Desert X is a first of its kind - a contemporary art festival held across two square kilometres of the Arabian desert. We managed an international team of producers, curators and artists to bring site-specific art installations to AlUla, home to Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The planning and delivery of the festival presented complex logistical challenges, but our expert team successfully oversaw the development and the installation of the artworks, alongside the design and build of a new visitor facility, all within an ambitious timeframe.
The Noor Festival is now the largest light art festival in the world. For the inaugural edition, the first of its kind in Riyadh, we provided expert procurement, logistical and strategic support. Thirty-three installations were delivered across the city, along with accompanying special events and a major exhibition. We collaborated closely with National Talents and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City on the delivery, and are now working with Riyadh Art to support annual editions of the Festival and their public art programme.
Noor Festival: National Talents Company – curation and operations
Desert X Festival art installation, A Concise Passage, by Rashed Al Shashai, photograph © Lance Gerber
Desert X Festival art installation, The Shortest Distance Between Two Points, by Rayyane Tabet, photograph © Lance Gerber
Noor festival art installation, Beacon, by Karolina Halatek, photograph © Karolina Halatek
Noor Festival art installation, Submergence, by Squidsoup, photograph © Squidsoup
Noor Festival art installation, Flowers and People – A Whole Year Per Hour, by Teamlab, photograph © TeamLab