Site-Specific Light Sculpture
NOOR RIYADH
AMPLEXUS | Cultural Palace Diplomatic Quarters, Saudi Arabia 2022
Noor Riyadh AMPLEXUS Diplomatic Quarters
Media:
LEDs, diffusive and reflective material, custom light sequence, and electrical hardware
Dimensions:
100 ft x 85 ft x 32 ft (30 m x 26 m x 10 m)
About Noor Riyadh
Noor Riyadh is a citywide annual festival of light and art that nurtures creativity, promotes talent and delivers awe-inspiring experiences.
The 2022 theme, ‘We Dream of New Horizons’, alludes to a reflective hopeful future and refers to the shining light of dreams. The 2022 edition of the festival includes over 190 artworks by more than 130 artists.
About Riyadh Art
Riyadh Art is one of the four major projects launched by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on March 19, 2019, under the supervision of the Committee of Grand Projects chaired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
Riyadh Art is one of four grand projects being developed by RCRC that collectively transform the capital into an environmentally friendly, sustainable city which offers the highest standards of livability and lifestyle, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.
AMPLEXUS (Latin for embrace) is an immersive light sculpture installation that embodies global identity.
The piece communicates directly with Riyadh’s contemporary and historical architecture, viewers, and the surrounding environment by connecting the city’s past and its ever-evolving tomorrow, nature, and the digital world. The work looks toward Riyadh’s global future while celebrating the city’s cultural heritage and community.
AMPLEXUS takes inspiration from traditional Islamic architecture, reinterpreting it within a digital age. At the same time, it engages with the modern shape of the installation site, Riyadh’s Cultural Palace, the heart of the city’s global relations. A light sculpture will be installed into the distinctive circular overhang of the building. The lighting sequence reconnects the city with the surrounding desert by recalling sunrises and sunsets on dunes. Tubing structures formed with the columns of the building and reflective material installed on the floor below will envelop viewers within their cultural heritage, community, and environment.
Thousands of souls dreaming and working together created the city of Riyadh. The breathtaking ferocity of the surrounding desert is a testament to human innovation. Amoros’s AMPLEXUS embraces this collective community consciousness, the city’s architecture, and the untamed magic of the desert itself.
