DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA, October 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Established in 2020 by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) will host a biennale every year, alternating between the Contemporary Art Biennale to be held in Diriyah and the Islamic Arts Biennale to be held in Jeddah. DBF launched Saudi Arabia’s first-ever art biennale, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, from December 2021 to March 2022 in the JAX district of Diriyah.

DBF is proud to announce the participating artists and highlight the breadth of institutional loaned historical objects in the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale to be held at the iconic Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah from 23 January to 23 April 2023.

Led by a team of renowned curators Sumayya Vally, Dr. Julian Raby, Dr. Saad Alrashid and Dr. Omniya Abdel Barr under the theme of Awwal Bait (translated as First House), the Biennale invites visitors to embark on a multisensory journey guided by a never seen before interplay of contemporary artwork commissions and important historical objects, expertly crafted together through scenography designed by the distinguished architectural studio OMA.

Commenting on this seminal moment in Saudi Arabia’s cultural history, Farida Alhusseini, Islamic Arts Biennale Director, said ‘With the inauguration of the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah we look forward to the future of Islamic arts, while also reflecting on its rich and diverse past. By bridging craftsmanship and academia with continuing practices of artistry and creativity we hope that this edition, and future editions to come, will create space for new perspectives to be voiced and unexpected connections to inspire and generate meaning.’

Reflecting on the centrality of the Ka‘bah to the lives of Muslims around the world and offering a multidisciplinary celebration of what it means to be a Muslim, both in the past and today, the theme of Awwal Bait unfolds across two complementary sections; Qiblah (Sacred Direction) intricately revealed throughout the galleries and Hijrah (Migration), which is embodied by the large-scale outdoor installations under the iconic Hajj Terminal canopy.

Participating artists, along with others to be revealed, are as follows: (listed alphabetically by surname):

Igshaan Adams
Leen Ajlan
Reem Al Faisal
Adel Al Quraishi
Noura Al Sayeh
Sarah Alabdali
Rund Alarabi
Nora Alissa
Moath Alofi
Nasser Alsalem
Farah Behbahani
Sultan Bin Fahad
M'barek Bouhchichi
Sarah Brahim
Bricklab
Lubna Chowdhary
Civil Architecture
DAL - Digital Arts Lab
Abdelrahman Elshahed
Alia Farid
Basmah Felemban
Iheb Guermazi
Haroon Gunn-Salie
Ziad Jamaleddine / L.E.FT Architects
Hamedine Kane
Idris Khan
Yasmeen Lari
Huda Lutfi
Taus Makhacheva
Ahmed Mater
Haroon Mirza
Joseph Namy
Moataz Nasr
Beya Othmani
Yazid Oulab
Shahpour Pouyan
Kamruzamman Shadin
Wael Shawky
Dima Srouji
Studio Bound
SYN Architects
James Webb
Ayman Yossri-Daydban
Ayman Zedani

The world’s first-ever Islamic Arts Biennale will be located under the canopy of the prestigious Western Hajj Terminal, which was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1981 and was the recipient of the 1983 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. There will also be a purpose-built 70,000 square meter venue with facilities to include exhibition spaces, a theater, a mosque, workshops, and classrooms dedicated to programming, as well as retail and dining.

This new venue made possible through cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and relevant entities as a means to cement the Hajj Terminal’s position as a hub for celebrating Islamic arts and culture.

Established in 2020 by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) will host a biennale every year, alternating between the Contemporary Art Biennale and the Islamic Arts Biennale. DBF developed Saudi Arabia’s first-ever art biennale, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, held from December 2021 to March 2022 in the JAX district of Diriyah; and a second biennale inaugurated in 2023 will be focused on Islamic arts. The Contemporary Art Biennale was one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most significant international displays of contemporary art to date, providing a platform for discovery and connection to Saudi Arabia’s cultural scene and creative communities.

The mission of DBF in establishing the first Islamic Arts Biennale is to celebrate and enrich the cultural and artistic exchange between Saudi Arabia, as the birthplace of Islam, and Muslim communities across the globe.

Rasim Alhussaini
Ministry of Culture
ralhussaini@moc.gov.sa