Inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale draws over half a million visitors in Jeddah
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation's inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale, held at the Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, closed on 23 May 2023 after a one-month extension due to overwhelming demand. The exhibition, themed 'Awwal Bait' ('First House'), attracted over 500,000 visitors, including artists, academics, state leaders, and pilgrims. It featured over 500 historical objects on loan from institutions worldwide, some exhibited for the first time, alongside contemporary commissions. The biennale hosted 548 programs and events, including workshops and talks, and welcomed 16,000 students from 359 schools. CEO Aya Al-Bakree reflected on the challenges of sparking new perspectives on Islamic arts globally, noting the exhibition's success in fostering cultural exchange. The foundation now looks ahead to the second edition of its Contemporary Art Biennale.
Key facts
- Inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale held at Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah
- Exhibition ran from 22 January to 23 May 2023, extended by 30 days
- Over 500,000 visitors attended
- 548 programs and events were held
- 16,000 students from 359 schools participated
- Over 500 historical objects were loaned from institutions worldwide
- Theme: 'Awwal Bait' ('First House')
- CEO Aya Al-Bakree led the foundation
Entities
Artists
- Aya Al-Bakree
- HH Prince Bader Bin Abdullah Al Saud
- HE Rakan Al Touq
- Sheikh Nasser
- Fatma Abdulhadi
- Ahmad Angawi
- Saeed Gebaan
- Louis Guillaume
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Himali Singh Soin
- David Soin Tappeser
- Nour Jaouda
- Tamara Kalo
- Asif Khan
- Takashi Kuribayashi
- Ahmed Mater
- Mehdi Moutashar
- Timo Nasseri
- Hayat Osama
- Nohemi Pérez
- Imran Qureshi
- Arcangelo Sassolino
- Charwei Tsai
- Julian Raby
- Amin Jaffer
- Abdul Rahman Azzam
- Muhannad Shono
- Prince Badr
Institutions
- Diriyah Biennale Foundation
- General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques
- The Al Thani Collection
- The David Collection
- Museum of Islamic Art
- Louvre Museum
- Benaki Museum
- National Library of Indonesia
- State Museum of West Nusa Tenggara
- Sonobudoyo Museum
- Bruschettini Foundation for Islamic and Asian Art
- Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
- al-Sabah Collection
- Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research
- National Museum – Sultanate of Oman
- Khalidi Library
- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
- Maritime Museum
- Qatar National Library
- King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture
- King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries
- King Fahad National Library
- Trust for the Alhambra and Generalife
- Alhambra Museum
- Institute of Valencia de Don Juan
- National Archaeological Museum
- National Heritage Institute
- Manuscript Institution of Türkiye
- King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Bodleian Libraries
- History of Science Museum, University of Oxford
- Hispanic Society Museum and Library
- Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies
- Muslim Board of Uzbekistan
- Art and Culture Development Foundation Uzbekistan
- Vatican Apostolic Library
- Islamic Arts Biennale
- National Museum of Asian Art
- Smithsonian Institution
- University of Oxford
- AlMadar
- AlMusalla Prize
Locations
- Jeddah
- Saudi Arabia
- King Abdulaziz International Airport
- Hajj Terminal
- Makkah
- Al Madar
- Western Hajj Terminal
- Indonesia
- West Nusa Tenggara
- Oman
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Spain
- Valencia
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- Oxford
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican City
- Mecca
- Medina