'Art of the Kingdom: Poetic Illuminations' Exhibition Debuts in Beijing

The “Art of the Kingdom: Poetic Illuminations” exhibition was inaugurated at the National Museum of China in Beijing as part of the activations of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025, one of the prominent initiatives implemented by the Museums Commission to highlight contemporary Saudi art and promote cultural exchange between the two countries.

 The opening ceremony was attended by Saudi Ambassador to the People's Republic of China Abdulrahman bin Ahmed Al-Harbi, and several prominent cultural figures and officials from the Chinese museum and arts sector, embodying the growing relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China on the cultural and diplomatic levels.

 The exhibition is one of the pivotal initiatives within the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025, which aims to strengthen cultural cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China by showcasing Saudi artistic experience in a contemporary visual approach that appeals to an international audience.

 The exhibition includes diverse works that reflect the richness of trends and styles in the Saudi art scene. It highlights the ability of local art to build bridges of cultural and intellectual dialogue with the world, as it is the first travelling group exhibition of a Saudi contemporary artist.

 Commissioned by the Museums Commission and curated by Argentinian art critic Diana Wechsler, Art of the Kingdom debuted at the historic Paço Imperial in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2024, before traveling to the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art at Jax (SAMoCA@Jax) in Riyadh earlier this year. The Beijing edition is the third stop of this travelling international exhibition.

 Structured around two themes — the desert and cultural tradition — Art of the Kingdom presents an exploration of Saudi Arabia's visual culture, weaving the history of the region into an artistic narrative shaped by present-day questions and experiences.

 Art of the Kingdom showcases a curated selection of over 30 Saudi artists across generations, disciplines, and practices, who offer bold reflections on identity, memory, tradition, and change.

 For the National Museum of China, the exhibition's curation has been subtly adapted to present an introduction to Saudi modernist masters from the 1960s to the 1980s, with a capsule of significant artwork from the Ministry of Culture's collection.

 The Art of the Kingdom exhibition reflects the Saudi Museums Commission's commitment to empowering artists and nurturing new forms of creative expression. It also reaffirms the Kingdom's commitment to further fostering cross-cultural exchange.