The First Islamic Art Biennale 

The Diriyah Biennial Foundation (DBF) announced that the first Islamic Art Biennial will be held at the iconic Hajj terminal in Jeddah from Monday, January 23 to Sunday, April 23, 2023. 

The term ‘Biennnale’ is not new word to art enthusiasts and even though you’re not one, chances are the people around you must have said it. Most of us have known it through time to be a large-scale exhibition that happens every two years, where artists showcase their works and get an assertion that the world is noticing them.

This year, Saudi Arabia has decided to present some of the world’s leading artists through the Islamic Art Bienniale. The goal is to foster cultural exchange not only among the local communities, but also among international communities willing to put forward their artists. The 2023 Islamic Arts Biennial will feature some of the world’s leading artists. Prominent among them are 44 artists including Ahmed Mater and Sultan Bin Fahd, Egypt’s Huda Lutfi and Iran’s Shahpour Pouyan.

In addition, a number of pieces that were all inspired by the Ka’bah will be taken from the most esteemed national and international institutions. There will also be notable individuals from throughout the world, like researchers from the Smithsonian Institution in London and Washington.

The Islamic Arts Biennale juxtaposes contemporary art and historical artifacts as expressions of this sense of belonging—of being at “home,” both at a personal, human level, and on the scale of the infinite and eternal.

The theme of ‘Awwal Bait’, which means ‘first house’ in Arabic – one that aims to analyze how a sense of belonging is created among Muslims around the world when referring to home (bayt). In particular, it will focus on the connection between the Ka’bah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, which are common to all Muslims.

The first Islamic arts biennale in the world offers a philosophical and cultural examination of the artistic legacy of Islam. It is taking place at the Western Hajj Terminal of the city’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, which is used during the hajj for once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimages to Mecca.

As for the organization of the event, the Islamic Art Biennial will be divided into an indoor and an outdoor part. The former will have a special focus on sacred direction (qiblah), while the latter will mainly deal with migration (Hijrah).

The event will take place in the “Canopy Terminal,” a location with an impressive 70,000 square meters of exposition centers, including a theater, a mosque, laboratories, programming-focused schools, shops, and restaurants.

The public will also be involved in creative events like movie screenings, open mic and storytelling sessions, quiz nights, and opportunities to discuss fresh concepts with artists during coffee mornings the foundation will host. These creative experiences will be aimed at building new communities and networks.