The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the dates and expanded vision for the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which will run from 1 November 2027 until 1 March 2028 at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
First launched as the world’s only biennale dedicated to the arts of Islamic civilisations, the Islamic Arts Biennale has established a curatorial model that places historical objects into dialogue with contemporary artistic commissions. The Foundation describes the platform as a space for expanding how Islamic art is studied, interpreted and experienced, positioning it as a living and evolving field of cultural inquiry.
The third edition will deepen this methodology through expanded collaboration with institutions, artists, artisans and scholars from across the world. It builds on the growth of previous editions, which together presented more than 500 historical objects from over 40 institutions across more than 20 countries.
Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation emphasised the Biennales’s role as a platform for evolving interpretations of Islamic art: “I am delighted to see the next edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale already taking shape. Under the canopy of the Western Hajj Terminal, we are presenting a new model for institutional collaboration and the writing of histories of art, which can change and expand with each edition. Creating new connections, conversations, and encounters through the arts is at the core of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s work, and with the Islamic Arts Biennale we show that these encounters can happen over vast stretches of historical time as well as across places”.
His Excellency Rakan Altouq, Vice Chairman of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s Board of Trustees also notes: “Over its past two editions, the Islamic Arts Biennale has served to expand and reimagine the way we present and study art of the Islamic world. Each new edition brings a heightened level of ambition and increased curatorial experimentation that further underscores the contemporary relevance of this field. As the Foundation looks to the development of our third edition, we are working to cement the relationships we have built with artists and institutions into year-round programmes of exchange, while also expanding our scope and ambition at every level”.
The 2027 edition will be presented by a multidisciplinary curatorial team spanning archaeology, architecture, art history, contemporary art and cartography, reflecting the foundation’s commitment to an integrated and glocal approach to Islamic art.
The Islamic Arts Biennale will run from 1 November 2027 until 1 March 2028
