Planning a large-scale light show in the middle of a pandemic constitutes a small miracle

  The US curator Susan Davidson has pulled off a landmark light art show in Riyadh during the pandemic that showcases international light art from the 1960s and includes works from the most exciting artists working today in Saudi Arabia.

  The more contemporary female artist Anila Quayyum Agha’s piece “Hidden Diamond-Saffron” (2019) is also quite remarkable. Its yellow hue speaks to the colour of the desert landscape here in Saudi Arabia.

  Working with Saudi contemporary art expert Raneem Farsi, who co-curated the exhibition with me, has allowed us to showcase the most exciting artists working today in Saudi Arabia such as Manal Al Dowayan and Rashed Al Shashai. One of the highlights of the show is Ahmed Mater’s “Antenna (Green)”, a neon tube shaped into an antenna. The work is seemingly floating in the air and it speaks of Mater’s desire for connection and pursuit of knowledge.