Noor Riyadh 2023 Preview: Light Art Festival Transforms Saudi Capital
Noor Riyadh, the annual light art festival in Saudi Arabia, returns on November 30, 2023, with a citywide exhibition and indoor show curated by Neville Wakefield and Maya Al Athel. The festival, part of the Riyadh Art initiative under Vision 2030, aims to integrate art into the urban fabric. The 2022 edition featured 130 artists, broke six Guinness World Records, and attracted 2.7 million visitors. This year's indoor exhibition, 'Refracted Identities, Shared Futures' at JAX district, includes world premieres by Random International and works by Dur Kattan, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Abdulmohsen Al BinAli, Mashael Al Saie, Bashaer Hawsawi, Ayman Yossri Daydban, and Conrad Shawcross. Artists explore light as a vehicle for memory, heritage, and transformation. The festival also includes community programs, talks, and workshops to foster local engagement.
Key facts
- Noor Riyadh 2023 opens November 30 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The festival is part of Riyadh Art under Vision 2030.
- Curated by Neville Wakefield and Maya Al Athel.
- Indoor exhibition theme: 'Refracted Identities, Shared Futures' at JAX district.
- 2022 edition had 130 artists and broke six Guinness World Records.
- 2022 edition attracted 2.7 million visitors over 17 days.
- Random International presents a world premiere interactive organism.
- Artists include Dur Kattan, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Abdulmohsen Al BinAli, Mashael Al Saie, Bashaer Hawsawi, Ayman Yossri Daydban, and Conrad Shawcross.
Entities
Artists
- Neville Wakefield
- Maya Al Athel
- Random International
- Dur Kattan
- Shaikha Al Mazrou
- Abdulmohsen Al BinAli
- Mashael Al Saie
- Bashaer Hawsawi
- Ayman Yossri Daydban
- Conrad Shawcross
- Ahaad Alamoudi
- Gisela Colón
- Sarah Brahim
- Zahra Bundakji
- Muhannad Shono
- Nevin Aladag
- PHI Studio
- VOUW
- Rashed AlShashai
- Abdullah AlOthman
- Ahmed Mater
- Nasser Al Salem
- James Turrell
- Mary Corse
- Lucio Fontana
- Dan Flavin
- Robert Irwin
- Yayoi Kusama
- Robert Wilson
- Marwah Almugait
- Saeed Gamhawi
- Ayman Zedani
- Philip Tinari
- ENESS
- Nimrod Weis
- Daan Roosegaarde
- Christopher Bauder
- KiNK
- Arne Quinze
- Lina Gazzaz
- Refik Anadol
- Moath Alofi
- Gaida Almogren
- Addie Wagenknecht
- Abdulrahman AlSoliman
- Abdelrahman Elshahed
- Ahmad Angawi
- Alex Schweder
- Alexandra Gelis
- Ayoung Kim
- Christian Partos
- Christophe Berthonneau
- dies_Saad Al Howede
- Edwin van der Heide
- Fatma Abdulhadi
- Francesco Simeti
- Guillaume Cousin
- Hmoud Alattawi
- Ivana Franke
- James Clar
- Karolina Halatek
- Khalid Zahid
- Kurt Hentschläger
- László Zsolt Bordos
- Loris Cecchini
- Marnix De Nijs
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Mohammed Farea
- Monira Al Qadiri
- Muhannad Shonon
- n Corsino
- Nebras Aljoaib
- Obaid Alsafi
- Rejane Cantoni
- Robert Seidel
- Roman Hill
- Ryoichi Kurokawa
- Safeya Binzagr
- Saeed Gebaan
- Shinji Ohmaki
- Shiro Takatani
- Shun Ito
- Ezequiel Pini
- Vali Chincișan
- Wang Yuyang
- Wu Chi-Tsung
- Zhang Zengzeng
- Zheng Da
- Ziyad Alroqi
- Nouf Almoneef
- Mami Kataoka
- Sara Almutlaq
- Li Zhenhua
Institutions
- Noor Riyadh
- Riyadh Art
- Vision 2030
- JAX district
- Canvas
- Guinness World Records
- Royal Commission of Riyadh
- Diriyah Gate Development Authority
- JAX
- UCCA
- Misk Art Institute
- Edge of Arabia
- Vice Arabia
- UNESCO
- UxU Studio
- VOUW
- JAX District
- Royal Commission for Riyadh City
- Mori Art Museum
- CIMAM
- Dumb Type
- atelier oï
- WonderGlass
- Encor Studio
- fuse*
- Iregular
- Otolab
- Plastique Fantastique
- Random International
- someform Studio
- Studio Above&Below
- Tonoptik
- Traumnovelle
- ZEITGUISED
- Six N. Five
Locations
- Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia
- Al Murabba
- Wadi Hanifa
- JAX district
- Red Sea coastal plain
- Sharjah
- Brooklyn
- Chiang Mai
- Lyon
- Abha
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates
- Doha
- Qatar
- Arabian Gulf
- Dhahran
- Jeddah
- Beijing
- China
- Yemen
- Sudan
- France
- Salam Park
- Wadi Hanifah
- Bayt AlMalaz
- JAX District
- Tokyo
- Japan