Visual Arts Commission

Inaugural Art Week Riyadh to Debut With 45+ Galleries, Invited Collections, Public Program Of Talks & Citywide Participating Exhibitions

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission unveils the program and participants for its inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, 6–13 April 2025. The event takes place across key cultural sites, including JAX District (JAX) and Al Mousa Center among other locations across Riyadh, bringing together leading local, regional, and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts. It is a non-commercial initiative that builds on the foundations of a dynamic art community to cultivate a collaborative landscape where the visual arts will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Held under the theme At The Edge and helmed by a curatorial team including Vittoria Matarrese, Artistic Director and Curator; Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, Associate Curators; and Shumon Basar, Curator - Public Program, the event delves into the dynamic essence of Riyadh, highlighting its vibrant cultural landscape and growing presence on the global art stage.

Art Week Riyadh is headquartered in JAX, where the flagship exhibition At The Edge brings together 45+ local, regional, and international galleries, each presenting curated selections that collectively explore the evolving cultural dialogues between Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and the global contemporary art scene:

At Riyadh’s Al Mousa Center, 15+ galleries will present exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh, highlighting pioneering artists and emerging talents from the region and abroad:

JAX will host three exhibitions under the title Collections in Dialogue by invited collections from Ithra, Art Jameel and the Saudi Research and Media Group, offering a rare and expansive insight into Saudi’s evolving cultural identity, while emphasizing the critical role of collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.

A series of high-profile talks and workshops at JAX will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and around the world today. Curated by Shumon Basar and entitled How to Art World? Lessons in Value, the program will include contributions from partners such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Gagosian.

A Moving Image program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore personal, cultural and social narratives, featuring works by Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai and Hashel Al Lamki.

At JAX, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono, amongst other artists, will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present exhibitions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibitions, Art of the Kingdom and Adaptability Ceramics, workshops and pop-ups.

Across the city, Riyadh’s newest museums and art hubs will welcome visitors for special programming - The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Shamalat., Hewar Gallery, and the studios of artists Ali Al Ruzaiza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Abdullah AlOthman and others - offering an opportunity to reflect on how Riyadh’s past and present converge, shedding light on the dynamic transformation of the city.

Press Enquiries:

Rania Habib / Zara Doshi: rania@pelhamcommunications.com / zara@pelhamcommunications.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d7cf409-d756-4c2d-bdd8-8b556d22e8a6