Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – October, 2022
The Saudi Visual Arts Commission is pleased to announce the annual street art festival Shift22, to be held in Riyadh from 13 to 30 October 2022. Showcasing one of the youngest forms of art in the Kingdom, Shift22 will present a range of commissioned and existing artworks carefully curated to celebrate street art which will resonate with both local and global audiences.
CEO of the Visual Arts Commission, Dina Amin, said, “Shift22 is part of the Commission’s efforts to celebrate and encourage local and international visual artists by providing platforms for creative exchange and dialogue. This festival is an example of the many exciting visual arts opportunities that are a result of the growing local art scene”.
Curated by Creative Philosophy, a New York based artistic agency, this year’s festival will focus on the theme of geometry and geometric patterns taking inspiration from the architecture of Irqah Hospital’s, the location of this year’s festival, and will feature works by more than 30 local and international artists including Huda Beydoun, REXCHOUK and Zeinab Al-Mahoozi, Crash, Trevor Andrew and Refik Anadol. In addition, the festival will host a program of seminars, workshops, and other activities and provide a platform for experiencing many other elements of street culture including music, street fashion, breakdance, skateboarding, and street food.
Shift22 will embrace the hospital compound’s walls which will serve as a canvas for murals, the debris found on the grounds will be recycled and repurposed to create installations animated by dynamic lighting generating a sense of movement. Art projections, in addition to sound and video installations by world-renowned artists, will transform the compound to a unique night museum that engages the audience in a multimedia experience that will transform the disused hospital building into a hub of creativity.
The title Shift22 is a reflection of the cultural transformation taking place in the Kingdom, as well as the shift in perceptions, past and present, around street art as it gains prominence as an artform within society. Additionally the Arabic word ‘shift’ translates to “have you seen?” which serves as an invitation to the community to view and experience the Shift22 festival.
