Sotheby’s has partnered with the Public Programs of the 2025 edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale to present a special series of free educational talks and workshops from April 6 to May 15.
The series, titled The World of Islamic Art, comprises five unique sessions, designed to be accessible introductions to the subject of Islamic Art. Each will be led by different Sotheby’s specialists, authorities in their respective fields, and enriched by prestigious guest speakers: Dr. Mariët Westermann (Director and CEO of the Guggenheim), Dr Mariam Rosser-Owen (Curator of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Middle Eastern Section), Dr Thalia Kennedy (Global Creative Director of Turquoise Mountain) and Abeer Seikaly (Jordanian-Palestinian architect, artist and cultural producer).
Covering a broad range of topics, from the rich cultural legacy of Islamic textiles and crafts to the enduring legacy of Islamic art across the globe and The Garden of Eden, these talks will aim to illuminate the richness of artistic tradition. Following each talk, attendees have the opportunity to join a guided tour of the Biennale, led by the speakers themselves.
Additionally, Sotheby’s is collaborating with Turquoise Mountain to offer hands-on workshops lead by master artisans committed to preserving traditional Islamic crafts. Participants will have the rare opportunity to learn directly from master artisans, Moataz Hammoush, a renowned expert in mother of pearl inlay and Abdelrahman Shaaban Tabannaj, a master of wood mosaic.
These hands-on workshops will be further enriched by historical insights from Sotheby’s Islamic Art Specialist, who will offer a deeper understanding to techniques that have been honed over centuries and the enduring significance in Islamic art.
Taking place in Jeddah until May 25, this second edition of the Biennale, titled, And All That Is In Between, brings together historical artefacts from Islamic cultures with contemporary art from around the world, and will explore how faith is experienced, expressed, and celebrated through feeling, thinking, and making.
Organised by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Islamic Arts Biennale provides a dynamic platform for new discourse on Islamic arts, fostering learning, research, and insight. The exhibition takes place every two years at the Aga Khan Award–winning Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, a city that for centuries has represented a junction point for cultural exchange and a venue that acts as a port of entry for millions of pilgrims on their journey to Makkah and Madinah.
The first edition of the Biennale welcomed more than 600,000 visitors, and the second edition builds on this success in an expanded form. Sotheby’s is proud to have supported each edition of the biennales in Saudi Arabia.
For more information, please visit www.sothebys.com/islamicartsbiennale.