A biennale is a snapshot of a moment in time–a proposition for how the present might be understood in the future. Offering multiple perspectives and assembled on a short timeline, it remains open-ended, leaving conclusions to the visitor. In this regard, AlMadar, “The Orbit,” is an outlier in the biennale sphere. It brings together works of art from various historical periods, collaborating with museums, libraries, and cultural institutions that traditionally reflect upon ideas and art from the past. AlMadar challenges and redefines the definition of a biennale. Rather than capturing the moment when artworks were created, it focuses on the moment when they are viewed, offering insights into contemporary perspectives on Islamic art. It also interrogates the field itself—how does the biennale framework disrupt traditional approaches to Islamic art, and what is its relevance in the 21st century? Each iteration of AlMadar, drawing on the diverse views and experiences of the curatorial team, will propose fresh answers to these questions.
In this edition, the scope of AlMadar has expanded significantly from its 2023 beginnings. What initially aimed to gather collections from around the world in a single exhibition space has evolved into a much broader and deeper initiative. AlMadar now seeks to serve as a catalyst and hub for thought-provoking dialogue, the exchange of practices, and innovative research. AlMadar has already seen the growth of partnerships between its participating institutions in terms of both capacity-building and curatorial projects, an accomplishment upon which AlMadar aspires to build in the coming years.
In this expanded vision, diverse representation is essential. Recognizing that regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern and Southeastern Asia are often overlooked in traditional canons of Islamic art, we actively sought museums and institutions whose collections reflect these varied local histories. This approach honors the richness and variety that have continually shaped Islamic art and culture. After months of discussions with colleagues across many countries, the final participant list—comprising over 30 institutions from over 20 countries—is both intentional and serendipitous. It includes institutions from the first edition, alongside new partners drawn to this pioneering venture and able to meet the flexible demands of a biennale schedule.
To bring together the contributions from so many institutions, a unifying theme was essential. The concept of the Art of Numbers emerged as a trajectory connecting the great Muslim minds of the past with the creative possibilities of generative AI. This idea expanded into a broader exploration of what numbers signify in both fundamental and material ways. Numbers are simple in their complexity and complex in their simplicity–universally understood yet elusive in their depth. They are primordial, forming part of creation’s underlying design and bridging the earth and cosmos. Numbers have also been fundamental to Islamic art, shaping centuries of creation. Sometimes their presence is overt, expressed in visible patterns; at other times they lie hidden in subtle geometry or underlying structures.
AlMadar did not prescribe a specific interpretation of the theme of numbers for its participants. The only guideline was to showcase each institution’s works individually, in line with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s vision to highlight the multifaceted international presence in Jeddah. We encouraged each institution to focus on a central idea as the core of their presentation, allowing for imaginative responses grounded in their unique collections. From the initial proposals, certain common threads emerged: numbers as expressed in the natural world, as guides in orientation, or as markers of time. Other themes included human uses of numbers, such as in currency, weights, geometry, mathematics, astronomy, symbolism, navigation, and design. These concepts could be grouped into two overarching categories: Comprehending the Order of the Universe and Reflecting Beauty & Harmony, aligning with the biennale theme: And All That Is In Between—wama bainahuma.
A workshop held in Riyadh in February 2024 brought together many participants and the AlMadar curatorial team to share perspectives on the exhibition’s narrative. Through these discussions, the idea emerged to create collaborative “islands” that would unite works from different collections, alongside the individual institutional displays. These islands enabled unique, in-depth storytelling, focusing on figures such as Abdulrahman al-Sufi and Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi, or reuniting materials from the same time and place, now dispersed across distant collections.
Within these themes, connections across the institutional responses began to crystallize into “clusters.” By grouping similar responses, a sequence emerged: Astronomy & Sciences, Faith & Practice, By Land & Sea, Line & Form, Symbol & Object, and, finally, Design & Structure. This sequence provides a navigational path through the presentations and the hundreds of objects now filling the exhibition. The array is dazzling, featuring a 8th-century AH/14th-century CE work on celestial physics near a constellation guide inspired by early Arabic poetry, an 11th-century AH/17th-century CE map of the Nile, a 4th-century AH/10th-century CE Tunisian Qur’an leaf endowed by a woman, and a 10th-century AH/16th-century CE architectural scroll from Bukhara.
We also selected a starting point: the first object that greets the visitor as they enter the AlMadar gallery is an astrolabe, a device that, in many ways, embodies the theme of numbers. Both functional and beautiful, this instrument was used to calculate planetary movements and determine direction. The exhibition culminates in the pairing of a ceiling and a carpet, united by their geometric designs—a fitting and symbolic reference to the heavens and earth, echoing the Qur’anic verse from which the theme of the Biennale is drawn.
Integrating contemporary works into the narrative was essential to emphasize that creativity transcends historical boundaries—what was once considered tradition is now part of contemporary expression, and today’s art draws deeply from that legacy. Islamic Arts Biennale Contemporary Art Curator Muhannad Shono and his team worked closely with the AlMadar curatorial team to identify artists whose work would resonate with the spirit of the exhibition. As a result, new commissions by Mehdi Moutashar, Charwei Tsai, and Timo Nasseri engage with the ideas explored in this edition in different ways. These contemporary works are positioned in a dynamic relationship with the historical objects, inviting reflection on the ongoing dialogue between past and present.
In AlMadar, Islamic art is framed in a classical sense; the types of historical objects on display will be familiar to visitors of Islamic art galleries worldwide, although some pieces are remarkable for their rarity and significance. Our location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, near the two Holy Sites, underscores the enduring relevance of Islamic art, particularly in this geographical context. As we have discussed before, presenting Islamic art outside this context often oversimplifies the manifold histories, languages, religious practices, and cultural traditions that shape it. However, within Saudi Arabia, the distinctive qualities of the many cultures across the “Islamic lands” are already apparent and recognized. Jeddah, as the gateway to Makkah, embodies this diversity. Welcoming millions of pilgrims from around the world, Jeddah both enriches and is enriched by the global exchange of cultures and traditions.
The Biennale breaks new ground by reimagining how Islamic art is presented. By incorporating historical objects into the dynamic and dramatic framework of a biennale, these works gain a newfound relevance, aligning with contemporary ways of engaging with—or consuming—art. The lessons of the past become more legible in this setting than in traditional museum contexts. Amid a broader shift of scholarly and curatorial influence toward the East, and with museums reconsidering how they interpret and present their collections, the Islamic Arts Biennale stands as an extraordinary model for what the future of art exhibitions could look like.
Expanding the representation of Islamic art to include the modern and contemporary eras is essential to this repositioning. While the classical and contemporary are often viewed as distinct poles, it is crucial to recognize that both have been nourished by centuries of continuous artistic and creative evolution. This continuity challenges longstanding narratives that speak of periods of decline or the so-called “closing of the gates” to innovation.
Our greatest successes this time lie in the formation of the exhibition itself. By rethinking how the narrative journey unfolds, incorporating the curatorial voices of participating institutions, and favoring a speculative approach over an authoritative one, we aimed to provide visitors with multiple avenues to interpret and experience Islamic art. The diversity and range of our participants have enriched our experience. For the participants, AlMadar has also been an invaluable opportunity to foster relationships, with the partnerships that have emerged standing as a significant outcome of the AlMadar enterprise.
Reflecting on the past months of discussion, engagement, travel, and experimentation, we wish to thank all of our colleagues in AlMadar, the curators and directors of the institutions who generously lent their extraordinary works to this exhibition and worked tirelessly with the AlMadar team as we jointly developed both the curatorial vision and ensured harmony amongst the participants. We would also like to thank the leadership of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, whose support and inspiration have so wisely guided this extraordinary journey.
Dr Abdul Rahman Azzam (Artistic Director)
Masa Al-Kutoubi (AlMadar Lead)
Dr Heather Ecker (Curator)
Dr Marika Sardar (Curator)