Noor Riyadh 2024: The World’s Largest Light Art Festival Returns to Ignite Riyadh with over 60 Installations by over 60 Local and International Artists

Ahmed Bin Abdulqader 

Under the umbrella of Riyadh Art, the world’s largest light art festival, Noor Riyadh, returns from November 28 to December 14, 2024, across three iconic hubs, King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah, and JAX District. The fourth edition of Noor Riyadh explores the theme Light Years Apart and showcases over 60 light-based artworks created by over 60 artists from 18 countries, transforming the city into a gallery without walls.

The 2024 edition of Noor Riyadh features 18 Saudi artists and 43 international artists, unveiling installations by artists including Saad Al Howede, Asmaa Aljohani, Anna Ridler, Jiyen Lee, Stefano Cagol, Krista Kim, Stanza, Javier Riera, Atelier Sisu, and Ryoji Ikeda.

Architect Khalid Al-Hazani, Riyadh Art program director, welcomed the opening of Noor Riyadh: “Noor Riyadh embodies Riyadh Art’s vision of transforming the city into a gallery without walls, where art and creativity are accessible to all. By bringing together a diverse collection of light-based artworks to public spaces, residents and visitors can experience the city in a new and inspiring way.”

Nouf Almoneef, festival director of Noor Riyadh, added: “Noor Riyadh continues to shine as a beacon of creativity and connection, turning our city into a living canvas. With a vibrant lineup of artworks and programs inspired by this year’s theme, Light Years Apart, I invite everyone to explore the magic of light and discover the stories the installations reveal across Riyadh’s iconic spaces.”

Presented by curators Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag and Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti, the theme Light Years Apart explores the profound connection between Althara (the earth) and Althuraya (the stars), examining humanity’s journey from its present realities to the pursuit of its greatest aspirations.

The installations will be showcased across three iconic hubs, each reflecting the historical and cultural significance of the capital. King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Riyadh’s foremost cultural landmark, creates a link between the past and the future, while Wadi Hanifah provides a natural environment. Known for its art studios and cultural projects, JAX District offers an interactive setting where artists and the public can engage with digital creativity, art and technology.

From the heart of Riyadh, Chris Levine’s Higher Power (2024) is a city-scale light installation projected from the top of the 267-meter-high Al Faisaliah Tower. Visible over the entire city, the newly commissioned work pulsates a message for the viewers in Morse code, symbolizing light’s potential to bring peace, hope and positive change.

Resembling a firework display, Daan Roosegaarde’s SPARK disperses thousands of biodegradable floating sparks that evaporate after briefly illuminating Wadi Hanifah. At Digital City, Shifting Perspectives by Saudi artist, Maryam Tariq, examines perceptual ambiguity with pixelated images that unravel and become clearer when viewed from afar, encouraging us to perceive people and situations from different angles for better understanding.

At King Abdulaziz Historical Center, London-based artist collective, United Visual Artists, displays their performative drone show, Aether, composed of 1,500 drones dancing through the sky in silent harmony. The hub also comprises The Fifth Pyramid by Saudi artist, Rashed AlShashai, which recreates the ancient structure by splitting it with an illuminated path to symbolize the reformation of past systems. The installation invites viewers to contemplate Riyadh’s ongoing transformation into an art capital.

During the festival, Noor Riyadh features an engaging community program with free workshops, talks, guided tours, family and kids’ activities across all three locations. From insightful panels with industry experts and Noor Riyadh artists, photography and mixed media workshops for adults to teaching children how to craft kaleidoscopes and create their own puppet show, the festival hosts a range of activities for creatives, art enthusiasts and budding little artists.

Noor Riyadh underscores Riyadh Art’s mission of transforming the Saudi capital into an open-air gallery. Since 2019, the Riyadh Art Program has presented over 500 artworks by more than 500 artists and attracted over six million visitors through its flagship festivals, Noor Riyadh and Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium. Noor Riyadh has achieved 14 Guinness World Records, cementing its reputation as the largest and most impactful light art festival in the world.

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For more details, visit noorriyadh.sa or follow the festival on Instagram at instagram.com/noorriyadhfestival

Artist  Country  Artwork title, year  Hub 
05.10 Studio  Saudi Arabia  Illuminated Souls  Wadi Hanifah 
A.A.Murakami  United Kingdom (Alexander Groves) 
Japan (Azusa Murakami) 
The Passage of Ra  Jax District 
Abdulrahman Taha  Saudi Arabia  Midwan – The Palm Forest  KAHC 
Ali AlRuzaiza  Saudi Arabia  A Part of a Human Life  KAHC 
Anna Ridler  United Kingdom  Circadian Nocturne  Wadi Hanifah 
Asmaa Aljohani  Saudi Arabia  Almajlis: The Woven Echo Jax District 
Atelier Sisu  Australia (the studio) 
Peru (Renzo B. Larriviere)  
Australia (Zara Pasfield) 
Evanescent  Wadi Hanifah 
Athar Alharbi  Saudi Arabia  Perceiving Saudi Culture  KAHC 
Ayman Yossri Daydban  Saudi Arabia  White Noise  Jax District 
Boris Acket  Netherlands  Sunbeam, Captured  Jax District 
Chris Levine  United Kingdom  Light is Love  Wadi Hanifah 
Chris Levine  United Kingdom  Higher Power  Faisaliah 
Collectif Scale  France  Flux  Jax District 
Daan Roosegaarde  Netherlands  SPARK Wadi Hanifah 
Ebtesam Saleh  Saudi Arabia  Shabbah  Wadi Hanifah 
Edoardo Dionea Cicconi  Italy  AKR III  KAHC 
Fahad Al Naymah  Saudi Arabia  Mangiah Wadi Hanifah 
Federico Acciardi  Italy  Choreography in the Void  Jax District 
Felix Frank  Germany  PULSE 3.0 KAHC 
Filip Roca  Based in Barcelona  The Stream  KAHC 
Hashel Al Lamki  United Arab Emirates  Bronze  Wadi Hanifah 
Hmoud Alattawi  Saudi Arabia  Energy of Vision  Wadi Hanifah 
Inside Out Project by JR  France  Inside Out Riyadh – Light Years Apart, 2024 Jax District 
Janez Grošelj  Slovenia  Alchemy of Atmospheres  KAHC 
Javier Riera  Spain  Places of Geometry and Light  KAHC 
Jiyen Lee  South Korea  Stain-Rainbow Forest 2.3  Jax District 
Jukan Tateisi and Takeshi Yasura  Japan and United States (Jukan Tateisi) 
Japan (Takeshi Yasura) 
Gravitation  Jax District 
Kimchi and Chips  South Korea and United Kingdom  Another Moon  Wadi Hanifah 
Koros Design Studio  Hungary  Connected  KAHC 
Krista Kim  Canada/Korea  Heart Space  Jax District 
Ksawery Komputery  Poland  FLUX Wadi Hanifah 
Lachlan Turczan  United States  Aldwa Alsael  Wadi Hanifah 
Marshmallow Laser Feast  Based in the United Kingdom  Distortions in Spacetime  Jax District 
Maryam Tariq  Saudi Arabia  Shifting Perspectives  Digital City 
Mathias Gramoso  France and Portugal  plagio.2  Jax District 
Najla Alqubaisi  Saudi Arabia  The Sound of Millstone  KAHC 
Nasser Al Turki  Saudi Arabia  Journey to the Light  Wadi Hanifah 
Nawaf Al Dohan  Saudi Arabia  Sukoon  Jax District 
Nick Verstand  Netherlands  AURA Jax District 
NONOTAK  France and Japan  DAYDREAM V.6 Jax District 
Quiet Ensemble  Italy  Solar Dust  Wadi Hanifah 
Random International  United Kingdom  Alone Together  KAHC 
Rashed AlShashai  Saudi Arabia  The Fifth Pyramid  KAHC 
Refik Anadol  Türkiye  Coral Dreams  KAHC 
Ricardo Morcillo  Spain  Beings of Light  KAHC 
Romain Tardy  France  The Great Indecision Council  Wadi Hanifah 
Ryoji Ikeda  Japan  mass  Jax District 
Saad Al Howede  Saudi Arabia  The Tapline  Wadi Hanifah 
Saeed Gamhawi  Saudi Arabia  Ala Wath Al Nega Wadi Hanifah 
Shuster + Moseley  United Kingdom  The Empty Mirror of the Sky  Jax District 
SpY  Spain  OVOID  Wadi Hanifah 
Stanza  United Kingdom  Out of Breath: A-Life Support Machine  Wadi Hanifah 
Stefano Cagol  Italy  Najm Wadi Hanifah 
Takayuki Mori  Japan  View Tracing #5 “LABYRINTH”  Jax District 
THIRD SPACE* Studio  United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia  From East to West and North to South  Wadi Hanifah 
TUNDRA  Based in France  ROW Jax District 
United Visual Artists  United Kingdom  Aether  KAHC 
Vincent Ruijters  Netherlands  Selintas Selalu  Jax District 
VOUW  Netherlands  Chairwave  KAHC 
Xavi Bové Studio  Spain  Phasing Rain  KAHC 
Yann Nguema  France  The Well of Life  KAHC 
Yusef Alahmad  Saudi Arabia  Metamorphosis  Jax District 

 

For more information regarding Riyadh Art and Noor Riyadh contact:
Riyadh Art Media Center: info@riyadhart.sa 

-Notes to editors-

About Noor Riyadh
Noor Riyadh is a citywide annual festival of light and art which launched in March 2021. Noor Riyadh includes a festival and world-class exhibition, along with a public program of community activities, featuring educational workshops, talks and performances. Noor Riyadh is the largest light art festival in the world.

Noor Riyadh combines the highest quality light artworks from leading international and Saudi artists, across the largest city footprint of any light art festival worldwide. Staged under Riyadh Art, the festival aims to nurture local talent and inspire youth to drive Saudi Arabia’s creative economy.

Website: http://noorriyadh.sa
Instagram: @noorriyadhfestival
Twitter: @NoorRiyadhFest
Facebook: @NoorRiyadhFestival

Noor Riyadh is presented by Riyadh Art and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

About Riyadh Art
Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, is on a 10-year mission to become one of the world’s most livable and competitive cities, a global center which is open for business and that welcomes the world. With a young and rapidly growing population of 7+ million residents, Riyadh is transforming into a vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis.

Art and culture reflect the spirit of a city. That’s why the Riyadh Art project has been developed to turn the whole capital into a creative canvas – a gallery without walls – to enrich lives, ignite creative expression and kindle the creative economy. Riyadh Art is a demonstration of the open, accessible and creative transformation of the capital, where the exchange of ideas through creative expression develops a deeper sense of mutual understanding and respect.

The Riyadh Art project will have a positive impact on people, bringing everyday moments of joy to residents and visitors alike, while instilling a greater sense of civic pride and creating a more beautiful city for everyone to enjoy. It will also spark the development of the new creative economy and have a positive effect on attracting new businesses to invest in the city.

Website: www.riyadhart.sa
Instagram: @riyadhartofficial
X: @Riyadh_Arts
Facebook:  @RiyadhArtOfficial

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