Saudi artists step into the global spotlight
From Rome to London and Paris, Saudi artists explore family history, folklore and changing landscapes.
Welcome to AL-MONITOR Riyadh. As attacks on Saudi Arabia disrupt daily life and force cultural and entertainment events to be canceled or postponed, Saudi artists and galleries are continuing to present their work abroad. This week, we follow them to Rome, London and Paris, with a look ahead to the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi in November. We also stop at Maiz in Diriyah, where the menu celebrates the kingdom’s regional cuisines. If you want to receive this newsletter or our other City Pulse editions — including Dubai, Istanbul and Doha — sign up here. Happy reading, Rebecca P.S. Have feedback or tips on Riyadh's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com. |
1. Leading the week: ‘Let Us Love This Distance’ |
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Sara Brahim at Fofof in Rome. (Sara Brahim and Forof) Saudi artist Sara Brahim is presenting a site-specific work at Forof, a cultural space and art gallery in Rome that merges ancient Roman archaeology with contemporary art. "Let us Love the Distance" places the body at the center of our relationship with the world, perceiving it not just as a biological container that reflects and shapes our identities, but as an active producer and generator of our personal and collective reality. Brahim’s installation leads visitors from Forof’s ground floor into an underground space containing the remains of the Basilica Ulpia, part of Trajan’s Forum in Rome. The basilica once housed ceremonies in which enslaved people were legally granted their freedom. The immersive work explores the connections between the body, water and the surrounding space. It draws on the remains of the basilica, built by Emperor Trajan in the second century AD, where water has helped preserve the vivid colours of the marble floor. Brahim has created a well set into the floor, drawing on documents from her father’s archive to weave her family’s history into the installation The installation, created from videos and photographs, is participatory and invites visitors to throw a stone into the well, triggering a luminous and sonic response that transforms the gesture into a moment of listening, intimate contemplation and collective action. Dates: Oct. 26, 2026 - July 27, 2027 Location: Fofof, Palazzo Roccagiovine, Foro Traiano, 1, Rome Find more information here. |
2. Word on the street: Maiz |
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An exterior view of Maiz’s outdoor terrace amid architecture incorporating traditional Najdi style design. (Maiz) If you’re craving Saudi cuisine in an upscale venue, be sure to head to Maiz on Bujairi Terrace. Located in the historic town of Diriyah, the restaurant presents the country's diverse culinary heritage through a curated menu representing dishes from all 13 Saudi provinces. Dishes to try include the lamb mantu's expertly steamed dumplings that incorporate historical Silk Road influences; hashi or camel steak, a signature dish using tender, locally sourced camel; saleeg with chicken, a rich, creamy rice dish cooked in broth and milk from the Hijaz region; aish bil laham, a crispy Najdi-style puff pastry pie filled with seasoned minced meat; and najil fillet, a fish dish made from the fresh Red Sea grouper known as Najil, delicately marinated with spices and herbs and served on traditional sayadyah rice with rich tahini sauce. Don’t forget to try the freshly baked artisanal breads paired with local honeys and dips. Location: Al Bujairi Terrace, Diriyah, Riyadh Find more information here. |
3. Riyadh diary |
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Asma Bahmim, "Untitled," 2025. (Asma Bahmim and Athr)
For the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi, Athr and Galleria Franco Noero present a joint booth centered on Emirati artist Rami Farook. Through a participatory Public Viewing Room, Farook transforms the space into a tactile, relational performance shaped by the rhythms of the fair. Athr also explores contemporary Gulf art through five Saudi artists: Asma Bahmim reinterprets miniature painting while Daniah Alsaleh layers geometry onto Saudi landscapes, Abdullah AlOthman constructs domestic archives in wood and metal, Basmah Felemban traces a five-generation tribe via gouache and Hatem Al Ahmad explores how human practices reshape urban landscapes. There is also a dedicated spotlight honoring rare works by the late pioneering female Saudi artist Mounira Mosly. Dates: Nov. 19-22 Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Both D16, Abu Dhabi Find more information here.
Saudi multidisciplinary artist Mohammed Alfaraj is presenting his first institutional solo exhibition in Europe, "The Heart is a Bird's Nest, the Brain is a Spider Web," at London’s Delfina Foundation. Curated by Aaron Cezar, the show reflects on Alfaraj’s previous artist residencies at the foundation in 2018 and 2023. Spanning installation, film, sculpture, photography and drawing, the works on view blend folklore, social rituals and the artist’s upbringing in Saudi’s Al-Ahsa oasis in the eastern province to explore fragile ecological networks and the crucial bonds between humans, plants and animals. Dates: Until Nov. 22, 2026 Location: Delfina Foundation, London Find more information here
Saudi visual artist Ayman Zedani is presenting a solo exhibition "In the Bellies of the Rocks" as part of Paris International, a cutting-edge art fair taking place simultaneously to Art Basel Paris. Commissioned as part of AlUla's Cultural Season in Paris, this immersive installation combines a two-channel video work with newly unveiled sculptural interventions, the work is derived from Zedani's residency in AlUla and blends architectural 3D renderings, archival footage and speculative science fiction. The project aims to craft a fictional narrative that takes another look at ancient Arabian landscapes and archaeological histories. The work will be placed prominently at the fair’s entrance, making a grand statement and invitation to international audiences to explore human-nature symbiosis and the ecological future of the Gulf. Dates: Oct. 20-24 Location: 187–189 Quai de Valmy, 75010, Canal Saint-Martin, Paris Find more information here. |
4. Book of the week: ‘Saudi Arabia’s Transformation’ |
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This book by Saudi businessman Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed provides a timely, data-backed examination of the kingdom’s fast-paced pivot to diversify its economy from a reliance on oil. Published by Routledge and released in March to coincide with the milestone 10th anniversary of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Rasheed’s book explores Saudi Arabia's vibrant and rapid quest for socio-economic transformation from a regional and global context. |
5. View from Riyadh |
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An 18th-century palace built from mud and straw in the historic district of Diriyah on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh is pictured in this photo taken May 25, 2022. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) |
6. By the numbers
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