Artsy | 6 Standout Works at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale

 

Featuring 177 works by 100 artists and artist groups from Saudi Arabia and around the world, and including 47 new commissions, the exhibition is named “After Rain.” It’s a significant moment for the contemporary art biennial, in a country that is undergoing rapid social change, in the midst of a region experiencing intense turmoil and a disruption to the global geopolitical order. Here we select six standout works.

 

 

Balinese multidisciplinary artist Citra Sasmita’s work is widely known for unravelling myths and misconceptions about her nation’s art and culture, and particularly for its focus on spotlighting female-centered narratives that reflexively counter colonial legacies. Recently featured in several major international platforms such as the São Paulo Bienal 2023 and the Biennale of Sydney 2024, Sasmita’s paintings, sculptures, and installations draw on traditional Kamasan painting with its trademark figurative and narrative compositions.

 

For the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024, Sasmita exhibited new work from her “Timur Merah Project” (2019–present). The expansive installation, comprising fabric and carved wooden pillars positioned horizontally to a highly dramatic effect, traces the spread of Islamic culture across the Indonesian archipelago, its arrival through sea routes, and the historic relevance of the iconic port of Nusantara. The artwork is particularly impactful given its context, placing the storied history of Bali’s influential Islamic and Hindu civilization in a major biennale in Saudi Arabia.