OMA / Iyad Alsaka and Kaveh Dabiri . photos: © Marco Cappelletti
The 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale, titled And All That Is In Between, displays over 500 historical objects and 29 contemporary art commissions—more than double the content of the inaugural edition. Taking place under SOM’s Hajj Terminal canopy at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, the exhibition is divided into seven components that include indoor and outdoor areas: AlBidayah (“the Beginning”), AlMadar (“the Orbit”), AlMuqtani (“Homage”), AlMidhallah (“the Canopy”), AlMukarramah (“the Honored”), AlMunawwarah (“the Illuminated”), and AlMusalla, a space for prayer and gathering.
OMA’s scenography unifies the exhibition through an environment of abstract forms that reinterprets archetypal architectural elements. The material palette is deliberately restrained; white fabric of various types is used throughout, with perceived color differences achieved through subtle variations in lighting.To create contrast, the frames of the vitrines are painted black, which echoes the shades of many artworks and artifacts.
AlBidayah, dedicated to the sacred, consists of large spaces defined by curved translucent walls that amplify the monumentality of the objects on display. The highlight of this section is the Kiswah—the cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba—exhibited for the first time in its entirety outside Makkah. These galleries also showcase other objects from Makkah and Madinah together with contemporary artworks.
AlMadar, with contributions from more than thirty institutions from over twenty countries, features a forest of thirty-seven abstract rectangular columns. Made of concentric layers of translucent textiles and illuminated from below and within, they emerge as extrusions of the vitrines underneath, gradually fading into the ceiling’s darkness. The density of columns helps visitors identify and navigate the thematic clusters and discover the participating institutions.
The scenography of AlMuqtani is designed to give equal importance to the two collections displayed in this section. A bowtie-shaped layout divides the gallery into two triangles of equal size, one for each collection. The triangles are defined by symmetrical pleated walls that ascend from eye level to the full height of the room. Each pleat hosts a vitrine, forming a seamless display front that is revealed only as visitors circulate through the gallery. The center of the gallery is occupied by the exhibition’s highlights and treasuries.
AlMidhallah presents a number of site-specific artworks on the theme of gardens in Islamic cultures. Extensive plantings have been added to our 2023 landscape intervention, structuring the placement of the artworks. Together, they occupy a square of nine canopy bays in the center of the outdoor space, which creates a more compact and intimate journey through the exhibition.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s role as guardian of the holy cities Makkah and Madinah is recognized in two pavilions dedicated to these cities, AlMukarramah and AlMunawwarah. AlMukarramah reflects on the powerful dynamic between the centrality and universality of Makkah al-Mukarramah, bringing together historical items associated with the Holy Kaaba, rare early photographs and film, and a contemporary art installation. AlMunawwarah explores the legacy of Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, featuring a group of gold-embroidered textiles, and the pavilion’s design reflects the celebrated warmth of Madinah’s atmosphere.
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