The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the full list of participating artists for the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which will open to the public on January 30, 2026, at the JAX District in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh.
Led by Artistic Directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed, the 2026 edition is titled ‘In Interludes and Transitions’, and brings together more than 65 artists representing over 37 countries.
The Biennale will present more than 22 new commissions, spanning visual art, music, film, architecture, and literature.
Set against the backdrop of Diriyah, home to At-Turaif, the Unesco World Heritage Site and birthplace of the First Saudi State, the Biennale takes movement, migration, and transformation as its central themes. These ideas serve as a lens through which the exhibition explores the historical and contemporary connections between the Arab region and the wider world.
Taking place in the rapidly evolving JAX District, the Biennale foregrounds artistic practices that reflect continuity, resilience, and collective imagination at a time of global uncertainty. With scenography by acclaimed Italian design studio Formafantasma, the exhibition is conceived as a choreographed journey where histories, ancestral memory, sound, movement, and landscape intersect.
Artists participating in the 2026 edition include Pacita Abad, Etel Adnan, Samia Halaby, Raven Chacon, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Raqs Media Collective, Elias Sime, Faisal Samra, Thảo Nguyên Phan, Rajesh Chaitya Vangad, and many others, representing a wide range of generations, geographies, and disciplines.
Speaking about the upcoming edition, Artistic Directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed said the Biennale arrives at a moment when the role of art feels increasingly urgent. “Participating artists and our curatorial team have immersed themselves in the layered histories of the Arab region and the rapid transformations reshaping it,” they noted. “We see the Biennale as an invitation to think rhythmically — to approach time as layered, pulsating, and collectively embodied.”
Aya Al Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, said the exhibition reflects a broad spectrum of voices and practices. “We are proud to convene such a diverse group of artists in Diriyah, representing many generations, regions, and disciplines. The Biennale offers audiences a rich experience shaped by a wide range of perspectives and narratives.”
The curatorial team also includes Maan Abu Taleb, May Makki, Kabelo Malatsie, and Lantian Xie, with Milan-based architect Sammy Zarka serving as Associate Architect and Exhibition Designer.
Rooted in the Biennale’s curatorial concept, In Interludes and Transitions draws inspiration from nomadic traditions of encampment and travel in the Arabian Peninsula, proposing the world as a series of processions shaped by trade, migration, exile, and exchange. By harnessing synergies between visual art, music, poetry, and performance, the Biennale positions art as a powerful tool for preserving collective memory, fostering dialogue, and imagining hopeful futures.
The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global cultural hub, reinforcing Diriyah’s place as a site where heritage, contemporary creativity, and international exchange converge.
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