The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that Chinese artist Zhang Zengzeng unveiled the installation "The Light to Home" at Noor Riyadh 2025 on 1 December at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center in Riyadh, transforming drawings by children from Riyadh’s Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC) and from China into suspended light sculptures that shimmer through the space. According to official information, the work invites audiences into a shared, child-centered narrative of home, imagination, and cultural exchange.
Context and Background
Presented under the Noor Riyadh festival—part of the Riyadh Art program led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)—the installation reflects Saudi Arabia’s expanding cultural calendar and the Kingdom’s commitment to public art. Noor Riyadh has become a signature platform for large-scale light art, activating urban landmarks and inviting international and Saudi artists to engage diverse audiences in the capital.
The project originates from the artist’s intent to create a shared experience between two communities with distinct cultural backgrounds. Workshops were held with children at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC), a leading rehabilitation and healthcare institution in Riyadh, where young participants produced drawings that depicted warm homes, radiant stars, and fantastical creatures—motifs that frequently surface in childhood expressions of belonging and hope. Complementary drawings from children in China broadened the exchange, enabling a dialogue between young imaginations across geographies.
As Saudi Arabia advances cultural initiatives nationwide, the installation complements the broader objectives of the Ministry of Culture to enhance access to the arts, foster creative skills, and encourage international collaboration. Noor Riyadh’s positioning within Riyadh Art underscores the long-term institutional approach to public art as a driver of quality of life and urban vibrancy.
Key Details
According to SPA, the children’s drawings were translated into three-dimensional, suspended light forms. Every line became an illuminated element, seemingly "dancing" in the air and casting soft reflections across nearby walls. The result is a participatory visual space in which viewers move among luminous contours that echo the original pencil and crayon strokes, now rendered as sculptural light.
Zhang’s installation, titled "The Light to Home", centers on the universal theme of home—an idea the participating children explored through images of shelter, family, stars, and imagined creatures. By elevating these drawings into a constellation of light, the work preserves the spontaneity and innocence of the source material while opening it to public contemplation within a historic setting at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center.
The work’s presentation within Noor Riyadh 2025 situates it among a broader network of light-based artworks across the city, inviting families, students, and visitors to engage directly with contemporary art in public space. The approach aligns with Riyadh Art’s emphasis on community-centered programming and international artistic dialogue.
Implications and Impact
The installation illustrates the Kingdom’s expanding role in cultural exchange—specifically, people-to-people engagement between Saudi Arabia and China—by pairing local participation in Riyadh with creative contributions from children abroad. This model strengthens intercultural understanding at an early age and highlights the inclusive ethos of Noor Riyadh, which welcomes audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
For Riyadh’s cultural ecosystem, projects like this deepen public familiarity with contemporary art and encourage repeat visits to civic institutions, supporting the capital’s emergence as a global destination for culture and creativity. By foregrounding the voices of children, the installation also advances accessibility and wellbeing in the arts, themes that resonate with SBAHC’s focus on rehabilitation, care, and community support.
Internationally, the presentation of a Chinese artist within a Saudi-led public art festival underscores the Kingdom’s convening power and its commitment to constructive cultural diplomacy. As global interest in creative economies grows, Noor Riyadh’s programming offers a visible platform for cross-border collaboration, research, and education in light art and urban cultural planning.
Vision 2030 Alignment
Noor Riyadh forms part of the Riyadh Art program, a flagship initiative aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Quality of Life Program to enrich public spaces, nurture creative industries, and diversify the national economy. By bringing international artists together with local communities and institutions such as SBAHC, "The Light to Home" demonstrates how culture can broaden participation, strengthen social cohesion, and elevate Riyadh’s profile as a welcoming, forward-looking capital. As the Kingdom accelerates its cultural transformation, projects of this nature help develop skills, inspire young talent, and position Saudi Arabia as a dynamic hub for global artistic exchange.