Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, is the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale exhibition, organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the city of Jeddah, in western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from January 25– May 25, 2025, under the slogan “And All That Is In Between”, which appears in several places in the Holy Quran and illustrates the greatness of the Creator as perceived and felt by humankind.

Works of the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, through its platform, contributed to hosting and encouraging dialogue, alongside expanding knowledge of Islamic arts, by providing opportunities for contemplation, research, and learning in different fields. It also included the presentation of historical artefacts from various Islamic cultures, as well as works of contemporary art, with the aim of exploring faith-based meanings, in addition to learning about modes of creative expression and providing a specialized platform for artists to explore themes concerned with faith, identity, and the intersections between the present and the past, while supporting cultural ties and introducing Islamic arts and culture to the world.

Participating entities in the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 attracted a number of artists and international institutions, who presented their own collections of rare holdings, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the aesthetics of Islamic arts from different eras.

International participating institutions include: the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Louvre Museum (Paris), the Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), the Ahmed Baba Institute (Timbuktu), and the Süleymaniye Library (Istanbul). Saudi institutions include: the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries (Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah), the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – Ithra (Dhahran), and King Fahd National Library (Riyadh), in addition to displaying holdings and artworks from the cities of Makkah al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. 

Sections of the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 comprised seven sections distributed across exhibition halls and outdoor spaces, with a total area estimated at around 100,000 m2, namely: 

- Section One (The Beginning): presented a collection of artefacts and historical pieces from the cities of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, including an old gilded wooden pulpit—steps for the Holy Kaaba—a large Quran manuscript, and the covering of the Holy Kaaba, in addition to contemporary artworks such as a work titled “Before the Last Sky”, a work titled “Memory of Becoming”, and another titled “Between Every Sky”. The section also pointed to Jeddah’s geographical location and historical standing as a transit station towards the holy sites.

- Section Two (The Orbit): focuses on the impact of Islamic culture on sciences and arts across the ages, through the display of rare holdings provided by museums, libraries, and international cultural institutions, specifically from twenty-one countries around the world, including items used in astronomy and navigation, and maps of rivers and oceans. It also includes contemporary artworks commissioned specifically by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, with the aim of presenting a comprehensive narrative that highlights the pivotal role of numbers and abstraction in Islamic arts and cultures. Among the artworks are: a movable historic mihrab, a noble Quran manuscript, the manuscript “Al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyah bil-Manah al-Muhammadiyah”, al-Idrisi’s silver world map, another map of the Nile River, a contemporary installation inspired by a rare dish, a tray inlaid with silver and copper, a glazed ceramic vessel, and the neck of one of the Alhambra vases. Installation works include the suspended dome titled “Echoes of the Sky”, a display model of shadow puppets, and a Mamluk carpet. 

- Section Three (The Collector): concerned with the aesthetics of Islamic arts. Among the pieces included in the section are: a jewel-encrusted bird, a royal robe, a luxurious metal dish, a velvet textile panel, a Mamluk vessel, a dagger with its sheath, and a rare war mask made of silver.

- Section Four (The Canopy): the outdoor spaces hosted The Canopy section, which includes a collection of artworks inspired by the concept of the garden across the eras of Islamic civilisation. The section comprises four interactive paths, offering an opportunity to explore, alongside encouraging thinking, learning, and discussion around contemporary environmental and social concepts. Among the works included are an artwork titled “May God place you in Paradise”, a mashrabiyah titled “When We Used to Welcome the Wind”, and an interactive installation titled “Between Sacred Cities (Darb Zubaydah)”.

- Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Pavilions: two permanent pavilions for Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, through which they present human stories and rare holdings that highlight the spiritual character and civilizational heritage of the two cities. The Makkah Pavilion includes an artwork titled “Magnetism”, while the Madinah Pavilion includes curtains for the Prophet’s Mosque and an artwork titled “Mishkat”.  

-  The Prayer Hall: an international architectural competition aimed at designing a prayer hall with an exemplary space for prayer and contemplation; the winning design was built in the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Events of the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 presented a cultural programme that included a series of events throughout the exhibition period, including lectures, community initiatives, workshops, and seminars, in addition to opening programmes such as: Biennale After School and Biennale After Work, to explore the arts through practical workshops during weekdays, supporting creativity and contemplation.

Figures for the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 included around five hundred historical pieces and contemporary artworks, displayed in five main halls and outdoor spaces, with the participation of around thirty artistic and cultural institutions from twenty-one countries around the world. Thirty contemporary artists also presented around twenty-nine new works commissioned specifically by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.