Ute Bauer - Böcker

A new platform for contemporary art situated on the outskirts of Riyadh near the At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, After Rain, features more than eighty artists of different generations, presents many contributions from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, and includes newly commissioned projects and time-based works of art. This international gathering of artists is founded on a commitment to fostering dialogue between Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world. The catalogue provides a visual and spatial navigation of the exhibition and the Biennale Encounters, a series of talks, workshops, performances, poetry readings. A compendium of essays, literary texts, and poetry, this book also serves as a logbook, highlighting the format of the Biennale as a work-in-progress that unfolds over time in diverse collaborations with artists, musicians, chefs, architects, farmers, and botanists. This large-scale international art project and its publication capture and reflect on an exciting moment within a changing Saudi Arabian cultural landscape.