Category: MENA

Inaugural Art Week Riyadh to Debut With 45+ Galleries, Invited Collections, Public Program Of Talks & Citywide Participating Exhibitions.

 

(L-R) | Bashaer Hawsawi, Warm Space 1, 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth, 49 x 43 x 44 cm. Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist. | Nefeli Papadimouli, Dream Coat, 2024, Cotton and wooden structure, 150 x 160 cm. Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®. | Wael Shawky, The Gulf Project Camp: Sculpture # 3, 2019, Bronze, 50.8 x 120.7 x 61 cm, 20 x 47 1/2 x 24 in. © Wael Shawky, Courtesy Lisson Gallery. | Kader Attia, Le grand miroir du monde, 2017, mirrors, site specific dimension, Galleria Continua San Gimignano. Courtesy the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA. Photograph by Ela Bialkowska. | Lulwah AlHomoud, 100 Names of ALLAH, 2018, Silkscreen on archival paper, 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of Lulwah AlHomoud and LAHAF_SA. | Maha Malluh, September in Paris (from the series: Tradition & Modernity), 2010, C-print in Light box John Jones London, 122 x 156 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger and Maha Malluh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission unveils the program and participants for its inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, 6–13 April 2025. The event takes place across key cultural sites, including JAX District (JAX) and Al Mousa Center among other locations across Riyadh, bringing together leading local, regional, and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts. It is a non-commercial initiative that builds on the foundations of a dynamic art community to cultivate a collaborative landscape where the visual arts will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Held under the theme At The Edge and helmed by a curatorial team including Vittoria Matarrese, Artistic Director and Curator; Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, Associate Curators; and Shumon Basar, Curator – Public Program, the event delves into the dynamic essence of Riyadh, highlighting its vibrant cultural landscape and growing presence on the global art stage.

Art Week Riyadh is headquartered in JAX, where the flagship exhibition At The Edge brings together 45+ local, regional, and international galleries, each presenting curated selections that collectively explore the evolving cultural dialogues between Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and the global contemporary art scene:

At Riyadh’s Al Mousa Center, 15+ galleries will present exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh, highlighting pioneering artists and emerging talents from the region and abroad:

JAX will host three exhibitions under the title Collections in Dialogue by invited collections from Ithra, Art Jameel and the Saudi Research and Media Group, offering a rare and expansive insight into Saudi’s evolving cultural identity, while emphasizing the critical role of collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.

A series of high-profile talks and workshops at JAX will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and around the world today. Curated by Shumon Basar and entitled How to Art World? Lessons in Value, the program will include contributions from partners such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Gagosian.

A Moving Image program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore personal, cultural and social narratives, featuring works by Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai and Hashel Al Lamki.

At JAX, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono, amongst other artists, will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present exhibitions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibitions, Art of the Kingdom and Adaptability Ceramics, workshops and pop-ups.

Across the city, Riyadh’s newest museums and art hubs will welcome visitors for special programming – The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Shamalat., Hewar Gallery, and the studios of artists Ali Al Ruzaiza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Abdullah AlOthman and others – offering an opportunity to reflect on how Riyadh’s past and present converge, shedding light on the dynamic transformation of the city.

Press Enquiries:

Rania Habib / Zara Doshi: [email protected] / [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7cf409-d756-4c2d-bdd8-8b556d22e8a6

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9411305

Inaugural Art Week Riyadh to Debut With 45+ Galleries, Invited Collections, Public Program Of Talks & Citywide Participating Exhibitions.

 

(L-R) | Bashaer Hawsawi, Warm Space 1, 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth, 49 x 43 x 44 cm. Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist. | Nefeli Papadimouli, Dream Coat, 2024, Cotton and wooden structure, 150 x 160 cm. Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®. | Wael Shawky, The Gulf Project Camp: Sculpture # 3, 2019, Bronze, 50.8 x 120.7 x 61 cm, 20 x 47 1/2 x 24 in. © Wael Shawky, Courtesy Lisson Gallery. | Kader Attia, Le grand miroir du monde, 2017, mirrors, site specific dimension, Galleria Continua San Gimignano. Courtesy the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA. Photograph by Ela Bialkowska. | Lulwah AlHomoud, 100 Names of ALLAH, 2018, Silkscreen on archival paper, 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of Lulwah AlHomoud and LAHAF_SA. | Maha Malluh, September in Paris (from the series: Tradition & Modernity), 2010, C-print in Light box John Jones London, 122 x 156 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger and Maha Malluh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission unveils the program and participants for its inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, 6–13 April 2025. The event takes place across key cultural sites, including JAX District (JAX) and Al Mousa Center among other locations across Riyadh, bringing together leading local, regional, and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts. It is a non-commercial initiative that builds on the foundations of a dynamic art community to cultivate a collaborative landscape where the visual arts will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Held under the theme At The Edge and helmed by a curatorial team including Vittoria Matarrese, Artistic Director and Curator; Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, Associate Curators; and Shumon Basar, Curator – Public Program, the event delves into the dynamic essence of Riyadh, highlighting its vibrant cultural landscape and growing presence on the global art stage.

Art Week Riyadh is headquartered in JAX, where the flagship exhibition At The Edge brings together 45+ local, regional, and international galleries, each presenting curated selections that collectively explore the evolving cultural dialogues between Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and the global contemporary art scene:

At Riyadh’s Al Mousa Center, 15+ galleries will present exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh, highlighting pioneering artists and emerging talents from the region and abroad:

JAX will host three exhibitions under the title Collections in Dialogue by invited collections from Ithra, Art Jameel and the Saudi Research and Media Group, offering a rare and expansive insight into Saudi’s evolving cultural identity, while emphasizing the critical role of collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.

A series of high-profile talks and workshops at JAX will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and around the world today. Curated by Shumon Basar and entitled How to Art World? Lessons in Value, the program will include contributions from partners such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Gagosian.

A Moving Image program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore personal, cultural and social narratives, featuring works by Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai and Hashel Al Lamki.

At JAX, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono, amongst other artists, will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present exhibitions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibitions, Art of the Kingdom and Adaptability Ceramics, workshops and pop-ups.

Across the city, Riyadh’s newest museums and art hubs will welcome visitors for special programming – The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Shamalat., Hewar Gallery, and the studios of artists Ali Al Ruzaiza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Abdullah AlOthman and others – offering an opportunity to reflect on how Riyadh’s past and present converge, shedding light on the dynamic transformation of the city.

Press Enquiries:

Rania Habib / Zara Doshi: [email protected] / [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7cf409-d756-4c2d-bdd8-8b556d22e8a6

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9411305

Inaugural Art Week Riyadh to Debut With 45+ Galleries, Invited Collections, Public Program Of Talks & Citywide Participating Exhibitions.

 

(L-R) | Bashaer Hawsawi, Warm Space 1, 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth, 49 x 43 x 44 cm. Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist. | Nefeli Papadimouli, Dream Coat, 2024, Cotton and wooden structure, 150 x 160 cm. Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®. | Wael Shawky, The Gulf Project Camp: Sculpture # 3, 2019, Bronze, 50.8 x 120.7 x 61 cm, 20 x 47 1/2 x 24 in. © Wael Shawky, Courtesy Lisson Gallery. | Kader Attia, Le grand miroir du monde, 2017, mirrors, site specific dimension, Galleria Continua San Gimignano. Courtesy the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA. Photograph by Ela Bialkowska. | Lulwah AlHomoud, 100 Names of ALLAH, 2018, Silkscreen on archival paper, 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of Lulwah AlHomoud and LAHAF_SA. | Maha Malluh, September in Paris (from the series: Tradition & Modernity), 2010, C-print in Light box John Jones London, 122 x 156 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger and Maha Malluh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission unveils the program and participants for its inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, 6–13 April 2025. The event takes place across key cultural sites, including JAX District (JAX) and Al Mousa Center among other locations across Riyadh, bringing together leading local, regional, and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts. It is a non-commercial initiative that builds on the foundations of a dynamic art community to cultivate a collaborative landscape where the visual arts will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Held under the theme At The Edge and helmed by a curatorial team including Vittoria Matarrese, Artistic Director and Curator; Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, Associate Curators; and Shumon Basar, Curator – Public Program, the event delves into the dynamic essence of Riyadh, highlighting its vibrant cultural landscape and growing presence on the global art stage.

Art Week Riyadh is headquartered in JAX, where the flagship exhibition At The Edge brings together 45+ local, regional, and international galleries, each presenting curated selections that collectively explore the evolving cultural dialogues between Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and the global contemporary art scene:

At Riyadh’s Al Mousa Center, 15+ galleries will present exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh, highlighting pioneering artists and emerging talents from the region and abroad:

JAX will host three exhibitions under the title Collections in Dialogue by invited collections from Ithra, Art Jameel and the Saudi Research and Media Group, offering a rare and expansive insight into Saudi’s evolving cultural identity, while emphasizing the critical role of collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.

A series of high-profile talks and workshops at JAX will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and around the world today. Curated by Shumon Basar and entitled How to Art World? Lessons in Value, the program will include contributions from partners such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Gagosian.

A Moving Image program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore personal, cultural and social narratives, featuring works by Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai and Hashel Al Lamki.

At JAX, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono, amongst other artists, will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present exhibitions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibitions, Art of the Kingdom and Adaptability Ceramics, workshops and pop-ups.

Across the city, Riyadh’s newest museums and art hubs will welcome visitors for special programming – The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Shamalat., Hewar Gallery, and the studios of artists Ali Al Ruzaiza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Abdullah AlOthman and others – offering an opportunity to reflect on how Riyadh’s past and present converge, shedding light on the dynamic transformation of the city.

Press Enquiries:

Rania Habib / Zara Doshi: [email protected] / [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7cf409-d756-4c2d-bdd8-8b556d22e8a6

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9411305

Inaugural Art Week Riyadh to Debut With 45+ Galleries, Invited Collections, Public Program Of Talks & Citywide Participating Exhibitions.

 

(L-R) | Bashaer Hawsawi, Warm Space 1, 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth, 49 x 43 x 44 cm. Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist. | Nefeli Papadimouli, Dream Coat, 2024, Cotton and wooden structure, 150 x 160 cm. Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®. | Wael Shawky, The Gulf Project Camp: Sculpture # 3, 2019, Bronze, 50.8 x 120.7 x 61 cm, 20 x 47 1/2 x 24 in. © Wael Shawky, Courtesy Lisson Gallery. | Kader Attia, Le grand miroir du monde, 2017, mirrors, site specific dimension, Galleria Continua San Gimignano. Courtesy the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA. Photograph by Ela Bialkowska. | Lulwah AlHomoud, 100 Names of ALLAH, 2018, Silkscreen on archival paper, 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of Lulwah AlHomoud and LAHAF_SA. | Maha Malluh, September in Paris (from the series: Tradition & Modernity), 2010, C-print in Light box John Jones London, 122 x 156 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger and Maha Malluh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission unveils the program and participants for its inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, 6–13 April 2025. The event takes place across key cultural sites, including JAX District (JAX) and Al Mousa Center among other locations across Riyadh, bringing together leading local, regional, and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts. It is a non-commercial initiative that builds on the foundations of a dynamic art community to cultivate a collaborative landscape where the visual arts will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Held under the theme At The Edge and helmed by a curatorial team including Vittoria Matarrese, Artistic Director and Curator; Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, Associate Curators; and Shumon Basar, Curator – Public Program, the event delves into the dynamic essence of Riyadh, highlighting its vibrant cultural landscape and growing presence on the global art stage.

Art Week Riyadh is headquartered in JAX, where the flagship exhibition At The Edge brings together 45+ local, regional, and international galleries, each presenting curated selections that collectively explore the evolving cultural dialogues between Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and the global contemporary art scene:

At Riyadh’s Al Mousa Center, 15+ galleries will present exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh, highlighting pioneering artists and emerging talents from the region and abroad:

JAX will host three exhibitions under the title Collections in Dialogue by invited collections from Ithra, Art Jameel and the Saudi Research and Media Group, offering a rare and expansive insight into Saudi’s evolving cultural identity, while emphasizing the critical role of collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.

A series of high-profile talks and workshops at JAX will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and around the world today. Curated by Shumon Basar and entitled How to Art World? Lessons in Value, the program will include contributions from partners such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Gagosian.

A Moving Image program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore personal, cultural and social narratives, featuring works by Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai and Hashel Al Lamki.

At JAX, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono, amongst other artists, will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present exhibitions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibitions, Art of the Kingdom and Adaptability Ceramics, workshops and pop-ups.

Across the city, Riyadh’s newest museums and art hubs will welcome visitors for special programming – The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Shamalat., Hewar Gallery, and the studios of artists Ali Al Ruzaiza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Abdullah AlOthman and others – offering an opportunity to reflect on how Riyadh’s past and present converge, shedding light on the dynamic transformation of the city.

Press Enquiries:

Rania Habib / Zara Doshi: [email protected] / [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7cf409-d756-4c2d-bdd8-8b556d22e8a6

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9411305

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudi Arabia returns to the London Design Biennale 2025 with an exhibition entitled Good Water, from 5–29 June 2025 at Somerset House. Commissioned by Saudi Arabia’s Architecture and Design Commission, this year’s pavilion is curated by design collective including Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif, who bring together their multidisciplinary backgrounds in architecture, design and the arts, for an exhibition that questions, disrupts, and reimagines systems of access and distribution of water, and our relationship with it.

The curatorial concept of Good Water responds to this year’s theme for the London Design Biennale, ‘Surface Reflections’, which explores how ideas are fuelled by our internal experiences, external influences and personal histories. The Saudi Pavilion is defined by a sabeel – a free water fountain, a symbol of hospitality deeply rooted in the Saudi Arabian tradition. Traditionally, these fountains are scattered across the country, providing water to passersby embodying a communal ethos of generosity. Yet, within the context of this exhibition, the sabeel is no longer just a gesture of goodwill, but a question: Who pays for ‘free’ water? What does it truly cost? And, crucially, if the burden falls on someone else, does it not, in some form, cost everyone?

The sabeel, as a concept, carries a deep contradiction: while it offers water freely, the reality is that the water is not free at all. Every sip is made possible by a complex system of labour, energy, and economics. Potable water is extracted through costly processes, imported in plastic bottles, or transported through networks that demand maintenance and oversight. The cost is distributed across various actors – governments, corporations, workers – but ultimately, it is a cost that all must bear. Even those who do not pay for water directly still share in its long-term consequences. The sabeel in the pavilion, therefore, is more than a functional object: it is a symbol of interdependence. It highlights the tension between generosity and cost, between access and consequence.

The Saudi National Pavilion is a flagship initiative of the Architecture and Design Commission, supported by the Ministry of Culture, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to contributing to international design discourse and promoting sustainable, innovative solutions.

The press kit is HERE.

For information contact:

Anastasia Lander
Pelham Communications
[email protected] 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f11301a5-c6f1-4cba-81d8-65b5bfcd50d3

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9411242