The world's largest light art festival is back! From November 28th to December 14th, the fourth Noor Riyadh Festival (Noor Riyadh Festival) has the theme of Light Years Away. The organizers stated that the theme was inspired by the connection between "Arsala" (Earth) and "Alturaya" (Sky). "This theme explores how we connect the everyday world with our aspirational vision, transforming Riyadh into a city of light, art and inspiration," they added.
18 artists from Saudi Arabia and 43 foreign artists presented 60 art works, including sculptural light installations and laser shows by artists such as Ali Alruzaiza and Javier Riera, spread across three areas of Riyadh: King Abdulaziz The historic center serves as a symbol of the city's past and bright future, where tradition and innovation coexist; Wadi Hanifa provides a tranquil and natural backdrop; Jacks District becomes an interactive space where art, digital creativity and technology seamlessly merge to drive light of borders as an artistic medium.
HIGHER POWER
Chris Levine
"HIGHER POWER" won the Gillies Record: the longest distance of laser light in a laser show. In order to be visible across the city, the newly commissioned work carefully orients and positions light to follow the spiritual lines that connect ancient landmarks across the planet.
From the top of the 267-meter-tall Fesalia Tower, straight beams of light complement the building’s sweeping edges, and the projections will convey a Morse code message of hope and unity. As the colored beams arc over the city, it reminds viewers of the potential light has to bring peace, hope and positive change.
CORAL DREAMS
Refik Anadol
CORAL DREAMS is an artificial intelligence data sculpture that visualizes massive images of corals, highlighting the fragile beauty and urgent plight of marine ecosystems. By transforming approximately 100 million raw coral images into fluid, dynamic visuals, the artwork immerses viewers in a digitalized marine environment, evoking the vibrant yet fragile world of coral reefs.
Through its vivid representation, CORAL DREAMS aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on coral death and drive home the need for environmental action.
Alone Together
UVA (United Visual Artists)
Alone Together is an immersive installation that uses light beams to engage with the audience in unexpected ways.
The installation points its moving lights at its random visitors, tracking them in the open-air arena of the King Abdul Abdullah Historic Center. Custom tracking systems give the system a life of its own, allowing the beam to highlight individual, sometimes unpredictable behaviors based on a variety of factors.
By inviting onlookers to create an ever-changing and unpredictable interplay with the installer, Alone Together provokes reflections on the ever-changing relationship between loneliness and connection.
THE GREAT INDECISION COUNCIL
Romain Tardy
THE GREAT INDECISION COUNCIL is a minimalist audio-visual installation that displays our most searched words on the internet on a large light and sound sculpture.
By showcasing real-time local search terms from Google and Google News, this piece explores how big data is integrated into our lives.
The installation consists of a 25-meter-wide lightweight aluminum structure, with each lattice module lined with LED tubes. Visitors are invited to enter the heart of the work and observe the dynamic interplay of light, complete with an immersive sound system and computer-generated chants.
NAJM
Stefano Cagol
NAJM is an installation similar to the canopy structure of Mughanas. Inspired by the stars and their ancient role in navigation, the work honors natural light sources by transforming itself into a starry sky.
NAJM is made of lightweight aluminum and is manufactured by Kagel on the plains of the Hanifakh River. The wrinkled dome is deliberately bent into an irregular shape that looks like a fractured, multi-pointed star from below.
At night, its jagged underside captures ambient light, bringing the night sky closer to visitors, while during the day, its reflective surfaces reflect sunlight in infinite directions. Viewers are invited to stroll under this zenith and gaze at the "stars" within arm's reach, inspiring dreamers to accept a perspective beyond the universe.
AETHER
UVA (United Visual Artists)
AETHER is a performance art piece made up of 1,500 drones, inspired by ancient concepts of hidden forces that influence our world.
The seven-minute drone performance draws on the Pythagorean concept of "universal music" - translated as the music of the spheres - meaning the planets create a higher form of sound that is inaudible to human ears. AETHER thus embodies the silent harmony of stars and planets, bringing the invisible to stunning effect.
AETHER turns the city sky into a living canvas, revealing the hidden energies that connect us to the universe. The structures of these drones resemble light-woven fabrics, revealing the delicate balance between order and chaos, illustrating the interplay of forces that shape reality. The work’s combination of light, sound and movement invites viewers to experience unseen beauty and contemplate the silent music of the universe.
SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES
Maryam Tariq
SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES is a digital artwork about shattering prejudice and approaching people and situations through an empathic lens. Inspired by the concept of perceptual ambiguity, the work demonstrates how distance can provide new perspectives on a problem that may initially seem unclear.
The installation consists of large pixel screens on which abstract images appear blurry, as if viewed from close up. The artist uses a 20th-century halftone printing technique to create pixelated images using dots of varying shades and patterns.
As visitors move around or step back, images on the screen become clear, evoking a eureka moment.
The work encourages us to step back in life, both physically and metaphorically, to see the bigger picture, inspiring viewers to perceive people from different perspectives so that we can better understand each other in an increasingly isolated world.
ALDWA ALSAEL
Lachlan Turczan
The artwork is part of the artist's Veil series, which explores light as sculpture. The work features three planes of light, or "veils", glowing over the Hanifach River - these lights are created through water vapor in the air.
This effectively transforms light into a physical object, allowing it to be perceived in a new three-dimensional form. The water below creates an evolving surface that interacts with the light plane above. The artist uses this interplay to connect the elements of water and sky, creating a visual connection that invites the viewer to consider the interconnectedness of the natural world.
THE FIFTH PYRAMID
Rashed AlShashai
"THE FIFTH PYRAMID" won the Gillies Record: the largest pyramid sculpture made of recycled materials. The work explores Saudi Arabia's rapidly growing creative industry through the idea of deconstructing the pyramid.
Unlike ancient monuments as we know them, the pyramids of Arshahai are split down the middle, revealing a bright purple-red path that lights the way to a bright future. Vibrant colors draw attention to the courage required for bold change.
By dissecting traditional symbols of stability, the installation invites audiences to consider how the Kingdom is reforming existing frameworks to pave the way for a new economy based on knowledge and sustainability.
Ovoid
Y
SpY's ovoid installation "Ovoid" hangs under the Wadi Hanifah Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, emitting a dazzling red light. The 35-meter-tall installation occupies the urban landscape with a surreal presence, activating and transforming it into a site of sensory interaction that challenges our perceptions of scale, space and movement.
The work takes on an egg-shaped form, symbolizing the first refuge where life begins, where maternal love is expressed in its purest form. Its monumental form engages viewers in a conversation about scale, materiality and perception from every angle, with light constantly changing their perception of the space.
As the viewer approaches, the ovoid body is revealed, able to combine an overwhelming physical experience with a profound sense of intimacy. Viewed from a distance, the structure of the light appears to increase as it reflects onto the water below. This optical illusion got the curious public thinking about how our identities are always shaped by the flow of life.