RIYADH — The Thunaiyat Ad-Diriyah Foundation on Thursday announced that Saudi Arabia’s first art biennale will be curated by Philip Tinari, the director and chief executive of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, China’s leading contemporary art institution.

Commenting on the announcement, Tinari said: “The Ad-Diriyah Biennale will offer a new platform for exchange between the Saudi and international art worlds, as well as an unprecedented chance for broad audiences in the Kingdom to encounter global contemporary art.”

Initiated by the Ministry of Culture and organized by the Thunaiyat Ad-Diriyah Foundation, the Ad-Diriyah Biennale will be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most significant international exhibition of contemporary art to date. The Thunaiyat Ad-Diriyah Foundation is mandated to run two alternating distinct profile biennales every year, Ad-Diriyah Biennale (contemporary arts) and Islamic Biennale (Islamic arts).

The exhibition will unfold in six sections, with works from nearly 70 national and international artists examining various themes and engaging visitors in a dialogue around contemporary art.

The biennale curatorial team also includes Wejdan Reda, curator and founder of Sahaba Art Consultancy; Shixuan Luan, curator at UCCA; and Neil Zhang, assistant curator. — SG