Riyadh Shines with Artistic Brilliance at Noor Riyadh

Noor Riyadh curator Neville Wakefield declares 'Light is the new ink,' emphasizing its role in modern communication. The festival features diverse light artworks exploring identity and politics by 100 global artists in accessible public spaces.

By Natalie Kebbe

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Hana Almilli

Through her installation, "Journey Through the Ripples of the Sand," Almilli encourages reflection. The cocoon of illuminated materials, with a recited poem in Wadi Namar, signifies a trip beyond estrangement. Almilli highlights shared interconnectedness, stating, "We are all woven from the same fabric of the sand." The maze-like structure mirrors nature's entirety and equilibrium.

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Abdelrahman Elshahed

Elshahed, a proficient calligrapher, crafts a wall sculpture with the Arabic phrase "Light Upon Light" in an abstract form. Employing the ancient "thuluth" script, the calligraphy is legible from all directions. The piece, changing colors subtly, imparts a calming effect, as Elshahed observes, "In our daily lives, we see many colors, but they have one single source: Light."

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Nawaf Alkuhaimi

Full-time ophthalmologist Alkuhaimi infuses his medical expertise into "Chromalusion" an optical illusion sculpture using red, white, and green colors. The piece features angled mirrors on a mirrored floor, disrupting typical reflections and urging viewers to see themselves as others do. The intentional unsettling effect encourages honesty and self-reflection, inviting observers to reconsider their steps, dreams, and aspirations.

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Ayman Yossri Daydban

Jeddah resident Daydban, of Palestinian descent, unveils the "Tree House," a significant wooden installation adorned with symbols. This ongoing material exploration allows light to enter, creating a captivating effect. The site-specific installation challenges stereotypes related to cultural heritage, identity, and the historical Middle East-Western colonial powers relationship.

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Badiya Studio

Badiya Studio's "Symphony of Light" combines sound and light in an immersive art piece. In a darkened space, traditional drummers play 'zeer,' triggering dynamic light displays. Beyond merging traditional music with technology, the performance celebrates Saudi Arabia's rich cultural heritage.

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Sara AlMutlaq

A team spent a week assembling AlMutlaq’s wire-intensive artwork "Do we ever really remember the same?" This circular installation, resembling a world map, explores how our minds process memories, and consisting of fiber-optic wires, a mirror, and LED lights. The bent and twisted wire tells a story of the relationship between memory and identity over time. The piece also addresses the swift changes in Saudi Arabia and questions how we can treat the memories of our ancestors kindly.

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Sultan Bin Fahad

"V151ONS" installation blends past and future. This futuristic trapezoid construction of stained-glass lightboxes is illuminated by kaleidoscopic lights inside what looks like a traditional mud hut. Described as "straight out of a science-fiction novel," the artwork explores time and symbolic Saudi identity, aiming to offer the audience a meaningful understanding of Saudi culture's ongoing evolution.