Noor Riyadh, has found its place among celebrations around the world as per the Director of Riyadh Art Program Architect Khalid Al-Hazani.
He indicated that the main goal of Noor Riyadh, currently in its second edition, was to make Saudi Arabia's capital city to be a meeting place for artists to present the results of their creativity.
Eng. Al-Hazani made the remarks while speaking to Saudi Gazette on the sidelines of the pre-opening of Noor Riyadh. The Saudi capital has officially been illuminated with the launch of the second edition of Noor Riyadh.
The biggest edition of the light and art festival, which is held under the theme “We Dream of New Horizons”, will last for 17 days, providing opportunities for art lovers and those who look for unique works of art to visit the exhibition and discover the ideas behind each piece of art. The current edition of Noor Riyadh distinguishes itself by the fact that event has tripled compared to the first edition with more than 130 artists from 40 countries taking part with over 190 of their artworks.
Eng. Al-Hazani confirmed that 55 artworks are displayed for the first time in Riyadh in the second edition of Noor Riyadh, which is considered a great achievement. The creative industry and the creative economy is one of the goals of Riyadh Art. Today, such events and the artistic movement encourage businessmen to invest in the fields of art, and in the field of industries that artists need, he noted.
After the huge success of the first edition of Noor Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed that the second edition of Noor Riyadh to be larger, including more artworks and covering a greater area of the capital. The city of Riyadh has a population of more than 7 million.
Al-Hazani pointed out that 40 locations in the city were covered by the artworks of Noor Riyadh from north to south, and east to west, in five main venues: The Diplomatic Quarter (DQ), King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), Salam Park, JAX District – a new creative zone in the capital city, and King Abdullah Park.
The artworks are distributed among different locations across the city requiring the individual visitors to move around and visit all places. "This is the idea of diversity, which gives visitors the opportunity to move freely and enjoy the artworks," Al-Hazani said.
Al-Hazani confirmed that the percentage of Saudis participating in the second edition of Noor Riyadh has exceeded the target. He pointed out that this intellectual movement and the exchange of ideas contributed to the artists being influenced by each other
The event is characterized by the fact that the artists will sculpt in open air, giving visitors the opportunity to see a simple rock being transformed into a piece of art.
Al-Hazani said the event is accompanied by cultural activities, similar to the activities that will be held in the second edition of Noor Riyadh. More than 500 events ranging from tours to talks, workshops, family activities, volunteering programs and live musical concerts are lined up.
These activities and workshops would enrich the artistic movement in Saudi Arabia, he said, adding that the creativity that the city's residents witness will widen their tastes. This in turn will reflect on future generations, contributing to raise creativity in Riyadh and the Kingdom as a whole, he said.
