Feeling the Stones: The First Diriyah Biennale

Han Mengyun, /The Pavilion of Three Mirrors /(2021). Oil on canvas, 3 
polished-steel pavilions, 17 × 11 m; steel pavilions

Han Mengyun, The Pavilion of Three Mirrors (2021). Oil on canvas, 3 polished-steel pavilions, 17 × 11 m; steel pavilions

Marwah AlMugait, /This Sea Is Mine /(2021). Live performance, 3-channel 
video installation, 13'42"

Marwah AlMugait, This Sea Is Mine (2021). Live performance, 3-channel video installation, 13'42"

Abdullah Al Othman, /Manifesto: The Language & City/ (2021). Neon, LED, 
found wooden signage, 8 × 5 m. Commissioned by Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Abdullah Al Othman, Manifesto: The Language & City (2021). Neon, LED, found wooden signage, 8 × 5 m. Commissioned by Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Ahmed Mater, /Desert Meeting /(2021). Video installation, motion 
photographs on five cathode-ray tube televisions, 130 × 60 × 43 cm. 
Courtesy the artist and Lakum Gallery

Ahmed Mater, Desert Meeting (2021). Video installation, motion photographs on five cathode-ray tube televisions, 130 × 60 × 43 cm. Courtesy the artist and Lakum Gallery

Bricklab and Mammafotogramma, /Through the Looking Glass /(2021). Murano 
glass and steel, dimensions variable

Bricklab and Mammafotogramma, Through the Looking Glass (2021). Murano glass and steel, dimensions variable

Dana Awartani, /Standing on the Ruins of Aleppo /(2021). Clay earth, 23.7 
× 13.5 m

Dana Awartani, Standing on the Ruins of Aleppo (2021). Clay earth, 23.7 × 13.5 m

Huang Rui, installation view from Diriyah Biennale. Left to right: 
/Seamstresses in a Street Production Unit /(1980), /Wall of 
Poets /(1981), /Cyclist /(1982), /Looking into the Distance /(1981). 

Huang Rui, installation view from Diriyah Biennale. Left to right: Seamstresses in a Street Production Unit (1980), Wall of Poets (1981), Cyclist (1982), Looking into the Distance (1981). 

John Gerrard, /Leaf Work (Derrigimlagh)/ (2021). Simulation, LED wall, 
polished-mirror pavilion, 400 × 400 cm. Courtesy the artist and PACE 
Gallery

John Gerrard, Leaf Work (Derrigimlagh) (2021). Simulation, LED wall, polished-mirror pavilion, 400 × 400 cm. Courtesy the artist and PACE Gallery

Larry Bell, /Iceberg/ (2020). French blue, capri blue, periwinkle, and 
turquoise laminated glass, 244 × 432 × 497 cm. Courtesy the artist and 
Hauser & Wirth

Larry Bell, Iceberg (2020). French blue, capri blue, periwinkle, and turquoise laminated glass, 244 × 432 × 497 cm. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Lawrence Lek, /Nøtel (Red Sea Edition)/, (2021). Open-world video game, 
gaming PCs, controllers, monitors, video loops, sound by Kode9. 6.4 × 6.4 × 
2 m. Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London

Lawrence Lek, Nøtel (Red Sea Edition), (2021). Open-world video game, gaming PCs, controllers, monitors, video loops, sound by Kode9. 6.4 × 6.4 × 2 m. Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London

Lulwah Al-Homoud, /The Language of Existence/ (2021). Etchings on plexiglass 
with encapsulated blue LED strips, 99 pieces, 30 × 40 cm each

Lulwah Al-Homoud, The Language of Existence (2021). Etchings on plexiglass with encapsulated blue LED strips, 99 pieces, 30 × 40 cm each

Sarah Brahim, /Soft Machines, Far Away Engines /(2021). Projection-mapped 
video performance, dimensions variable

Sarah Brahim, Soft Machines, Far Away Engines (2021). Projection-mapped video performance, dimensions variable

Simon Denny, /Real Mass Entrepreneurship /(2017-2021). Installation, 
locally sourced commercial display elements, airbrush and acrylic on 
synthetic plaster and wood, plexiglas, fluorescent lamps, 4K video. Courtesy 
the artist and Galerie Buchholz 

Simon Denny, Real Mass Entrepreneurship (2017-2021). Installation, locally sourced commercial display elements, airbrush and acrylic on synthetic plaster and wood, plexiglas, fluorescent lamps, 4K video. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Buchholz 

Tavares Strachan room at the Diriyah Biennale 2021-22, /EIGHTEEN 
NINETY /(2020). 

Tavares Strachan room at the Diriyah Biennale 2021-22, EIGHTEEN NINETY (2020). 

Wang Luyan, sculptures from 2010-2019. Installation view from Diriyah 
Biennale 2021-22.

Wang Luyan, sculptures from 2010-2019. Installation view from Diriyah Biennale 2021-22.

William Kentridge, /More Sweetly Play the Dance /(2015). 8-channel video 
installation with four megaphones, sound, 15'00"

William Kentridge, More Sweetly Play the Dance (2015). 8-channel video installation with four megaphones, sound, 15'00"

Zou Zhao, /Plain Sights /(2021). Performance, translucent glass, hats, 
furniture, structure, curtain, dimensions variable. All images: courtesy 
Canvas and Diriyah Biennale Foundation © Diriyah Biennale Foundation and 
the artists

Zou Zhao, Plain Sights (2021). Performance, translucent glass, hats, furniture, structure, curtain, dimensions variable. All images: courtesy Canvas and Diriyah Biennale Foundation © Diriyah Biennale Foundation and the artists

Han Mengyun, The Pavilion of Three Mirrors (2021). Oil on canvas, 3 polished-steel pavilions, 17 × 11 m; steel pavilions

Marwah AlMugait, This Sea Is Mine (2021). Live performance, 3-channel video installation, 13'42"

Abdullah Al Othman, Manifesto: The Language & City (2021). Neon, LED, found wooden signage, 8 × 5 m. Commissioned by Diriyah Biennale Foundation

Ahmed Mater, Desert Meeting (2021). Video installation, motion photographs on five cathode-ray tube televisions, 130 × 60 × 43 cm. Courtesy the artist and Lakum Gallery

Bricklab and Mammafotogramma, Through the Looking Glass (2021). Murano glass and steel, dimensions variable

Dana Awartani, Standing on the Ruins of Aleppo (2021). Clay earth, 23.7 × 13.5 m

Huang Rui, installation view from Diriyah Biennale. Left to right: Seamstresses in a Street Production Unit (1980), Wall of Poets (1981), Cyclist (1982), Looking into the Distance (1981). 

John Gerrard, Leaf Work (Derrigimlagh) (2021). Simulation, LED wall, polished-mirror pavilion, 400 × 400 cm. Courtesy the artist and PACE Gallery

Larry Bell, Iceberg (2020). French blue, capri blue, periwinkle, and turquoise laminated glass, 244 × 432 × 497 cm. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Lawrence Lek, Nøtel (Red Sea Edition), (2021). Open-world video game, gaming PCs, controllers, monitors, video loops, sound by Kode9. 6.4 × 6.4 × 2 m. Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London

Lulwah Al-Homoud, The Language of Existence (2021). Etchings on plexiglass with encapsulated blue LED strips, 99 pieces, 30 × 40 cm each

Sarah Brahim, Soft Machines, Far Away Engines (2021). Projection-mapped video performance, dimensions variable

Simon Denny, Real Mass Entrepreneurship (2017-2021). Installation, locally sourced commercial display elements, airbrush and acrylic on synthetic plaster and wood, plexiglas, fluorescent lamps, 4K video. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Buchholz 

Tavares Strachan room at the Diriyah Biennale 2021-22, EIGHTEEN NINETY (2020). 

Wang Luyan, sculptures from 2010-2019. Installation view from Diriyah Biennale 2021-22.

William Kentridge, More Sweetly Play the Dance (2015). 8-channel video installation with four megaphones, sound, 15'00"

Zou Zhao, Plain Sights (2021). Performance, translucent glass, hats, furniture, structure, curtain, dimensions variable. All images: courtesy Canvas and Diriyah Biennale Foundation © Diriyah Biennale Foundation and the artists

Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale
Curated by Philip Tinari
JAX District, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
11 December 2021 – 11 March 2022

Read Stephanie Bailey’s review of the Biennale here.