RIYADH: Light art festival Noor Riyadh has released a selection of music created by Majdi bin Marwan, who has been blind since the age of 6.
Marwan’s “Melodies of Light” were inspired by the musician’s interpretation of Noor Riyadh’s installations.
Riyadh Art said the works were gathered through his sense of sound, vibration and space while visiting the exhibits.
Marwan responds to subtle cues: how sound reverberates, shifts in temperature, and the spatial presence of each work, translating the impressions into layered musical compositions.
The project is intended to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of the art project, allowing visually-impaired visitors to get a sense of the installations through sound.
“Sound cannot imitate light, but it can translate it,” said Marwan. “Light is movement and so is sound; each moves us in its own way.
“We may not grasp the essence of light, but we can evoke a sensation that comes close, reflecting a similar vibration and spirit.
“Sound allows a listener with a visual disability to imagine light and feel it through another sensory experience.”
“Melodies of Light” was developed in collaboration with global music agency MassiveMusic, with contributions from Pierre Carnet, managing director MENA, and Rah Bhatt, director of creative strategy (Americas).
The compositions are carefully structured with attention to rhythm and layering, creating distinct cues that support navigation and interpretation for audiences with visual disabilities.
The tracks and behind-the-scenes videos are now available on the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s YouTube channel.
The first composition draws on “The Light to Home,” from 2025, by Chinese artist Zhang Zengzeng, in which children’s drawings are transformed into suspended light forms, creating a shared canopy of imagination and memory.
The second track responds to “Liminal Air Space-Time,” again from 2025, by Japanese artist Shinji Ohmaki, an immersive installation of fine threads that shift with air and light, shaping space through movement and subtle change.
