RIYADH: The second edition of the “Noor Riyadh 2022” (Light of Riyadh) celebration will start on November 3rd. Over 100 artists from over 40 countries around the world will participate in the celebration, entitled “We Dream of New Horizons”, which will last until November 19th. 34% of these will be Saudi artists. The Noor Riyadh celebration is one of the “Riyadh Art” programs. This was announced by King Salman on March 19, 2019 in the presence of Crown Prince Amir Mohammed bin Salman.
It aims to transform the city of Riyadh into an open-air art gallery that blends tradition and modernity. This celebratory event is in line with the goals of the “Vision 2030” programs to promote the arts among Riyadh city residents and visitors. As part of this, a three month special exhibition will be held at the “Jax Area” in Dariya. The exhibition will begin on November 3 and will continue until February 4, 2023. The exhibition will present visitors with an artistic experience of creative transformation of light in the past and in the future.
Amir Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, Board Member of the Riyadh City Royal Commission and Chairman of the Riyadh Art Program Steering Committee, said “Noor Riyadh” is an annual celebration that aims to support the creativity and to embrace national and international talents in the sector. The Noor Riyadh Festival aims to create inspiring opportunities for Saudi artists to showcase their work and creativity with the participation of some of the world’s leading fine arts artists.
This year’s celebration will be different from last year with an increase in the number of artists participating in the celebration. Also this time the number of artistic and creative works has been increased. The number of premises has tripled. The Minister of Culture also said that the number of programs and partnerships and community programs involved has been increased.
The title “We dream of new horizons” symbolizes the optimism and confidence in the transformation and innovation that the country is witnessing in various sectors. “Noor Riyadh Celebration” will offer different experiences in 40 locations. The minister said the celebration will include more than 500 different programs, including various artworks using lights, light patterns and art and culture seminars.
