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RIYADH: Some 2,000 colored drones formed a spectacular formation to electronic music over Riyadh’s King Abdullah Park on Wednesday to mark the opening of the second Noor Riyadh.

Entitled The Order of Chaos: Chaos in Order, American artist Mark Brickman’s work explores the impact of technology on humans through sound, light and movement.

The Kingdom’s annual light festival, Noor Riyadh, will feature over 190 installations created by some 130 Saudi and international artists from over 40 countries.

The three-week festival runs until November 19th and showcases works at 40 locations and five major locations: Riyadh’s Diplomatic District, King Abdullah Financial District, Salam Park, JAX District and King Abdullah Park .

Reflecting the optimism of renewal and transformation under the theme of “We Dream of New Horizons”, this year’s festival is co-curated by Hervé Mikaeluff, Dorothy Di Stefano and Jumana Goose.

The current edition, three times larger than the first staged in 2021, features artwork by over 60 Saudi and international artists and 33 lighting installations that explore the kingdom’s past and rapidly changing present. celebrated

Held under the auspices of Riyadh Art, Saudi Arabia’s first national public art initiative, part of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, the event’s mission is to transform the metropolis into a ‘gallery without walls’ .

The commission’s aim is to bring art to its growing population, beautify Riyadh and transform it into one of the greenest, livable and sustainable metropolises in the world.

Some of the notable works are ‘The Garden of Light’ projected onto the Diplomatic Quarter by Scottish-born Charles Sandison, emulating the virtual horizon created between history and the digital world. . Daan Roosegaarde’s ‘Waterlicht’ installation transforms water into light with dreamlike reflections, sending an eco-friendly message. The colorful ‘Cupid’s Koi Garden’ by the art company Enes can be seen at Salam Park.

The festival also features the breathtaking work of Saudi artist Muhannad Shouno, who transforms the surrounding area into bold and delicate structures at Beit Al Maraz, illuminating the surroundings with magical light.

King Abdullah Financial District has installations by Joel Adrianomerisoa, Tadashi Kawamata, Zineb Sedira, Douglas Gordon, Fabio Volpi, Vigas, Asaad Badawi and Jean-Michel Othoniel.

In the Diplomatic Quarter you can also find artworks and commissions by Saudi and international artists such as Grimanesa Amoros, Alisha Quaid, Danaia Al Saleh, Bertrand Lavier, Charles Sandison, Morgan Philippe, Ayman Yosri Deidvan, Flightgraf and more .

Khalid Al-Hazani, Program Director of Riyadh Art said:

Saudi architect and designer Nouf Al-Moneef, Noor Riyadh’s project manager, told Arab News:

“It has tripled in size since the first edition. Last year was about connecting and connecting under the same sky after the coronavirus pandemic, but this year we look to the future and the hope, the passion it offers I want to feel the excitement.

Al-Moneef has revealed that around 90 of the commissioned artworks will be safely stored under Riyadh Art for six months before being returned to the artists.

More than 500 events, including lectures, workshops, panel discussions and performances, are also planned to “enhance cultural vibrancy and social cohesion,” according to the exhibition catalogue.

The festival will run alongside the three-month art exhibition, From Spark to Spirit, which will run from 3 November to 4 February 2023 in JAX District, Riyadh. Curated by Neville Wakefield and Saudi Associate Curator Ghaida Al-Mogren.

The exhibition will feature works by some of the world’s greatest artists such as Larry Bell, Aricha Quaid and Philip K. Smith III, along with works by Humud Al Attawi, Zahra Al Ghamdi, Moss Alofi and Wallah Fadul. , and works by Saudi artists such as Danaia Al Saleh. It also features up-and-coming artists from the region, such as Emirati Zeinab Al Hashemi and Bahraini artist and architect Noor Al Wan.

This exhibition presents multimedia works that capture the fascination of humans with the mystery and power of light, with an emphasis on technology.

National and international tourists, eminent art curators, artists and professionals flock to see the work.

“We want everyone to experience this festival of lights. It covers all corners of the city, north, east, west, south, and we want everyone to experience it,” said Al- says Moneef.