RIYADH: The annual Noor Riyadh, the region’s largest international festival of light and art, has announced its list of participating artists as it prepares for the 2025 launch that will run from Nov. 20-Dec. 6. Curated by Mami Kataoka, Li Zhenhua, and Sara Almutlaq, the show will include 60 artworks by 59 artists representing 24 nationalities, with 35 newly commissioned pieces.The festival, which takes place in various hubs across Riyadh, is defined by its artists’ ideas, courage, and vision, according to Nouf Almoneef, festival director of Noor Riyadh. Each work captures the city’s momentum through light, reminding us that creativity is a universal language that connects cultures and inspires dialogue.The 2025 curatorial theme, “In the Blink of an Eye,” reflects the rapid transformation shaping Riyadh. The festival will present work responding to the theme by leading international and local artists, including Saad Al-Howede, Monira Al-Qadiri, Abdulrahman Al-Soliman, James Clar, Ivana Franke, fuse, Ayoung Kim, Shinji Ohmaki, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Muhannad Shono.A special installation will be dedicated to the work of the late Safeya Binzagr (1940–2024), a leading figure of Saudi Arabia’s modern art movement and the first female Saudi artist to hold a solo exhibition in 1968. Light is both a medium and a metaphor for transformation, said curatorial advisory lead Mami Kataoka. “In the Blink of an Eye” reveals how quickly perception can shift — offering a moment to pause within the momentum of change and see beauty in what is constantly evolving.The 2025 festival is led by an international curatorial team that brings together distinct perspectives on contemporary culture, connecting Riyadh’s historical heart to its modern skyline and metro network. The show invites audiences to encounter light as a medium for perception, memory, and momentum.The festival’s program will have Noor Riyadh unfold across six locations this year: Qasr Al-Hokm District, King Abdulaziz Historical Center, stc Metro Station, KAFD Metro Station, Al-Faisaliah Tower, and JAX District. Held under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Art, Noor Riyadh aims to transform the Kingdom’s capital city by sparking creativity and enriching daily lives.Since its inception, Riyadh Art has showcased more than 550 artworks by 500 Saudi and international artists, attracting more than 9.6 million visitors and spectators through its major programs. The full list of the festival’s 2025 participating artists includes: Addie Wagenknecht (US), Abdulrahman Al-Soliman (Saudi Arabia), Abdelrahman Elshahed (Saudi Arabia), Ahmad Angawi (Saudi Arabia), Alex Schweder (US), Alexandra Gelis (Colombia and Canada), Ayoung Kim (South Korea), atelier oi + WonderGlass (Switzerland), Christian Partos (Sweden), Christophe Berthonneau (France), dies_ (Italy), Saad Al-Howede (Saudi Arabia), Edwin van der Heide (Netherlands), Encor Studio (Switzerland), Fatma Abdulhadi (Saudi Arabia), Francesco Simeti (Italy), fuse (Italy), Guillaume Cousin (France), Hmoud Alattawi (Saudi Arabia), Iregular (Canada), Ivana Franke (Croatia), James Clar (Philippines and US), Karolina Halatek (Poland), Khalid Zahid (Saudi Arabia), Kurt Hentschlager (Austria), Laszlo Zsolt Bordos (Hungary), Loris Cecchini (Italy), Marnix De Nijs (Netherlands), Michelangelo Pistoletto (Italy), Mohammed Farea (Saudi Arabia), Monira Al-Qadiri (Kuwait), Muhannad Shono (Saudi Arabia), n + n Corsino (France), Nebras Aljoaib (Saudi Arabia), Obaid Alsafi (Saudi Arabia), Otolab (Italy), Plastique Fantastique (Germany), Random International (UK), Rejane Cantoni (Brazil), Robert Seidel (Germany), Roman Hill (US and France), Ryoichi Kurokawa (Japan), Safeya Binzagr (Saudi Arabia), Saeed Gebaan (Saudi Arabia), Shinji Ohmaki (Japan), Shiro Takatani (Dumb Type, Japan), Shun Ito (Japan), Six N. Five (Ezequiel Pini, Argentina), someform Studio (Germany), Studio Above&Below (UK), Tonoptik (Russia), Traumnovelle (Belgium), Vali Chincisan (Romania), Wang Yuyang (China), Wu Chi-Tsung (Taiwan), Zeitguised (Germany), Zhang Zengzeng (China), Zheng Da (China), and Ziyad Alroqi (Saudi Arabia).