relating to history, science and technology. Kingdom Tower 2021 LED 625 Koert Star in Motion, 2021 Steel, aluminium, LED lighting, automatic lighting, control systems 625 cm diameter Courtesy the artist VERMEULEN Photo: Riyadh Art
Koert Vermeulen (b. 1967), principal designer, founder, ACTLD and managing partner of Belgium-based ACTLD, creates 1967 lighting, art, set, video, and content designs for public 1995 experiences worldwide. Since 1995, his work has broadened from entertainment and architectural lighting design to artistically articulated large-scale live events, ceremonies, international expos, and cultural festivals, to thoroughly experiential and immersive environments. Notable projects include the lighting design for El Sueño de Toledo (Puy du Fou 2019), the 89th Saudi National Day Show (2019) and the Tree 2019 89 2019 of Life (Expo 2015). 2015
STAR IN MOTION, 2021 2021
Shining bright atop the Kingdom Tower, Koert Vermeulen’s Star in Motion illuminates the skies above Riyadh while subconsciously underscoring the Festival’s theme, ‘Under One Sky’. In spirituality, the symbolism of stars is the knowledge of good and truth. Throughout the world, in most major religions, stars represent the luminaries that gleam, glow and flicker throughout the heavens. Stars emit streams of light into our atmosphere and reflect a collaborative understanding of genuine solidarity and honesty, shining for all eternity. Stars are universal connectors, bringing harmony and unity around the world, reminding us we are all under one sky. The artwork 2021 establishes a powerful link between the city, activated by Noor Riyadh’s light installations, the night sky above it, and the whole world, standing out as a brilliant beacon of hope and celebration for Noor Riyadh 2021.
Digital City
Daan ROOSEGAARDE
Daan Roosegaarde (b. 1979) is a Dutch artist and innovator, 1979 creative thinker, and maker of social designs exploring the relation between people, technology and space. He founded 2007 Studio Roosegaarde in 2007, where he works with his team of designers and engineers on landscapes of the future. He has exhibited at the Design Museum London; Stedelijk Museum and Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Tate Modern, London; Tokyo
National Museum; Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Awards include the Shenzhen Global Design Award, Ethics Ethical Award, and LIT Lighting Design Award 2019. Roosegaarde is Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, and a member of the NASA Innovation team.
GLOWING NATURE, 2021 2021
Daan Roosegaarde’s Glowing Nature is an interactive and mysterious experience which harnesses the unique qualities of live, 700-million-year-old microorganisms 700 that glow upon touch. The result of an intensive period of research and design, the artwork enables a magical interaction with the most light-emitting algae in the world, whose bioluminescence creates a mesmerizing, ever- changing environment. Glowing Nature combines biology and technology to reflect on light and energy, and on nature’s potential to provide the tools for a better future. 2021
Glowing Nature, 2021 Installation/experience with light emitting algae Dimensions variable Courtesy Studio Roosegaarde Photos: Riyadh Art AlNakheel Sports Park COMPANY NEW HEROES
Company New Heroes (est. 2009), based in Amsterdam, 2009 specializes in international multi-disciplinary storytelling projects, creative concepts and biobased creations, collaborating with an international network of creative professionals to design unique projects. In the past decade New Heroes has created over 100 projects in more than 20 20 100 countries. Recent highlights include: #whatwouldyousay Y20 20200Y20 2020 Online Talk Shows, The Exploded View at Dutch Design Week (2020) and The Growing Pavilion at the Floriade in Almere (2019).
WE LIGHT RIYADH, 2021 2021
We Light Riyadh by Lucas De Man and Pascal Leboucq of Company New Heroes is an installation created with 800 more than 800 lamps that sheds new light on the rapidly changing city of Riyadh, reconnecting its cosmopolitan residents in an engaging project that presents their inspiring and touching stories to each other, the city and the world. This work is an ode to all the people who light Riyadh, because it is the diversity of its inhabitants that gives a city its distinctive light. We Light Riyadh invites residents to participate in a collective statement and create a unique art installation together, calling on them to take a digital picture of their bedside lamp or night light and answer humanity’s existential question: what gives you light? And why? Visitors are able to discover these stories thanks to QR codes attached to the lamps at AlNakheel Sports 2021 Park, as well as joining the conversation via social media, 3000x6000 808 using the hashtag #welightriyadh.
We Light Riyadh, 2021 808 lamps, approx. 6000x3000 cm Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection Photos: Riyadh Art Al Haras Park 2021 210 x 685
Beacon, 2021 Karolina Mixed media 685 cm height x 210 cm diameter Courtesy the artist HALATEK Photo: Karolina Halatek
Karolina Halatek (b. 1985) is a Polish artist who uses light as the 1985 central medium in her work to create experiential site-specific spaces that incorporate visual, architectural and sculptural elements, often collaborating with quantum physicists, superstring theorists and precision mechanical engineers. Halatek’s installations have been exhibited internationally and include Cloud Square, Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis (2018); Terminal, Aufstiege Light Art Festival, Stuttgart (2016); 2018 Scanner Room, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary 2016 Art, Warsaw (2014). 2014
BEACON, 2021 2021
Beacon is a new large-scale sculptural installation by Karolina Halatek that invites viewers to be immersed in a dazzling white light in the form of a pillar which points towards the sky to evoke the sublime matters between heaven and earth. On one hand, the light pillar is used as a sign of guidance and protection; on the other, its white light includes all colors of the spectrum and refers to the concepts of completeness, of fullness. The piece has a monumental quality that acts as a beacon, yet also o!ers a small, intimate space that viewers can enter, experiencing the work from the inside, shifting their perception and being embraced by an unexpected, extraordinary brightness. Its formal simplicity and the purity of its white light generate a mysterious yet calming e!ect on those who approach it.
Al Sour Park C 2021 400x1500x1600
My Mother’s Rug (Unique Edition), 2021 Saeed Projectors, sand, sound tracks, steel frames 1600x1500x400 cm Courtesy the artist GAMHAWI Photo: Riyadh Art
Saeed Gamhawi (b.1972) is a Saudi painter and a conceptual 1972 artist whose work tackles cultural heritage and social issues. He held solo exhibitions at Jeddah Atelier for Fine Arts (2003, 1998 2003 1998) and has participated in group shows including Misk Art 2019 Week (2019); Desert to Delta, Art Museum of the University of Memphis (2017-18); Abu Dhabi Art Fair (2017); and the Saudi 2017 2017-18 Art Council’s 21,39 exhibition Earth and Ever After (2016). His 2016 work has been shown in exhibitions on contemporary Saudi art in Egypt, Italy, the Netherlands and Syria.
MY MOTHER’S RUG "UNIQUE EDITION#, 2021 2021
My Mother’s Rug is a project about the immigration of Saudis from their towns to the country’s main cities. Saeed Gamhawi uses projections of a rug, his father’s wedding gift to his mother, as a metaphor for the last connection he has to his hometown since he moved to Riyadh, and as a symbol of generosity and hospitality. In this work, Gamhawi tries to convey the sensory intensity surrounding his mother’s memory: projected light becomes a representation of the light that shines in the artist’s heart as he remembers the scent and texture of the original artifact. The rug has been digitized for fear that its threads might wear out and dissolve with time, while technology will keep it alive a little longer. This process, however, exposes the limits of the connections enabled by technological tools: the image of this intimate legacy is preserved, but it is stripped of its truth, of its details and of the feelings that they evoke.
Al Sour Park A
VOUW
VOUW (est. 2017) is an Amsterdam-based design studio 2017 working at the crossroads of art, technology and design. VOUW is a pioneer in slowtech: design that slows people down to bring them together in the real world. Like a factory reset for the soul, the work of founders Mingus Vogel and Justus Bruns illuminates the human condition and opens the heart to the possibility of organic connection with other people and the planet. The studio’s creations have been exhibited worldwide 2020 and their work, Chairwave, was recognized in the Dezeen Awards 2020 for seating design.
CITY GAZING RIYADH, 2021 2021
In the 1970s, an iconic image of the Earth taken from the Apollo 17 space shuttle became a symbol of 17 environmentalism. In fact, many astronauts who see the Earth floating in the vastness of space experience what has been termed “the overview e!ect”: a mental shift of perception, a newly found awareness of how vulnerable and fragile life on our planet is. When they return to Earth, they feel compelled to commit themselves to a sustainable future. With City Gazing Riyadh, a tailor-made installation based on the city of Riyadh as seen in NASA satellite images, VOUW brings this feeling to the residents of Riyadh and gives an impression of the “footprint” of 2021 light that the city sends into space. ABS LED 800x1500x1500
City Gazing Riyadh, 2021 LED strips, ABS tubes and connection points, electric components, computer, sound system 1500x1500x800 cm Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art Al Sour Park B Ralf WESTERHOF and Talal AL ZEID Ralf Westerhof (b. 1977) is a Dutch artist who creates wire 1977 sculptures and light art installations, often kinetic. In 2013 Westerhof made his first large light art installation as he 2013 participated in the Amsterdam Light Festival. The work, Drawn in Light, is a 13-meter-wide mobile, a moving line drawing of 13 an Amsterdam cityscape. Since then his work has been shown internationally, in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan. 1981 Talal Al Zeid (b. 1981) is a Saudi artist from Ha’il. He grew up in Europe, where he began his career in graffiti art. He has exhibited his works at Scope Basel, Vienna Art Fair, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Art Curial in Paris, and more. Select works are on public display at the British Council in London, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and King Abdulaziz Center for Knowledge and Culture in Dahran.
NOCTURNAL DIALOGUE, 2021 2021
For Noor Riyadh 2021, Dutch artist Ralf Westerhof and Saudi artist Talal Al Zeid have worked together to create an 2021 original site-specific piece. This collaboration is an occasion for them to celebrate art through a light sculpture that embodies Noor Riyadh’s essence, with di!erent cultures coming together and speaking one language to deliver a 2021 unique experience. Nocturnal Dialogue is a collection 350x350 of everyday inspirations from Riyadh: its people, nature, architecture and streets. It celebrates culture from an artistic perspective, giving our daily lives a new dimension. Nocturnal Dialogue, 2021 The result of an ongoing dialogue between the artists, the Steel wire, fluorescent coating, UV light. piece reflects on their experience in the fast-paced, hyper- 350x350 cm Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection connected world we live in today. Being quite the opposite Photo: Riyadh Art of fast-paced, more like a monument to minimalistic presence, the work resides in a quiet place during Noor Riyadh, allowing for a moment of contemplation in our day.
2021
Sketch for Nocturnal Dialogue, 2021 Courtesy Talal Al Zeid National Museum Entrance 2021 LED 1,100 275x400x600
Carsten Light Wall (Outdoor Version), 2021 1,100 LED bulbs, digital control unit, sound, steel panels, structural elements, wiring, cables 600x400x275 cm. Unique Courtesy the artist and MASSIMODECARLO © the artist HÖLLER Photo: Riyadh Art
Carsten Höller (b. 1961) uses his training as a scientist in his 1961 work as an artist, concentrating particularly on the perception of the self and the nature of human relationships. His major installations include Sunday at Museo Tamayo in Mexico City 2019 (2019); Decision, Hayward Gallery, London (2015); The Double 2015 Club in London (2008-2009); Revolving Hotel Room (2008), 2008 2008-2009( which was shown as part of theanyspacewhatever exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, in 2009; and Test Site, Tate 2009 Modern, Turbine Hall, London (2006). 2006
LIGHT WALL "OUTDOOR VERSION#, 2021 2021
Carsten Höller’s Light Wall consists of a metal structure holding 1,100 lightbulbs which are simultaneously blinking 1,100 at a frequency of 7.8 Hz. This rhythm has a visual (and auditory) hallucinatory e!ect on the viewer, as it presumably influences brainwave frequencies in the visitors exposed to the powerful on and o! of the lights (there is a sound element too: a stereo click at the same frequency). Created as an original outdoor piece for Noor Riyadh 2021, 2021 the work sends its light pulses towards the audience and surrounding buildings in Riyadh. It calls into question the reliability of what is perceived as given, which is foremost the constancy of both natural and artificial light. At the same time, it produces beautiful, dreamlike “color field” hallucinations, especially with closed eyes. One’s own thoughts, spoken words, and behavior in general are influenced by the flickering lights and clicking sounds, with the result that not only the perceived but also its interpretation is di!erent. National Museum River
Marwah ALMUGAIT
Marwah AlMugait (b.1981) is a visual artist from Riyadh, whose 1981 practice draws attention to the invisible, neglected, or unfamiliar details of everyday life. Her work has been exhibited in I Love You Urgently, 21,39, Jeddah (2020); Epicenter, the Arab American 2020 National Museum, Detroit (2017); Safar, 21,39, Jeddah (2017); 2017 2017 AlHangar Art, Jeddah (2016); Galerie Clairefontaine, Luxembourg 2016 (2015); Alberah Art Gallery, Bahrain (2015); Naila Art Gallery, 2015 2015( Riyadh (2015); Inlight Studio, Toronto (2014); and Emerge Art 2014 2015( Fair, Washington DC (2014). 2014
MAY WE MEET AGAIN 2021 2021 MAY WE MEET AGAIN
Marwah AlMugait’s project explores the notion of infinite spaces and the possibility of creating an alternative reality through various narratives. It is based on the vital connection between its location, at the Saudi National Museum, and the people who inhabit this space, mostly residents of the area, from di!erent countries and cultural backgrounds. Poetry is a fundamental element in this artwork: verses in di!erent languages establish a direct communication with the viewers, allowing them to be an essential part of the work and inviting them into a more intimate and personal experience. A montage of abstract footage manifests these poems visually, projected on a mist and water screen on the roof of the museum, in an endeavor to humanize a space that is relevant and familiar to residents and regular visitors. Merging di!erent art mediums including film and performance, the artwork transports viewers to an alternative reality, 2021 , May We Meet Again to a joyful fantasy world, where the familiar becomes 600x1000 unfamiliar. Created in collaboration with artists Christina Poblador and Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai, performers Rahaf
Ibrahim and Nora AlSaif. , May We Meet Again, 2021 Video installation, mist and water screen 1000x600 cm Courtesy the artist Photos: Riyadh Art Heritage Houses
Ayman ZEDANI Ayman Zedani’s (b. 1984) practice manifests between objects 1984 and multi-layered installations and attempts to renegotiate the relationship between human and non-human, animal and plant, organic and inorganic, land and water. Recent projects include Between the Heavens and the Earth, Lahore Biennial (2020); the return of the old ones, 21,39, Jeddah (2020); Between muddles 2020 39’21 2020( and tangles, NYUAD Gallery, Abu Dhabi (2019); Sailing stones, 2019 Bienalsur International Biennial, Buenos Aires (2019); non-human- 2019 assembly, Sharjah Art Foundation (2018); and Khamsa, Institut du 2018 2018 Monde Arabe, Paris (2018). He won the inaugural Ithra Art Prize and 2018 presented a new project at Art Dubai (2018) and held his debut solo 2019 2021 show, bahar-bashar-shajar-hajar, in Athr Gallery, Jeddah (2019).
EARTHSEED, 2021 2021 Earthseed, 2021 3-channel video installation Dimensions variable Through amplification of micro-experiences, Ayman Zedani Courtesy the artist examines the dynamics and relationships between the Photo: Riyadh Art human and non-human in relation to the future of the planet. His multi-layered installations are built on a series of experiments and investigations that look towards the new materialist philosophies exploring the agency of matter, and consider multi-species collaboration as ways of surviving the challenges of the Anthropocene. Zedani’s multi-channel video installation Earthseed is an experimental short film that weaves together factual information with science-fiction narrative. It tells the story of an imagined kinship in the Future Gulf between robots, humans, and their camels, which evolved from the ancient camel races of the twenty-first century. The story is a framework to amplify the projected e!ects of climate change on the Gulf region in the coming decades, and a catalyst to open a regional dialogue around these urgent ecological matters that require our immediate collaborative attention. The film’s dialogue has been developed with the independent writer and poet Wided Khadraoui. 2021
Still image from Earthseed, 2021 Courtesy the artist Murabba Square 2003 1400
The Cupola, 2003 Mixed media Ilya & Emilia 1400 cm diameter Courtesy the artists KABAKOV Photo: Riyadh Art Ilya (b. 1933) and Emilia (b. 1945) Kabakov are Russian-born, 1945 1933 America-based artists who collaborate on environments which fuse elements of the everyday with those of the conceptual. They have been shown in such venues as Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Tate Modern, London; Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum, New York; the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington 1993 DC among others. In 1993 they represented Russia at the 45th Venice Biennale. Their project with children The Ship of Tolerance was shown in ten countries, including Cuba, Egypt, Russia, the UAE and the US. Awards include the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2014); the Cartier Prize from 2014 Art Masters, St. Moritz, Switzerland (2010); The Praemium 2010 Imperiale, Japan (2008); the Oscar Kokoschka Preis, Vienna 2002 2008 (2002); the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Paris (1995). 1995
THE CUPOLA , 2003 2003
Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s The Cupola is a large mixed- media installation which resembles a rose window: in the center, in the depths of the cupola, there is a white aperture from which colored “beams” radiate in all directions; their colors change, in infinite variations, in concert with the music played under the cupola. The work is based on the ideas of the great Russian composer Scriabin, and other composers of the 1920s and 1930s, on the connection between sound and color. Originally conceived for the Ruhrtriennale, in Bochum, in 2003, it 2011 2003 has been exhibited at the Madrid Arena in 2011 and at the 2014 Grand Palais, Paris in 2014. Beside its sculptural value, The Cupola is also considered by its creators as a site for other artistic and creative events. It is a “Gesamtkunstwerk” (“total work of art”) that unites visual, musical and performance art, reflecting on the experimental utopian projects of the early twentieth century. King Abdulaziz Conference Hall Square
AMIGO & AMIGO
Directed by Simone Chua, Amigo & Amigo (est. 2012) is a 2012 Sydney-based artist studio with a background in sculpture and industrial design, passionate about lighting and experimental forms. The studio’s body of work showcases its ability to use light and materials to transform spaces and engage the public. Its projects are predominantly large-scale and technically complex, playful in nature and designed to transform environments into memorable experiences and invite audiences to interact with the work. The Amigos’ installation work has been featured internationally throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
PARABOLIC LIGHTCLOUD, 2018 2018
In the installation Parabolic Lightcloud, Amigo & Amigo uses more than 1,000 lights to make something invisible visible: 1,000 our human emotions. With di!erent color combinations, patterns and transitions they show us intense emotions such as love and happiness, but also calmness and sadness. A digitally-controlled medium like this light installation can have a powerful influence on our mood and our actions without us realizing it. Parabolic Lightcloud takes its shape from the parabola (a U-shaped line) U on the famous mathematical diagram, the Fibonacci spiral.
2018 9 800 1082
Parabolic Lightcloud, 2018 1082 light pixels, 800 m recycled rope, 9 m diameter Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art Palm Oasis 2021 LED
Rhizome, 2021 Tom & Lien Fluorescent ropes and LED lights Dimensions variable Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection DEKYVERE Photo: Riyadh Art
Since 2012, Tom and Lien Dekyvere (b. 1985 and 1987) have 1985 2012 traveled the world to design and create light art installations, 1987 amazing and amusing audiences in public spaces, during events and exhibitions and trying to visualize today’s world through light, sound and material. Their site-responsive work Rhizome has been exhibited around the world, including Brussels (2020), 2020 Knokke (2018), Leeds (2016), and Kortrijk (2015). Other 2015 2016 2018( significant works include Elantica, Baltimore (2018); Polygonum, 2016 2018 Scottsdale (2016); Ivy 2.0, Ghent (2016) and Tech Farm, 2016 2016 Eindhoven (2016).
RHIZOME, 2021 2021
For Noor Riyadh 2021, Tom and Lien Dekyvere’s Rhizome 2021 joins the trees of the Palm Oasis with a web made of hundreds of meters of illuminated rope. The word ‘rhizome’ originates from the world of botany and has been used by philosophers and media theorists to refer to di!erent forms of networks. This site-specific work reflects on the various on- and o#ine connections humans make in all sorts of ways, consciously and unconsciously. Via websites, co-creation, even couch surfing: people are linked in many ways. The piece also symbolizes a house, a cocoon from which to meditate on contemporary society’s (dis)connectedness.
Conference Center
Daniel BUREN Born in Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris) in 1938, Daniel Buren 1938 lives and works in situ.
“COLORED TRIANGLES BY MYRIAD, FOR RIYADH” WORK IN SITU: KAFD CONFERENCE CENTER, RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, 2020!2021 -2021 2020
Daniel Buren is one of the most active and acclaimed artists on the international art scene today, and his work has been shown in leading galleries and museums and a wide range of sites worldwide. His “visual tool” is based on the use of alternating white and colored stripes, which let him reveal the significant details of the site where he is working, by employing them in specific, at times complex, structures lying somewhere between painting, sculpture and architecture. Through a play of colors, reflections, transparencies and contrasts, Buren’s artwork 2021 for Noor Riyadh 2021 shows the Conference Center of the King Abdullah Financial District in a completely new light. The Conference Center is designed as an extension of the angular desert landscape; its organic profile and faceted surface stitch together the structure 153 and the adjacent terrain. Buren covers the building’s iconic roof, made of 153 triangles and formed by 9,889 smaller triangles, with a staggering array of colored filters that are in turn punctuated at equal distance from one another by alternating white triangles. The six -2021 2020 selected colors make forms appear and disappear, ever-changing with the time of day and season. The pattern according to which colors are applied to the DB-ADAGP triangles always follows the same principle. Yet, despite this, the work appears at first glance like an explosion of Photos-souvenirs: “Colored Triangles by Myriad, colors that do not reveal immediately the system of their for Riyadh” work in situ: KAFD Conference Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2020-2021 construction - like the stars in the sky. Auto-adhesive colored transparent vinyls Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA © DB-ADAGP, Paris Photos: Riyadh Art Zebra Building
Daniel CANOGAR
Daniel Canogar (b. 1964) is a Spanish artist living and working 1964 between Spain and the USA. Photography was his earliest medium of choice, but he soon became interested in the possibilities of the projected image and installation art. He has created permanent public art installations with LED screens including Aqueous at The Sobrato Organization, Mountain 2019 View (2019) or Tendril for Tampa International Airport, Tampa 2017 (2017). His artworks have been projected on emblematic 2019 façades including Amalgama El Prado at El Prado Museum, 47 Madrid (2019) and Storming Times Square, screened on 47 of the 2014 LED billboards in Times Square, New York (2014). Solo shows 2020 include Billow, bitforms gallery, New York (2020); Liquid Memories, sala Kubo-Kutxa, San Sebastian (2019); and Melting 2019 the Solids, Wilde Gallery, Geneva (2018). 2018
BIFURCATION, 2021 2021
Daniel Canogar’s Bifurcation consists of electric-like bolts of light that zigzag up and down the Zebra Building of the King Abdullah Financial District. Connected to the internet, it reacts in real time to thunderstorms happening around the globe. The artist has created an algorithm that uses real-time data from a storm-tracking webpage. Every time a thunderstorm becomes active somewhere on the planet, a lightning bolt sparks up on the Zebra Building. The bigger the intensity of the storm, the more charged the projected animation becomes. Bifurcation metaphorically becomes a conduit for the planet’s electricity. It also underlines how our built environments 2021 and the energy that powers them are more intimately connected to natural sources than we realize.
Bifurcation, 2021 Multi laser projection Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist Photo: Riyadh Art Monorail
Angelo BONELLO
Angelo Bonello (b. 1971) is an Italian artist whose visual 1971 capacity and stylistic approach is based on the dimensional distortion of scenic space and landscape. Bonello was exposed to art at a young age. As a child he was taught how to paint and create sculptures by his teacher, the Impressionist artist Sergio 1998 Manfredi. In 1998, Bonello founded his company Kitonb together with Alberta Nunziante, which began as an extreme theater company experimenting in aerial dance and performance, and is 150 now focused on devising and producing spectacular shows. To 300 date, Bonello has created and directed more than 150 shows and artistic events in 300 cities worldwide.
RUN BEYOND, 2015 2015
Run Beyond represents a man as he runs at breakneck speed to jump to incredible heights. The run starts, ends and begins again in a perpetual cycle that alludes to the course of human life. This is an artwork that focuses on the leap that we all must make, sooner or later, to reach freedom. Which freedom that is, Angelo Bonello doesn’t specify, that is up to the spectator to decide. Run Beyond, then, is about the power of imagination; a force so strong that it allows individuals to overcome their fears and limitations so that they can open themselves up to other cultures, new friendships and unknown worlds. 2015 LED 520x5300
Run Beyond, 2015 Iron and LED lights 5300x520 cm Courtesy the artist and Light Art Collection Photos: Riyadh Art Al Wadi
Ahmed MATER
Ahmed Mater (b. 1979) is a Saudi physician turned conceptual 1979 artist. His work documents and scrutinizes the realities of contemporary Saudi Arabia, exploring collective memories to uncover and record uno!cial histories. In 2016, Mater became 2016 the first Saudi artist to hold a solo exhibition in the United States with Symbolic Cities: The Work of Ahmed Mater at the Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC. Mater has held solo exhibitions at Brooklyn Museum, New York 2019 (2019); King Abdullah Economic City (2018); Alserkal Avenue, 2018 Dubai (2017); Galleria Continua, San Gimignano (2017); and 2017 Sharjah Art Foundation (2013), among others. 2017 2013
MITOCHONDRIA: POWERHOUSES, 2021 2021
For Noor Riyadh 2021, Ahmed Mater collaborates 2021 with Factum Arte to develop the concepts he began 2017 to explore in 2017 with his piece Mitochondria: Powerhouses. Mater’s work reflects on the concealed and unacknowledged forces behind religion and natural resources, and alludes to the radical transformations that have reconfigured Saudi society since the mid- twentieth century, first with the discovery of oil, and later with the founding of massive new urban centres. The artworks in this project include an installation with a Tesla coil, an instrument that uses electromagnetic induction to create flashes of lightning, and a series of sculptures made of fulgurite, vitrified sand that forms when lightning hits the ground. The artwork is 2021 presented for the first time in an outdoor setting. 1400x1400x200
Mitochondria: Powerhouses, 2021 Tesla coil machine, fulgurite sculptures, sand 1400x1400x200 cm Courtesy the artist Photo: Abdullah Alshehri 303-304 Alley 304-303
Felipe PRADO
Felipe Prado (b. 1981) is a Chilean multidisciplinary artist 1981 who works primarily in the visualization of music. He creates multimedia and video installations, animations, photographs, visuals for live performances, music videos, video mappings and complete visual identities for music festivals. Prado creates light art installations that often include an element of audience participation. Notable works include Picto Sender Machine, an installation for the seventh edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival (2018-2019). 2019 2018(
PICTO SENDER MACHINE, 2018 2018
Felipe Prado’s Picto Sender Machine is a welcome change in a time in which we are used to seeing films, television programs and photographs in high definition. It consists of an enormous low-resolution screen of 1,200 enlarged 1,200 pixels that invites the public to interact with it: their silhouette, movements, dance steps and gestures are translated into blocks of light displayed on a live screen. Picto Sender Machine forces us to express ourselves in the simplest, most instinctive way, without thinking too much about it.
2018 LED 400x400
Picto Sender Machine, 2018 Steel, plexiglass, LED strips, wires, Kinect camera 400x400 cm Courtesy the artist and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art Al Wadi
SQUIDSOUP
Squidsoup (est. 1997) uses digital technologies to create 1997 immersive experiences, in a broad range of spaces, from art galleries and commercial venues to live public outdoor spaces and events. The studio’s work was seen by over two million people on six continents in 2019. Recent exhibitions and 2019 events include Canary Wharf (2020, 2019, 2017); Salisbury and Gloucester Cathedrals (2020, 2018, 2015); Burning Man 2017 2019 2020( (2019, 2018); Durham Lumiere (2019); Scottsdale Museum of 2018- 2019 2015 2018 2020 Contemporary Art (2019, 2017); Royal Botanical Gardens at 2017 2019 2019 Kew (2019, 2016, 2015); and Sydney Opera House (2016). 2015 2016 2019 Their key work Submergence has been exhibited some 70 2016 70 times.
SUBMERGENCE, 2013!2021 2021 2013
Submergence is a large immersive walkthrough experience by Squidsoup that uses over 5,000 individual points 5,000 of suspended light to create feelings of presence and movement within physical space. In this way, the installation transforms space into a hybrid environment where virtual and physical worlds coincide. As visitors enter the piece, they walk into a space occupied by both real and virtual components and can a!ect both. In its entirety, an abstract narrative is formed with a gradual increase in tension that builds to a final climax. 2021 - 2013 LED 447x1033x768
Submergence, 2013-2021 LED strands, electric components, computer, sound system 768x1033x447 cm Courtesy the artists and Light Art Collection Photo: Riyadh Art Mosque Plaza
Lulwah AL HOMOUD
Lulwah Al Homoud (b. 1967) is a Saudi award-winning artist. 1967 Her work is in the permanent collection of international museums and art institutions including Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; the British Museum, London; Five Continents Museum, Munich; Jeju National Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Green Box Museum of Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia, located in Amsterdam; and the Written Art Foundation, Frankfurt. Al Homoud has had nine solo exhibitions to date. Her work has featured in Abu Dhabi Art and Art Dubai and she represented Saudi Arabia at the State Hermitage Museum in Russia with other international artists in 2019 and at the London 2019 Design Biennial in 2018. 2018
THE INFINITE BLUE, 2021 2021
In The Infinite Blue, Lulwah Al Homoud engages the viewer in an immersive experience. To her, there is a special connection between the specific blue color used in the installation and the light in the sky as it fades or shines brighter. A change of color can be witnessed in the sky at sunrise and sunset prayer times. This special blue tells us that the earth is turning around to face the sun again. Viewers enter a universe evoking the dark blue sky, projected with animated images based on the Language of Existence series, a life-long project for the artist. Al Homoud’s art concerns itself with the ethos of geometry, which enables her to experiment with a higher level of spatial awareness, using lines and 2021 shapes to create endless perspectives and define new relationships, while allowing the spaces in between to inspire an inner dialogue.
The Infinite Blue, 2021 Video installation Dimensions variable Courtesy Lulwah Al Homoud Foundation Photo: Riyadh Art Conference Center Outdoor Plaza
Robert WILSON Robert Wilson (b. 1941) is among the world’s foremost theater 1941 and visual artists. His works for the stage unconventionally integrate a wide variety of artistic media, including dance, movement, lighting, sculpture, music and text. After university Wilson founded the New York-based performance collective The Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds in the mid-1960s, and developed his first signature works, including A Letter for Queen Victoria (1974-1975) and Deafman Glance (1970). With 1974-1975 Philip Glass he wrote the seminal opera Einstein on the Beach 1970 (1976). Wilson’s drawings, paintings and sculptures have 1976 been presented around the world in hundreds of solo and group showings, and his works are held in private collections and museums throughout the world. Wilson has been honored with numerous awards for excellence, including the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, an Olivier Award, two Premio Ubu awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
DAYDREAM, 2021 2021
The sun and the moon. These celestial bodies, the two faces of the cycle of light, are the inspiration for the artworks created by Robert Wilson for Noor Riyadh 2021. 2021 In DAYDREAM, the moon, cosmic cauldron of light, irradiates and spreads its peaceful incandescence onto civilization, as the echo of a guardian spirit. Emerging from darkness, it fills the distance between infinity and the world, thus uniting space and time – a bridge for humanity. DAYDREAM is a radiant sculpture illuminated to create a visual sequence of light. The artwork, even when seen from a distance, appears as a pulsating element, inviting the audience to walk to it, as if its shape, colors 2021 and materials were acting as a catalyst, as a magnetic 900x 520 entity.
DAYDREAM, 2021 Painted steel, thermoformed mirror and lights 520 cm diameter x 900 cm Courtesy the artist Photo: Riyadh Art 2
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