Noor Riyadh Celebrates 2.8 Million Visitors For Its Second Edition As Citywide Activations Wrap Up And Exhibition Continues To Delight

Noor Riyadh, one of the world’s most exciting festivals of light and art, celebrated its second edition with bigger and bolder figures. This year, the festival tripled in size, presenting over 200 artworks by more than 130 artists, providing moments of joy across the city.

In addition,Noor Riyadh 2022 welcomed 2.8 million visitors across its 40 citywide locations and five hubs, an impressive achievement that far surpasses the footfall of its inaugural edition in March 2021.

This year, the festival was held under the theme ‘We Dream of New Horizons’, which centered on a sense of hopefulness for the future, as well as confidence in renewal and transformation. ‘We Dream of New Horizons’ was curated byHervé Mikaeloff, Dorothy Di Stefano, and Jumana Ghouth, along with curatorial adviser Arnaud Morand.

The citywide Noor Riyadh 2022 included at least 90 new commissions from international and Saudi artists, such as Ahaad Alamoudi,Abdullah AlOthman, Daniah Al Saleh, Rashed AlShashai,Sarah Brahim, Daniel Buren, Bricklab,Douglas Gordon,Tadashi Kawamata, Alicja Kwade, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Muhannad Shono.

Guinness World Records

Noor Riyadh 2022 has proven to be record-breaking, awarded a total of six Guinness World Records™ titles, including the ‘Largest Light Art Festival’ with a total of 201 installations across the festival and exhibition, surpassing the minimum requirement of 185 installations.

Other new records include ‘Most Drones Performing an Aerial Dance Display’ for one of marc brickman’s unforgettable aerial installations that uses 1,990 drones as their medium. The choreographed drone displaythe order of chaos: chaos in orderfeatures a swarm of drones that moved in fluid choreography over the skies of King Abdullah Park.

The spectacular Pulse of Light by show designer Martin Arnaud is the reason behind two new records achieved: the ‘Largest Laser Show’ in terms of area covered and the ‘Longest Distance Covered by a Laser Light Show’.

The nightly show, which beamed laser light across King Fahad Road, connecting the city’s most recognizable skyscrapers, Kingdom Tower, Faisaliah Tower and Majdoul Tower with light, reached up to 14.4 million square meters, with lasers stretching 15 kilometers in distance, more than doubling the minimum requirements in place.

Pulse of Light is also the source of two record titles, specifically ‘Largest Mesh Screen on a Building’ and ‘Highest Mesh Screen on a Building’, for its installation on Kingdom Tower.

His HighnessPrince Badr bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture,Board Member of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Riyadh Art Program, commented: “The success of Noor Riyadh 2022 shows how visionary leadership can elevate arts and culture to new heights. Through the unwavering support of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s Board of Directors, the country’s culture sector will rise to the aspirations of Vision 2030. Fulfilling Riyadh Art’s aims, Noor Riyadh provides a platform for emerging and established artists to share their ideas here and beyond. To see a Saudi-created initiative break records and put the nation in the forefront of the global art scene as the largest light art festival in the world, creates a moment of pride.”

“Through the continued efforts of all our partners, such initiatives will cement our place within the international cultural landscape,” he added.

‘From Spark to Spirit’ Exhibition

With the citywide festival ending on Saturday, November 19, Noor Riyadh will continue its programming through the world-class exhibition ‘From Spark to Spirit’, curated by Neville Wakefield and associate curator Gaida AlMogren.

The exhibition traces the role of light as a signal for change, exploring themes such as the ‘Technologies of Light’, ‘Architectonics of Light’ and ‘Consciousness of Light’. Using the Light and Space Movement from the 1960s in California – which reflected changes in the established order –  as a reference point, ‘From Spark to Spirit’proposes how light and art can offer ways to think through the rapid cultural transformations shaping the Middle East.

The show includes works by 30 artists, including Doug Aitken, Zeinab Alhashemi, Zahrah Al Ghamdi, Refik Anadol, Larry Bell, Jim Campbell, John Edmark, Phillip K. Smith III, Diana Thater, Haroon Mirza and Theories of Imagination.

‘From Spark to Spirit’ runs until February 4, 2023, accompanied by a series of talks, workshops, and community engagement programs for audiences of various ages and interests.