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Riyadh lights up with citywide art festival

Saudi Arabia's first annual Noor Riyadh art festival has brightened Riyadh with light-based installations across the city.
A light installation spelling out "Riyadh" is seen in this undated image from the Noor Riyadh festival.

In JAX, formerly the industrial area of Ad-Diriyah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, now one of the city’s budding creative districts, is a monumental vessel that appears to have arrived from outer space. It is filled with several large piles of steel wool onto which are placed abstract sculptures made from shredded steel.

At 28 meters in length and 4.5 meters in height, the vessel’s large presence is foreboding. "The Mind Ship Exodus" by Saudi artist Muhannad Shono features black heaps of steel illuminated by projected video, creating playful patterns and movement across the terrifying structure.

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