UNDER ONE SKY

Noor Riyadh’s 2021 theme, Under One Sky, alludes to the universal human impulse to gather around light, to look into the flames of a campfire and to gaze at the stars. While the theme in its English translation is instantly relatable to an international audience, the words in Arabic literally mean ‘we gather under one sky.’ This idea of togetherness becomes particularly resonant in light of the global pandemic.

Many light artists are essentially sculptors, creating three-dimensional public artworks that pulse with light and color. These singular objects can immerse the viewer in light, activate outdoor locations and gallery spaces, and transform architecture by bathing it in light.

For Noor Riyadh all works use light as way of offering viewers a meaningful experience, whether deep and contemplative or joyful and surprising. For artists, the theme Under One Sky was a source of inspiration and the result of many incredibly distinct original works of art that for three weeks can be seen proudly illuminating Riyadh much like the deep and multifaceted night sky.