RIYADH: The 2026 edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale — “In Interludes and Transitions,” which opens Jan. 30 — will bring together more than 70 artists, and include more than 20 new commissions at JAX, Diriyah’s creative district.
The title comes from a colloquial Arabic phrase that refers to the cycles of encampments and journeys in nomadic communities across the Arabian Peninsula, reflecting the movements, migrations, and transformations that continue to connect the Gulf region with the world.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale Artistic Director Nora Razian. (Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation)
“There’s also this very contemporary conversation we’re presenting to complement that sentiment,” artistic director Nora Razian tells Arab News. “I think COVID changed the way people work, but I also think the whole ‘everything going digital and online’ has kind of faded away now and people are already craving the intimate conviviality of sharing an experience together.
“Of course, if you are Saudi you kind of know Diriyah, but it was always a little bit outside of the city. Now it’s very much integrated into the city, and the way that people think about the city. It’s become its own kind of place,” she continues.
