Diriyah Biennale Foundation announces curators for 2027 Islamic Arts Biennale

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the lead curatorial team for the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, scheduled to open on November 1, 2027. The event will be held at the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, a site recognized with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The curatorial team consists of international experts: Nada Raza, director of the Alserkal Arts Foundation; William Robinson, former head of Islamic Art at Christie’s; Alain Fouad George, professor at the University of Oxford; and Idries Trevathan, former chief curator at Ithra.

The 2027 Biennale aims to explore the breadth of Islamic art by placing historical treasures in dialogue with contemporary commissions. The program will include the AlMadar collaborative platform and the return of the AlMusalla Prize, which focuses on architectural visions for future prayer spaces. The exhibition seeks to challenge traditional institutional definitions of Islamic art by integrating material culture with lived experience, faith, and architecture.