Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale Names Artists for 2026 Edition

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the artists participating in the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, opening on January 30, in the JAX District, an industrial zone that has been converted into an arts complex in Diriyah, near the capital city of Riyadh. Taking the title “In Interludes and Transitions,” this edition of the Biennale will be curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed and feature more than 65 artists, alongside over 20 new commissions. Razian, deputy director and head of exhibitions and programs at Art Jameel, and Ahmed, projects director of the Ishara Art Foundation, have positioned the exhibition around the movement of histories, knowledge, and artistic practices across time and place. Related Articles Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Biennale Looks to the Future amid an Imperiled Present Venezuela's Cultural Scene Looks On in Moment of Historic Upheaval Following Maduro Ouster The artist list brings together historic figures, established mid-career artists, and emerging voices working across painting, installation, film, sound, architecture, and publishing. They include Pacita Abad, Etel Adnan, Samia Halaby, Raven Chacon, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Petrit Halilaj, Daniel Lind-Ramos, Guadalupe Maravilla, Nour Mobarak, Gala Porras-Kim, and Raqs Media Collective. The announcement comes amid a surge of cultural and market activity across the Middle East, where global art institutions are ramping up their presence. Art Basel will stage its first Middle East fair in Doha in February 2026, while Frieze has confirmed plans to launch Frieze Abu Dhabi in November 2026 by rebranding the long-running Abu Dhabi Art fair. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, is slated to open in 2026 following years of delays. Auction houses have also moved decisively into the region: Sotheby’s held its first international auction in Saudi Arabia in Diriyah in February 2025, and Christie’s continues to operate a long-standing saleroom in Dubai while building out its presence in Saudi Arabia. The full list of participating artists follows below. Pacita AbadPio AbadRand Abdul JabbarAbdullah Miniawy TrioEtel AdnanYussef Agbo-Ola (Olaniyi Studio)Leen AjlanAhaad AlamoudiElyas AlaviAfra Al DhaheriShadia AlemMohammad Al-GhamdiMohammed Alhamdan (7amdan)Nouf Al-HarthiRamy AlqthamiAbdullah Al SaadiRuba Al-SweelLulua AlyahyaIsmaïl BahriTaysir BatnijiDineo Seshee Bopape (Raisibe)Raven ChaconAyman Yousry DaydbanNolan Oswald DennisRohini DevasherMerve ErtufanIvana FrankeRahima GamboEric GyamfiSamia HalabyPetrit HalilajHazem HarbAziz HazaraHo Rui AnAlana HuntKamala Ibrahim IshagAmaka JajiKayfa taYazan KhaliliMoshekwa LangaDaniel Lind-RamosGeorge MahasheGuadalupe MaravillaYu JiThéo MercierNour MobarakMochuNancy MounirHussein NassereddineDaniel Otero TorresThao Nguyen PhanGala Porras-KimSarker ProtickAbdelkarim QassemRaqs Media CollectiveK.P. RejiFaisal SamraOscar SantillánAmina Saoudi Aït KhayBogosi SekhukhuniKaran ShresthaElias SimeTrương Công TùngRajesh Chaitya VangadWolff ArchitectsAgustina WoodgateMüge Yılmaz