Culture

“And all that is in between”: Diriyah Biennale Explores Faith and Creation

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced “And all that is in between” as the title for the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale. This grand exhibition will open its doors from January 25th to May 25th, 2025, in Jeddah, a city that has long served as a meeting point for cultures. The event will be held at the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, a site imbued with memory and emotion for millions of Muslim pilgrims embarking on their sacred journeys to Mecca. Through a striking juxtaposition of historical objects from Islamic cultures and contemporary art, the Biennale will delve into how faith is experienced, expressed, and celebrated through feeling, thinking, and making.

Led by Artistic Directors Julian Raby and Amin Jaffer, in his ongoing role as Director of The Al Thani Collection, and Abdul Rahman Azzam alongside Saudi artist Muhannad Shono as Curator of Contemporary Art, the Biennale will offer unique insights into the enduring power of culture amidst the transformations taking place today in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition will foster dialogue between historic and contemporary works, both within the galleries and in outdoor spaces. The Biennale’s location at the Western Hajj Terminal further strengthens its connection to Islamic heritage and faith.

The title, “And all that is in between,” originates from a verse that appears several times in the Quran: “And God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in between.” This verse beautifully encapsulates the absolute and all-encompassing majesty of God’s creation as perceived and experienced by humankind. Across five exhibition halls and outdoor spaces, featuring over 500 objects and contemporary artworks, the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale will explore how humanity seeks to understand the wonder of God’s creation.

H. H. Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, emphasized the transformative power of the arts in building a vibrant, thriving society. “Through its impactful initiatives, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation remains dedicated to nurturing creative expression, arts and culture, and to enriching the global artistic landscape,” he stated.

Prince Badr added, “Building on the remarkable success of the inaugural edition, the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale comes with greater ambition, expanded partnerships and a diverse selection of artistic and cultural institutions, patrons, as well as artists from Saudi Arabia and countries that have rich Islamic culture and traditions.”

Prince Badr expressed his hope that the Islamic Arts Biennale will lead to a deeper understanding of the significant influence that Islamic arts have had globally since the rise of Islam until the present day. He added that the Biennale will continue to be a trusted platform for the arts of Islamic civilization, both past and present, paving the way for future practices and fresh discourse for generations to come.

Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, stated, “The arts of Islamic civilization, both contemporary and historic and that have been made in or inspired by Islamic communities around the world, have influenced cultural discourse for centuries until today. With an unwavering purpose to craft perspectives, we are proud to announce the growth of the Islamic Arts Biennale in its second edition, evident through its expert curatorial leadership, and in the participation of world-leading institutions and artists coming together as part of an outstanding program that will cement the Biennale as a global platform for cultural exchange and a reference point for new research into the field.”

In its second edition, the Biennale presents significantly more works and welcomes a larger number of participating institutions, solidifying its position as the world’s central platform for Islamic arts. The exhibition will showcase loans from leading institutions of Islamic arts around the world, from Tunis to Tashkent, and from Timbuktu to Yogyakarta. This global network of institutions offers a broad perspective on Islamic arts, past and present, and opens new avenues for dialogue and collaboration. Valued historical artifacts, religious objects, and works of art have been loaned from major institutions including the Louvre Museum (Paris) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), as well as collections devoted specifically to Islamic arts and cultures, such as the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research (Timbuktu), the Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), and the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye (Istanbul). The Biennale also brings together leading institutions from across Saudi Arabia, including the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) (Dhahran), the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries (Madinah), and the King Fahad National Library (Riyadh), and offers visitors a chance to see objects and works of art that come from the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah.

The Biennale will feature new commissions from over 20 artists from Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf region, and beyond, including Nour Jaouda, Charwei Tsai, and Fatma Abdulhadi. These commissions highlight the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s commitment to providing a global stage for Saudi artists, and to bringing artists from around the world to Saudi Arabia so that local audiences can encounter compelling practices and diverse perspectives in contemporary art.

The Islamic Arts Biennale will be comprised of seven distinct components (AlBidaya, AlMadar, AlMuqtani, AlMathala, Makkah al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, and AlMusalla) spread across different galleries and outdoor spaces, covering 100,000 square meters of dedicated exhibition space.

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