RIYADH: The Misk Art Institute’s annual Creative Forum is helping to showcase local talent and build “cultural conversations” at the international level, according to its chief executive.
The sixth iteration of the event, which ended on Saturday, was held at Riyadh Schools in Misk under the banner, “Arts Reshaping the World: Social Responsibility of Cultural Institutions.”
The event attracted artists, curators, scholars and cultural practitioners from around the world to explore how institutions can drive social responsibility and creative sustainability.
CEO Reem Al-Sultan said: “Cultural institutions are active participants in shaping identity and collective memory but they are also agents of change. By convening pioneering voices from across the region and beyond, the Creative Forum 2025 kindles new cultural conversations and spotlight innovative approaches to cultural and social responsibility.”
The forum reaffirmed the institute’s “mission to empower creativity and foster inclusivity, showcasing homegrown voices alongside international perspectives,” she said.
The two-day program featured more than 15 panel discussions, talks and networking events.
In a session titled “Building Art World Legacy Through Archiving,” Basmah Al-Shathry, lead curator at the institute, discussed the challenges of documenting Saudi art history.
“We’re still trying to understand and there are not a lot of archives unfortunately yet,” she said.
Another panel, “Margins are the Main Text,” explored the soft power of art.
Noor Salame, CEO and founder of Kaph Books, said: “The objective of creating a publishing house that is from the region and for the region, with an international distribution is to have our voices heard by the rest of the world, publishing what is happening in the region in the art world.
“We were in the margins and now our conversation is becoming the center. We are archiving, we’re documenting, we’re sending the message and the vision that we know and believe in.”
Another presentation was organized by Abdulrahman Gazzaz, co-founder of architecture studio BrickLab, to document the gentrification of Al-Rawdah neighborhood.
Other events included workshops and informal chat sessions with industry professionals like photographer Omar Ashour, art adviser Myrna Ayad and artists Ayman Dayban and Rashid Alsubaie.
Since its launch in 2020, the forum has hosted close to 200 speakers from more than 20 countries and welcomed 14,000 attendees. It is considered one of the key platforms for cultural exchange and creative growth.
