From 5 to 10 December 2025, Riyadh once again turns its spotlight on artists, designers and dreamers as Misk Art Week returns to Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall. For six days, the space becomes a living, breathing hub of exhibitions, workshops, markets and conversations that trace the evolving story of Saudi creativity.

More than a festival, Misk Art Week is a snapshot of where Saudi art is right now and where it is heading next.

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What is Misk?

Misk is the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, a non profit organization dedicated to empowering young people in Saudi Arabia. Established to invest in education, leadership, entrepreneurship, culture and the creative industries, Misk’s core mission is simple: equip the next generation with the tools, confidence and opportunities to shape the Kingdom’s future.

Under the Misk umbrella sit several key initiatives, from schools and leadership programs to cultural and creative entities. Misk Art Institute is one of these anchors, focused on the visual arts and creative practice. Together, they form a broader ecosystem that doesn’t just support talent but actively builds pathways for it.

What Misk Art Week Is

Misk Art Week is the flagship annual event of Misk Art Institute, designed as an open platform where art, ideas and community meet across one intense week in Riyadh.

Hosted at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall, the week weaves together:

  • Exhibitions and curated presentations
  • An art and design market
  • Live performances and activations
  • Educational programs, workshops and masterclasses
  • Networking and mentorship opportunities

Each edition has its own curatorial direction and specific exhibitions, but the spirit stays constant: amplify Saudi and regional voices, create access to art, and connect emerging talent to a growing ecosystem of cultural institutions, curators and audiences.

Who Is It For?

Misk Art Week is built for anyone who feels connected to creativity in some way.

  • For artists and designers, it’s a chance to show work, join workshops, apply for masterclasses, sit in mentorship sessions and connect directly with curators, institutions and peers.
  • For students and young creatives, it’s an entry point into the art world, with approachable programming and on site registrations for many activities.
  • For collectors, culture enthusiasts and families, it’s an opportunity to discover new names, buy work at the market, and experience Riyadh’s cultural energy up close.
  • For cultural professionals, from museum teams to independent curators, it’s a place to track what’s emerging in the Saudi and regional scene and to build relationships with artists at different stages of their careers.

The atmosphere is intentionally inclusive. You don’t need to be an expert to belong there; curiosity is enough.

What You Will Find at Misk Art Week

Across its six days, Misk Art Week 2025 will unfold as a multi layered program of exhibitions, public events and learning experiences.

You can expect:

  1. Exhibitions: Curated shows that bring together Saudi and regional artists across mediums like photography, installation, painting and new media. The exact 2025 exhibition titles and themes are still to be announced, but previous editions suggest a focus on contemporary life, memory, urban transformation and identity.
  2. Art and Design Market: A dedicated market where artists and designers present and sell their work directly to the public. This is where you’ll find prints, objects, publications and design pieces, and where conversations between makers and audiences happen naturally at the booth level.
  3. Workshops and Masterclasses: Educational sessions ranging from practical creative skills to professional development. Masterclasses typically require pre registration or application, while many workshops offer on site sign up shortly before they start, making them accessible and spontaneous.
  4. Talks and Panels: Conversations featuring artists, cultural leaders and experts who unpack the issues behind the work: why we create, how institutions are changing, and what it means to build a sustainable creative career today.
  5. Mentorship and Portfolio Guidance: One to one or small group sessions where artists can discuss their paths, ideas and portfolios with more experienced practitioners.

Exhibitions and Visual Storytelling

Misk Art Week has built a reputation for strong, research driven curatorial projects. Past editions have featured:

  • Grant based exhibitions highlighting artists from across the MENA region
  • Photography and image based shows that document the changing face of Riyadh and the Kingdom
  • Installations and conceptual works that engage with memory, spirituality, urban growth and social change

Misk Art Institute often uses the week to foreground new projects, experimental voices and themes that sit at the heart of contemporary Saudi life. Visitors can expect thoughtfully curated spaces rather than simple displays, with narratives that invite you to slow down and look again.

The Art and Design Market

One of the most beloved parts of Misk Art Week is its Art and Design Market. For many local artists and designers, it’s the first time they present their work in a structured, public environment beyond social media.

The market offers:

  • A platform to sell prints, objects, books and design items
  • A chance to test how audiences respond to new ideas
  • A direct entry point for visitors who want to support artists and take something home

It operates as both a marketplace and a community space. Creatives share booths side by side, swap tips and contacts, and often leave with new collaborators as well as new clients.

Learning, Workshops and Creative Growth

At the heart of Misk Art Institute’s mission is education, and that comes through strongly during Misk Art Week. In 2025, these workshops and masterclasses become even more focused. Over five days, participants can deep dive into themes such as Layers from the Land: SilkScreen Printing the Landscape, an exploration of printmaking rooted in place, or AI as Creative Toolkit & Archive, which looks at how artists can work critically with emerging technologies.

A photography masterclass investigates how the camera can capture the rhythm of a changing city, while museum focused courses unpack exhibition design, documentation, advocacy and leadership for the twenty first century. Other sessions look at reinventing cultural spaces through public engagement and celebrating Gulf identity through typography in Letters of the Gulf: A Typographic Celebration of the GCC.

Some sessions are designed for advanced practitioners; others welcome complete beginners. The important thing is that learning feels embedded within the festival, not separate from it. You might visit a show, then join a session that unpacks how such projects are developed, funded and communicated.

Dialogue, Community and The Bigger Picture

Beyond the visible program, Misk Art Week is also a space for conversation and community building. Each year, it sits within a wider calendar of Misk Art Institute initiatives, including the Creative Forum, which brings together artists and cultural leaders to think about the role of cultural institutions in society. While the Forum typically takes place ahead of the Week itself, the ideas it generates inform the mood and direction of the December gathering.

For many, returning to Misk Art Week each year isn’t just about the art on the walls. It’s about tracking the evolution of the scene: who is showing up, what themes are emerging, and how the relationships between artists, institutions and audiences are changing.

A Small Week With A Big Impact

As Saudi Arabia continues to expand its cultural infrastructure and global visibility, Misk Art Week 2025 offers something vital: a grounded, human scale space where creativity is experienced up close.

Whether you’re planning to attend every day or just drop in for an evening, Misk Art Week 2025 is an invitation to witness and participate in the ongoing story of Saudi art.

Inspired by The Misk Art Week?

Explore more Saudi art events, openings, and design weeks at KSA Art.

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