DUBAI: Riyadh Art has concluded the first season of its podcast show consisting of four episodes and featuring prominent artists and cultural figures like Grammy Award-winning music producer Swizz Beatz, Saudi artist Muhannad Shono and young creatives Warchieff and Chndy, among others.
The episodes are based on the most recent edition of Noor Riyadh, the annual festival of light and art, which was held under the theme “We Dream of New Horizons” in 2022.
The podcast reflects Riyadh Art’s belief that art is for everyone, according to a statement by the cultural body. Through interviews with artists and creative talent, the podcast series aims to provide listeners with insight into Saudi Arabia’s art scene.
The first episode features Swizz Beatz in conversation with Jumana Ghouth, one of the curators of the festival, and Mo Islam, Saudi podcaster and host of “The Mo Show.”
Swizz Beatz, who launched Saudi-based global creative agency Good Intentions in 2021, says in the podcast: “Saudi is sitting on so much, and finally there’s a group that understands the importance of preserving (it) and letting the creatives fly.”
He urged artists coming to the Kingdom to “think bigger,” saying: “Don’t just come here to do a show and leave … It’ll feel better if you left something, took some time to learn something. You can learn a lot in Saudi.”
The podcast series also features Shono, whose immersive installation for Noor Riyadh 2022 titled “I See You Brightest in the Dark,” transformed the interior space of a 1980s building in Riyadh’s Malaz District, as well as young artist duo Warchieff and Chndy, who launched the design house Badiya Studio.
Another episode features Saudi artists Rashed Al-Shashai and Abdullah Al-Othman who talk about how they navigate the institutional and commercial landscapes of art.
Both artists have participated in Noor Riyadh. Al-Shashai’s “100 million” installation referenced the massive global consumption of oil barrels each day, while Al-Othman’s “Rawdah” featured three plants from Riyadh — aaronsohnia, lavender and clover — in a unique format that allowed visitors to walk through them.
All four episodes of the podcast series are now available to stream on Anghami, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google Podcasts, and SoundCloud.
