Monday, December 16, 2024 The Biennale is held in the western hall of pilgrims at King Abdulaziz International Airport. It is under the theme "And Everything Between Them" that the second edition of the Islamic Art Biennale will open its doors from January 25 to May 25, 2025, in the western terminal for pilgrims at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
This airport, which received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, holds a special place in the hearts of millions of pilgrims who pass through Jeddah to go to Mecca to perform the rites of Hajj and Umrah. For centuries, Jeddah has been the meeting point of many cultures that travelers from around the world bring with them.
The expression Wa Ma Bainahuma (and all that is between them) is mentioned several times in the Quran, as in the verse: "Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them." The Biennale will therefore be a reflection on this verse through its five pavilions, which will showcase more than 500 pieces of ancient and contemporary Islamic art. "Art has a transformative power to build a dynamic and prosperous society." "Thanks to the support that Saudi Arabia provides for empowerment and cultural sectors, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation is working to promote culture and art and enrich the global artistic scene through its high-value initiatives," stated the Saudi Minister of Culture and President of the Curatorial Council of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud.

Renowned international institutions will participate in the Biennale, such as the Louvre (Paris), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Ahmed-Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research (Timbuktu), the Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), and the Süleymaniye Library (Istanbul), as well as numerous institutions from Saudi Arabia, such as the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture "Ithra" (Dhahran), the King Abdulaziz Library (Medina), and the King Fahd National Library (Riyadh).

The Biennale also offers a rare opportunity to see objects and artworks from Mecca and Medina. This edition of the Biennale will showcase contemporary artworks specially commissioned by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. These works were produced by more than 20 artists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, and the rest of the world.
The list of participating artists includes many prominent names, such as Nour Jaouda, Charwei Tsai, and Fatma Abdulhadi, which demonstrates the Foundation's commitment to highlighting Saudi artists on the international stage and attracting artists from around the world to the Kingdom, so that the local and international public can discover the diverse perspectives of contemporary art.
Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Islamic Art Biennale is held every two years. It serves as a platform to welcome and encourage dialogue and, above all, to discover Islamic art through research, reflection, and learning in various fields. The first edition organized in 2023 under the theme "Awal Beit" (the first house, referring to the holy Kaaba in Mecca) was a great success, welcoming over 600,000 visitors.

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