What to expect at Noor Riyadh 2024, dubbed 'the largest light festival in the world'

More than 60 works by Saudi and international artists will be decked across kingdom's capital for two weeks

Dialogue by Christopher Bauder featured at Noor Riyadh 2023 and broke the record for most lights used in a temporary light and sound show. Photo: Antoine Bernard

Noor Riyadh will be illuminating the Saudi capital this week.

Dubbed the largest light festival in the world, the event will be running from Thursday until December 14. More than 60 light-based artworks by Saudi and international artists will be decked across Riyadh, turning the city into a luminous gallery.

The fourth Noor Riyadh is being held under the theme Light-years Apart. It is being curated by Alfredo Cramerotti and Effat Abdullah Faddag.

The event comes as part of the Riyadh Art Programme, an initiative launched by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It is managed by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

The event this year features several new and returning artists, both from Saudi Arabia and abroad. These include Palestinian-Saudi artist Ayman Yossri Daydban, whose work spans several mediums and often tackles notions of identity and belonging. Italian artist Federico Acciardi, who lives in Riyadh, will also be presenting an installation. His work, which often fuses multimedia and sculptural elements, addresses the human relationship with nature.

American artist Lachlan Turczan will also be returning to the event. He draws inspiration from the 1960s Light and Space movement in Southern California, exploring the nature of human perception. Meanwhile, Saudi artist Maryam Tariq will be exhibiting a work that draws from her focus on light and 3D projection mapping.

Spanish urban artist SpY will be presenting a work that falls in line with his large-scale installations, which merges into cityscapes and beckon public engagement, while returning Turkish-American artist Refik Anadol often makes use of AI technology in his work to create shifting experiences of time and space. Similarly, UK artist Anna Ridler also utilises machine learning technology to explore the implications of AI.

The artistic duo A.A.Murakami, who live between London and Tokyo, will also be showcasing work. The pair, which includes Alexander Groves and Azusa Murakami, often make use of materials like fog, plasma and bubbles to create installation that are inspired by ancient structures and cave paintings.

Emirati artist Hashel Al Lamki will be exhibiting at Noor Riyadh for the first time. He is known for his multidisciplinary practice, often exploring topics of migration and urbanisation.

Other artists and collectives exhibiting at Noor Riyadh 2024 include UK artist Chris Levine, Italian studio Quiet Ensemble, Saudi artist Saeed Gamhawi, Dutch studio Vouw, Seoul-based collective Kimchi and Chips, Jeddah’s Third Space Studio, and French group Collectif Scale, among others.

As with every year, Noor Riyadh will be taking place in several venues across the capital. Previous iterations have showcased works at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifa, JAX District, Salam Park and Wadi Namar.

Noor Riyadh has set several Guinness World Records since its inaugural event in 2021. Polish artist Karolina Halatek’s Beacon set the record for the largest LED structure during the first event. The installation was made up of 272,160 LEDs and featured a pillar of white light with an opening that invited viewers within the sculpture.

Star in Motion by Belgian artist Koert Vermeulen also set the record for the brightest suspended ornament in 2021. The work featured an octagonal star shining on top of the Kingdom Tower. Last year, Desert Swarm by the Dutch studio Drift set the record for the largest drone swarm with a performance that featured 3,000 drones. Dialogue by German artist Christopher Bauder broke the record for most lights used in a temporary light and sound show. The installation featured 557 moving lights, four high power lasers and synchronised audio.

Noor Riyadh will run from Thursday until December 14