Two Art Curators: Art Week Riyadh Marks a Qualitative Shift in Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene

Art Week Riyadh, organized by the Visual Arts Commission in the JAX District, is witnessing a dynamic cultural and artistic movement, with broad local and international participation. The event brings together diverse creative experiences and contemporary artistic visions that reflect the rapid transformation of the Saudi art scene. It offers a platform that celebrates diversity and fosters dialogue among artists, curators, and cultural institutions.
 Director and Art Curator of Art Week Riyadh Vittoria Matarrese emphasized that the event represents a major shift in the Saudi cultural landscape. She noted that the capital, Riyadh, stands at the intersection of tradition and modernity, experiencing rapid artistic growth and a remarkable creative evolution.
 “We chose the title At the Edge because it reflects the nature of the phase Riyadh is undergoing,” Matarrese said. “It is a city positioned between the desert and urbanization, between heritage and renewal. This balance is evident in the diversity of participation and the dialogues presented by the exhibition.”
 Curator of the Public Cultural Program at Art Week Riyadh Shumon Basar said the program—titled How to Create an Art World: Lessons in Value—aims to provide a platform for global artistic and institutional exchange.
 "Our goal is not only to share experiences," Basar explained, "but also to raise essential questions about the types of value that art creates in the contemporary world—whether economic, symbolic, or social—and how art can serve as a tool to understand cultural transformations, rather than merely reflect them."