Noor Riyadh has announced the 59 participating artists for the 2025 festival, representing 24 nationalities, including 60 artworks and more than 35 new commissions in a celebration of light and art. The festival will take place from 20 November to 6 December 2025, under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Art.
This year’s curatorial theme, In the Blink of an Eye, reflects the rapid transformation shaping Riyadh. The festival will present work responding to the theme by leading international and local artists, including Saad Al Howede, Monira Al Qadiri, Abdulrahman AlSoliman, James Clar, Ivana Franke, fuse*, Ayoung Kim, Shinji Ohmaki, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Muhannad Shono, with a special installation dedicated to the work of the late Safeya Binzagr (1940 – 2024), a leading figure of Saudi Arabia’s modern art movement and the first female Saudi artist to hold a solo exhibition in 1968.
The 2025 festival is led by an international curatorial team that brings together distinct perspectives on contemporary culture: Mami Kataoka (Curatorial Advisory Lead; Director, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo), Riyadh-based curator Sara Almutlaq, and Li Zhenhua (Curator and founder of Beijing Art Lab). Their vision connects Riyadh’s historical heart to its modern skyline and metro network, inviting audiences to encounter light as a medium for perception, memory, and momentum. Their festival program will see Noor Riyadh 2025 unfold across six locations: Qasr Al Hokm District, King Abdulaziz Historical Center, stc Metro Station, KAFD Metro Station, Al Faisaliah Tower, and JAX District.
‘Noor Riyadh is defined by its artists: their ideas, their courage, and their vision,’ says Nouf Almoneef, Festival Director of Noor Riyadh. ‘Each work captures the city’s momentum through light, reminding us that creativity is a universal language that connects cultures and inspires dialogue.’
‘Light is both a medium and a metaphor for transformation,’ says Mami Kataoka, Curatorial Advisory Lead for Noor Riyadh 2025. “In the Blink of an Eye reveals how quickly perception can shift, offering a moment to pause within the momentum of change and see beauty in what is constantly evolving.’
Noor Riyadh echoes Riyadh Art’s mission to transform the city by sparking creativity and enriching daily lives. Since its inception, Riyadh Art has showcased more than 550 artworks by 500 Saudi and international artists, attracting more than 9.6 million visitors and spectators through its major programs.
Through each edition, Noor Riyadh transforms everyday spaces into extraordinary encounters, creating a sense of shared wonder across communities.
The full list of artists for Noor Riyadh 2025:
Addie Wagenknecht – USA
Abdulrahman AlSoliman – Saudi Arabia
Abdelrahman Elshahed – Saudi Arabia
Ahmad Angawi – Saudi Arabia
Alex Schweder – USA
Alexandra Gelis – Colombia & Canada
Ayoung Kim – South Korea
atelier oï + WonderGlass – Switzerland
Christian Partos – Sweden
Christophe Berthonneau – France
dies_ – Italy
Saad Al Howede – Saudi Arabia
Edwin van der Heide – The Netherlands
Encor Studio – Switzerland
Fatma Abdulhadi – Saudi Arabia
Francesco Simeti – Italy
fuse* – Italy
Guillaume Cousin – France
Hmoud Alattawi – Saudi Arabia
Iregular – Canada
Ivana Franke – Croatia
James Clar – Philippines & USA
Karolina Halatek – Poland
Khalid Zahid – Saudi Arabia
Kurt Hentschläger – Austria
László Zsolt Bordos – Hungary
Loris Cecchini – Italy
Marnix De Nijs – The Netherlands
Michelangelo Pistoletto – Italy
Mohammed Farea – Saudi Arabia
Monira Al Qadiri – Kuwait
Muhannad Shono – Saudi Arabia
n + n Corsino – France
Nebras Aljoaib – Saudi Arabia
Obaid Alsafi – Saudi Arabia
Otolab – Italy
Plastique Fantastique – Germany
Random International – United Kingdom
Rejane Cantoni – Brazil
Robert Seidel – Germany
Roman Hill – USA & France
Ryoichi Kurokawa – Japan
Safeya Binzagr – Saudi Arabia
Saeed Gebaan – Saudi Arabia
Shinji Ohmaki – Japan
Shiro Takatani (Dumb Type) – Japan
Shun Ito – Japan
Six N. Five (Ezequiel Pini) – Argentina
someform Studio – Germany
Studio Above&Below – United Kingdom
Tonoptik – Russia
Traumnovelle – Belgium
Vali Chincișan – Romania
Wang Yuyang – China
Wu Chi-Tsung – Taiwan
ZEITGUISED – Germany
Zhang Zengzeng – China
Zheng Da – China
Ziyad Alroqi – Saudi Arabia
Noor Riyadh 2025, In the Blink of an Eye, 20 November – 6 December. Find out more here.
