Movement takes center stage at Diriyah Biennale

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

A flurry of cultural events and openings took over Saudi Arabia this past week. These included the opening of the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in the JAX District of Diriyah, Riyadh; the second edition of Sotheby’s Origins II auction also held in Diriyah, which resulted in several record-breaking sales for Saudi and Arab artists; and the opening of “Arduna,” marking the first exhibition of the upcoming AlUla Contemporary Art Museum. Developed in collaboration with Paris' Centre Pompidou, the exhibition features an impressive line-up of Saudi artists alongside major figures from 20th-century art, including Manal AlDowayan, Etel Adnan, David Hockney and Pablo Picasso.

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Rebecca

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1. Leading the week: Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale

In “Interludes and Transitions,” Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, installation view of Petrit Halilaj’s “Very volcanic over this green feather” (2021). (Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation)

The opening weekend of the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale kicked off with a bit of a surprise. Evocative of this year’s theme, “In Interludes and Transitions,” — which reflects ideas of movement across time, cultures and artistic production — a procession of Toyota pickup trucks, camels and musicians made its way through the dry riverbed of Wadi Hanifeh, behind the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. The procession culminated in the event’s main courtyard, where a rap performance by Saudi artist Mohammed Alhamdan, known as 7amdan, reflected the intersections between traditional Bedouin songs and Saudi popular culture.

Performance, both as a metaphor and as an act, is present throughout this edition of the biennale. The event’s title itself is inspired by a colloquial Arabic phrase that underlines the journeys and encampments of the region’s nomadic communities.

Curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed, the exhibition presents works by over 65 artists from more than 37 countries and takes place across five warehouse halls in the JAX District that make up the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. Divided into four thematic movements — A Hall of Chants, Disjointed Choreographies, A Collective Observation and A Forest of Echoes — the works on view span a variety of artistic media and reflect ideas of movement as a means of creating culture and community. This concept is further explored through a rich program of performances — gestures through physical movement and sound that reinforce the biennale’s theme.

In their opening speech, Ahmed and Razian described their curatorial process as offering perspectives from the region rather than about it. Expanding on this idea, Ahmed told Al-Monitor, “How does the world appear from here? It’s not just about a  perspective that is local, but rather how does the world appear [from the Arab Gulf], and it is through a network of all kinds of vectors — vectors that connect because of supply chains and commodities, and also because of people seeking refuge.”

The exhibition opens with a poetic large-scale installation by Petrit Halilaj’s “Very volcanic over this green feather” (2021), comprising dozens of suspended drawings created while the artist was living in a refugee camp during the Kosovo war. Other notable works include Gazan artist Hazem Harb’s “Gauze” (2023-24), where white medical dressings form intricate anamorphic figures that vaguely resemble mutilated bodies, evoking the genocide in the  Gaza Strip. Also on view is a video work of Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi, showing the artist running through the Tabuk desert. 

Date: until May 2

Location: Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Riyadh

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Liza Riyadh

A display of delicious Lebanese dishes at Liza, Riyadh. (Photo courtesy of Liza)

Beirut’s famed restaurant has opened a new outpost in the Saudi capital. Located in Al Bujairi, Diriyah, the new space features a warm, upscale design that reflects the restaurant’s Beirut roots and offers a generous selection of hot and cold mezze, Arabic grills, main specialties and desserts. Be sure to try authentic dishes such as the lahm mechoui, chicken freekah, kibbeh nayyeh and other Lebanese classics.

Location: 7194 Wadi Hanifah, Al Bujairi, Diriyah

Find more information here.

3. Riyadh diary

Pablo Picasso. “Le Printemps.” March 20, 1960. Arduna, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Centre Pompidou, Mnam-Cci, Paris)

• ‘Arduna’ exhibition marks first show of upcoming AlUla Contemporary Art Museum

Visitors to AlUla this week may be surprised to encounter a painting by Pablo Picasso alongside works by other major 20th-century artists in Arduna, an exhibition marking the first-ever show of the upcoming AlUla Contemporary Art Museum. Taking place in a temporary venue until the museum — designed by Lebanese architect Lina Gotmeh — officially opens, the exhibition represents a key milestone in the development of AlUla’s latest cultural initiative.

Arduna, which means “our land” in Arabic, features over 80 words by artists from Saudi Arabia, the wider Middle East and beyond, including Wassily Kandinsky, Manal AlDowayan, Ayman Zedani, Jean Dubuffet, David Hockney and Etel Adnan. Co-curated by AlUla Contemporary Art Museum and Paris-based Centre Pompidou, with the support of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), the exhibition is staged as part of the fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival 2026, an annual celebration of art, design and culture.

Date: until April 15

Location: Arduna, AlUla

Find more information here.

• ‘Remain’ by Nasser Al Turki

An impressive installation set to music unfolds in a warehouse in the JAX District of Diriyah, Riyadh, revealing dozens of sculptural forms made of branches and sheepskin. Created by Saudi artist Nasser Al Turki, the work is composed of elements that reflect both natural and human histories. Accompanied by an evocative musical score, the installation draws an analogy to the qirbah, a goatskin vessel traditionally used in Saudi Arabia to carry and store water, evoking ideas of life, care and survival.

Date: until April 30

Location: Zeer Studio, JAX District, Warehouse H17

Find more information here. 

• ‘It Felt Like Love to Me’ by Alaa Tarabzouni

This solo exhibition of works by Riyadh-based Saudi artist and architect Alaa Tarabzouni, curated by Emirati artist Rami Farook, explores ideas of loss, personal and collective care and the quiet, subtle process of staying present during times of intense change. Tarabzouni’s practice focuses on urban studies, structural environments and contemporary art in the Gulf. 

Date: until Feb. 13

Location: Jax district, Warehouse H15a

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: ‘Gulf’ 

Former associate dean of the arts for NYU Abu Dhabi, Mo Ogrodnik — now associate professor in the Undergraduate Film & Television Department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts —  weaves the poignant stories of five women from vastly different cultures and backgrounds as they navigate life and its challenges in the Arab Gulf states. The novel, published in 2025, examines what happens when a woman’s power is stripped away and how far she is willing to go to survive.

5. View from Riyadh

Safeya Binzagr’s “Coffee Shop in Madina Road” smashes its estimate to achieve $2.1 million in Sotheby’s second sale in the kingdom. (Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

Late Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr’s “Coffee Shop in Madina Road” not only surpassed its estimate but also achieved the third-highest price ever for a work by an Arab artist at auction. The record was set during Sotheby’s second sale in the kingdom, Origins II, which took place in Diriyah on Jan. 31, following the inaugural sale, Origins I, last year. 

6. By the numbers

• Sotheby’s second auction in Riyadh totaled $19.6 million, bringing the combined total for fine art offered in Origins I and Origins II to more than $32 million.
• All nine works by Saudi artists sold, achieving a combined total of $4.3 million — far the group’s pre-sale high estimate of $1.1 million.
• An untitled 1989 work by Saudi artist Mohammed Al Saleem, sold for $756,000, triple its estimate of $150,000-$200,000.