The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale returns in 2026 with a theme that treats art as something constantly in motion. Titled In Interludes and Transitions, it runs from 30 January to 2 May 2, at the JAX District in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The third edition of the Biennale brings together artists, performers, writers, and musicians from around the world to explore how ideas, cultures, and stories travel across time and place.
The Biennale, a large-scale contemporary art exhibition held every two years, draws its poetic framework, In Interludes and Transitions, from a phrase rooted in nomadic life, referring to the moments of pause and movement between one settlement and another. Rather than focusing on destinations, the theme centers on the journey itself, and the shifts, crossings, and in-between states that shape human experience.
It reflects a world defined by circulation: of people, of sounds, of languages, and of memories.
The curatorial concept imagines the world as a continuous procession, where winds carry voices, rhythms migrate across borders, and cultural practices transform as they move. Within this framework, art transforms into something that can be heard, felt, and encountered in motion, creating an exhibition that unfolds like an experience rather than a static display.
This sense of movement is embedded in the structure of the Biennale itself. Staged across the industrial spaces of the JAX District, the exhibition is designed as a fluid experience that visitors move through, echoing the theme of transition. More than 70 artists are participating, with over 20 new works commissioned specifically for this edition, many of which engage with time-based practices such as live performance, music, and storytelling.
The Biennale is led by artistic directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed. Razian, Deputy Director and Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at Art Jameel, brings a strong background in interdisciplinary and research-driven exhibitions, often bridging contemporary art with historical and social narratives.
Ahmed, a curator and cultural theorist based in the UAE, is known for his work on global modernisms and the circulation of ideas across geographies.
They are joined by a diverse curatorial team that includes Maan Abu Taleb, founder of the influential Arabic music platform Ma3azef, whose work foregrounds sound, voice, and cultural memory; curator and writer May Makki, whose practice spans media and performance art; Kabelo Malatsie, former director of Kunsthalle Bern, known for his experimental approach to exhibition-making; and artist and curator Lantian Xie, whose work often blurs boundaries between disciplines.
The spatial and architectural experience of the Biennale is shaped in collaboration with architect and exhibition designer Sammy Zarka, ensuring that the physical environment reflects the conceptual flow of the exhibition.
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