King Abdulaziz Historical Center Shines Bright as a Key Hub for Noor Riyadh 2024 Festival

King Abdulaziz Historical Center (KAHC) continue to captivate visitors as one of the three hubs of Noor Riyadh 2024, the world’s largest light art festival. Showcasing cutting-edge installations and thought-provoking artworks by renowned Saudi and international artists, this year’s festival theme, Light Years Apart, illuminates the intersection of heritage, innovation, and cultural exchange.

Located in the heart of Riyadh’s Al-Murabba district, King Abdulaziz Historical Center is a landmark of Saudi heritage and culture. The area is home to significant historical sites, including the Murabba and Al-Hukm Palaces, which have shaped the Kingdom’s identity and governance. This historic setting offers a fitting backdrop for a diverse range of artworks that seamlessly blend tradition with contemporary artistic expression.

Featured Artists and Artworks

Saudi Artists:

• Rashed AlShashai presents The Fifth Pyramid, a monumental installation made of green petrochemical shipping pallets. This striking deconstructed pyramid, split by a glowing fuchsia path, symbolizes Riyadh’s transformation from an oil-based economy to a global hub for arts and innovation.
• Ali AlRuzaiza debuts A Part of a Human Life, a digital projection mapping installation that animates his symbolic paintings on the walls of KAHC. The work invites viewers to reflect on the human experience through a mesmerizing blend of colors and textures.
• Najla Alqubaisi introduces The Sound of Millstone, an audiovisual installation inspired by traditional Najdi folk songs. Projected onto sand, this dynamic artwork uses AI-generated visuals to recreate the rhythmic labor and enduring legacy of women’s cultural contributions.

International Artists:

• Random International engages visitors with Alone Together, an interactive light installation that tracks individuals within KAHC’s open-air space. This evocative piece explores the tension between solitude and connection in the digital age.
• Refik Anadol unveils Coral Dreams, a data-driven AI sculpture that transforms millions of coral reef images into a vibrant digital ocean. The artwork highlights the urgent need for climate action through its immersive visuals.
• United Visual Artists (UVA) showcases Aether, a kinetic installation where light and sound converge to create a dynamic sensory experience. Drawing on philosophical and scientific principles, the work encourages introspection on time and perception.
  Experience this mesmerizing artwork daily until December 14, with performances at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM, each lasting 7 minutes.

About the King Abdulaziz Historical Center

A beacon of Saudi culture and history, the King Abdulaziz Historical Center embodies the Kingdom’s rich heritage while connecting it to modern artistic narratives. The Murabba Palace, built in the 1930s by King Abdulaziz, once served as a hub for decision-making and governance, while Al-Hukm Palace stands as a testament to Najdi architectural traditions.

As Noor Riyadh transforms this historic site into a vibrant stage for artistic expression, visitors can experience the profound dialogue between past and present, culture and innovation.

Noor Riyadh 2024 launched on November 28 and runs through to December 14, 2024, featuring over 60 artworks by more than 60 artists from 18 countries.

Join us at King Abdulaziz Historical Center to experience an extraordinary journey through light, art, and culture at Noor Riyadh festival, open daily from 6 pm to 1 am.

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For more details, visit noorriyadh.sa or follow the festival on Instagram at instagram.com/noorriyadhfestival

For more information regarding Riyadh Art and Noor Riyadh contact:
Riyadh Art Media Center: [email protected] 

-Notes to editors-

About Noor Riyadh
Noor Riyadh is a citywide annual festival of light and art which launched in March 2021. Noor Riyadh includes a festival along with a public program of community activities featuring educational workshops, talks and creative experiences. Noor Riyadh is the largest light art festival in the world.

Noor Riyadh combines the highest quality light artworks from leading international and Saudi artists, across the largest city footprint of any light art festival worldwide. Staged under Riyadh Art, the festival aims to nurture local talent and inspire youth to drive Saudi Arabia’s creative economy.

Website: http://noorriyadh.sa
Instagram: @noorriyadhfestival
X: @NoorRiyadhFest
Facebook: @NoorRiyadhFestival

Noor Riyadh is presented by Riyadh Art and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

About Riyadh Art
Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, is on a 10-year mission to become one of the world’s most livable and competitive cities, a global center which is open for business and that welcomes the world. With a young and rapidly growing population of 7+ million residents, Riyadh is transforming into a vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis.

Art and culture reflect the spirit of a city. That’s why the Riyadh Art project has been developed to turn the whole capital into a creative canvas – a gallery without walls – to enrich lives, ignite creative expression and kindle the creative economy. Riyadh Art is a demonstration of the open, accessible and creative transformation of the capital, where the exchange of ideas through creative expression develops a deeper sense of mutual understanding and respect.

The Riyadh Art project will have a positive impact on people, bringing everyday moments of joy to residents and visitors alike, while instilling a greater sense of civic pride and creating a more beautiful city for everyone to enjoy. It will also spark the development of the new creative economy and have a positive effect on attracting new businesses to invest in the city.

Website: www.riyadhart.sa
Instagram: @riyadhartofficial
X: @Riyadh_Arts
Facebook:  @RiyadhArtOfficial