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March 18 - June 12 2021

King Abdullah Financial
District Conference Center.
 This Educators Guide is designed at an audience of 8+ and
aims to help teachers, educators and caregivers better
communicate the meaning, purpose and significance of
the artworks in the exhibition to their students. Structured
around the themes explored in the exhibition and parallel
learning objectives, the guide focuses on experiencing and
comprehending art and encourages fresh ways of seeing
and thinking.

Suggested activities and lines of enquiry can be adapted into

specific lesson plans and all connect to key subject areas on
the national curriculum.

There are universal benefits to visiting an art exhibition

with your students and the more preparation that is done in
advance the richer the learning experience.

For some educators there will be direct parallels between

the learning objectives and activities within the exhibition
and the curriculum that you are following with your students.
The guide gives an indication of the field of learning that each
artwork most closely fits within, and the type of questions you
can ask your students to consider and apply their knowledge.

For all students, to be taken out of their regular learning

environment to visit an exhibition such as this is a valuable
and memorable exercise, expanding on their classroom
learning and building new skills. There are tangible benefits
Light Upon Light: Light Art since the 1960s is an exhibition presented by Riyadh Art
of hands-on, practical application of the key ideas you are
for Noor Riyadh 2021. explaining to your students.
Curated
2 by Susan Davidson and Raneem Farsi. Light Upon Light Educators Guide 3 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
The artworks in this exhibition can inspire students, GLOSSARY OF GENERAL TERMS RELATED
foster creativity and provoke their imagination. There are TO THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY ART
opportunities for them to work on solo projects as responses
to what they see. They can also work together as a group, Artworks: a work of art created by an artist, a product of the fine arts
have discussions, share their ideas and develop confidence such as a painting or sculpture. In contemporary art, it can take on
as a collaborative team, enabling strong teamwork. many different forms and involve movement, performance, sound,
video and digital technology.
Contemporary artists have a unique ability to think outside the
Artist: the person or group who creates an artwork. They may have
box, to apply their skills to explore ideas which relate to our reached or are striving towards a level of success to earn their primary
everyday experiences and concerns, expressed in original income from art.
and often spectacular ways. To witness such artistic creations
first-hand and learn about how and why they were produced Curator: an expert in the fields of art history and exhibition-making,
can enrich the learning journey at all stages of an education. who is highly knowledgeable about artworks and artists’ careers.

Exhibition: a collection of artworks brought together in a venue by a

The principle of the guide is to allow audiences to examine curator. Exhibitions can be focused on a single artist, group or artists
and discover the works of art both during a visit to the working at a similar time or similar place or connected by a theme.
exhibition and beyond, through activities and active learning
that can take place at home or in the classroom. It encourages Theme: subject or topic of discourse, characteristic or connected idea.
participants to focus directly on the artworks and discover
how they can find a connection to them, by exploring their Contemporary Art: understood to be art produced from the late
1900s to the present day. In Saudi Arabia, it tends to refer to artworks
senses to help them understand the works better. produced post-2000 in any media (made from any material).
The language is intentionally approachable and question-led
in order to encourage fresh responses.

4 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 5 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
 SUBJECTS AND THEMES
Subjects focus on STEAM
Question: How can visiting an art exhibition and learning about artistic
practices help your studies and development?

Our objectives fit within the integrated STEAM method, an educational

approach that uses five equal pillars of learning as access points for
guiding student enquiry, dialogue and critical thinking:

1. Science 4. Visual Arts

2. Technology 5. Mathematics
3. Engineering

CORE THEME: LIGHT

The exhibition, which consists of 30 masterpieces by 30 artists (18
international artists and 12 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) has
been broken down into four sections, called ‘rays’ by the curators.

There is overlap and crossovers in style and date between artworks

found in the four rays, but the structure of the exhibition helps us to
understand the different ways artists from the 1960s until the present
day have responded to the theme of light and used it to produce
their artworks.

The theme is particularly central to ideas being developed by artists

currently working in Saudi Arabia.

In various points of the exhibition light is presented as a medium,

as a technique, as a subject and as a tool or support.

Challenge your students by asking them how this shift may affect
each artwork.

6 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 7 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
1. PERCEIVING LIGHT 3. PROJECTING LIGHT
This ray includes key works by major historic American and European In this ray we are shown the different ways that light can be created,
artists who were revolutionary in using light as a medium. Some are still manipulated and utilized by an external source. Artists ‘throw’ light as a
working today. projection, producing filmed footage, photographic collages using x-rays,
photograms and even sculpture.
It was a fundamental shift in moving away from a traditional object
and focusing on how the viewer can react to light and natural, found Projected light began with the invention of the magic lantern in
phenomena as viable artistic mediums. the industrial age, which used a series of mirrors and reflectors
to project an image from a glass slide to a surface. Alongside the
Right from the start of the exhibition the viewer is encouraged to physically production of an image comes a shadow – questioning the illusory
interact and move through and around the artworks. nature of representation.

2. EXPERIENCING LIGHT References to place, time, and language dominate the work of the artists
in this ray. The majority of artists with artworks on display here come from
This ray takes the viewer’s experience one step further. The visitor Saudi Arabia.
becomes a participator and vital element in the artworks, which rely on
human interaction. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHT
Presenting works by contemporary artists which depend on advanced This ray brings together several recent and newly commissioned artworks
technologies, (including Rashed AlShashai, Nasser Al Salem and Manal by artists (including several from Saudi Arabia) who are increasingly
Al Dowayan from Saudi Arabia), each has a unique approach to emitting socially aware and integrate new technology with nature.
and working with light.
The artworks directly respond to the fragile ecological future of our planet,
Light is used in many diverse ways: as a flame, reflected in mirrored and the increasing dominance of urban environments in our landscape.
surfaces, to create computer programs, to write poetry in neon.
Artists look to natural light, as it comes directly from the sun or is reflected
in water and seek to engage viewers by capturing and redefining the
representation and experience of environmental light.

8 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 9 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
WE CAN BEGIN TO ENGAGE DEEPER WITH AN Prior to the scope of the exhibition, these are key artists and
movements for whom light was especially important:
ARTWORK BY ASKING QUESTIONS INSPIRED BY
THE FOLLOWING From the earliest of times, light and fire were signals of illumination,
understanding, knowledge and power. In the Arab World light was a key
– Materials – Scale consideration in architecture and applied art, geometric patterns were
– Colors – Subject matter used through which light would pass, signalling wonder and awe (ajab
in Arabic). Stained glass windows and illuminated manuscripts were
Education ideas/focus - relating to the artworks: tangible ways to explain religious ideas. With the Renaissance (1400-
1600) came Leonardo De Vinci, whose experiments and discoveries
– Language – Literature about perspective, the human form and the natural world led to a fresh
– History – The environment understanding about how light could be used in art and architecture.
– Geography
In the Baroque era (1600-1750) artists such as Johannes Vermeer, George
Connecting with the art through: de la Tour and Michelangelo Caravaggio in Europe invented chiaroscuro,
which translates from the Italian as light-dark and allowed them to
– Nature – Senses heighten drama in their compositions by bringing a light source directly
– Identity – Surroundings into the picture plane.

Art Historical background The Impressionists (1860-1900) started painting outdoors and depicting
light as dabs of color and artificial light was invented. The European
The exhibition covers a truly global span, with parallel developments from Bauhaus school (1919-1933) launched a fresh approach to blurring the
the 1960s to the present day across different continents represented in definitions of art, craft and design: here the Hungarian artist László
the artworks on display. Moholy-Nagy made important discoveries in photography and sculpture
using light.
Art movements define a moment when a group of artists share a specific
style, idea or philosophy and explore it in their artistic practice during a set
time frame. They were particularly important in modern art and helped
define the avant-garde (new, radical forms of art).

10 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 11 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
THESE ARE THE KEY MOVEMENTS South America:
REPRESENTED IN THE EXHIBITION, The exhibition includes several artists who were born in South America.
Despite residing and working in North America and Europe, their country
DEFINED BY THEIR LOCATION of origin is often an important influence on their practice. Examples include
Julio Le Parc from Argentina (who has lived in Paris, France since 1958,
EUROPE: The Spatialism Movement, 1947-1968 Ivan Navarro from Chile (who has lived and worked in New York, US since
Founded by the Italian artist Lucio Fontana, the movement was 1997) and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer from Mexico (who lives and works in
revolutionary in placing equal importance on space, movement and time Montreal, Canada and Madrid, Spain).
as on color, perspective and form.
Japan:
Fontana is known best for his ‘slash’ paintings, but his spatial Artists from Japan have been at the forefront of developments in digital
environments were ground-breaking in the way they moved beyond technologies in the 21st Century. Examples of Japanese artists in the
painting into the fields of new technology, ‘painting’ spaces with light and exhibition include the collective Teamlab and Yayoi Kusama.
putting the viewer at the centre of the composition. They were always
destroyed at the close of an exhibition. The Islamic world:
Given its central role in Islam, light has often been an important
US: Light and Space Movement, 1960’s and 1970’s consideration in art being produced by artists and traditionally calligraphy
Developed on the west coast of the US centred around Los Angeles has been a dominant art form. In the exhibition we see contemporary
(California is dubbed ‘the sunshine state’ and this movement is also artists bringing text and light together, such as Manal Al Dowayan, Nasser
known as California Minimalism). A group of artists including Mary Corse, Al Salem and Abdullah Al-Othman. Decorative motifs and patterns are
Robert Irwin, James Turrell included in this exhibition were concerned with found in Islamic art and architecture, and several contemporary artists
how geometric shapes and the use of light could affect the environment respond to such traditions in their practice, such as Dana Awartani, Anila
and perception of the viewer. Quaayyum Agha and Ahmad Angawi.

Minimalist Movement, 1960’s Global contemporary art:

Beginning in New York, a group of artists turned to using industrial Artists working today are becoming increasingly drawn to working with
materials and focused meaning on the materials themselves, blurring the new technologies, which helps them explore and display their ideas
lines between painting and sculpture. Dan Flavin was an important artist in new ways. Mirroring this is a prevailing concern for imminent losses
who used neon light to produce minimalist artworks. of histories, traditions and natural environments, and examinations of
national and personal identities.
Process Art Movement, 1960’s and 1970’s
The end product or final artwork is not the principal focus, more important is Each artwork spotlight has different sections which relate to the above
the methods and actions in producing the work, choice of materials and how subjects and the light themes:
to manipulate them. Keith Sonnier represented in the exhibition was a part
of this movement and its ideas continue to influence artists working today.

12 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 13 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
 Location in Exhibition: B05
ARTWORK SPOTLIGHT 1

Artwork Name: Date: 2021

Searching for Darkness Material: Kinetic sculpture
Artist Name: Rashed Al Shashai

Theme:
experiencing light

Education subjects that relates to the artwork:

art, engineering, technology, science (physics)

The way you connect with the artwork:

senses, surroundings, movement

BREAKING DOWN THE ARTWORK

Looking

• What do you see?

• What does it look like?
• How would you describe it?

Analyzing

• What materials did the artist use to create the object?

• How do you think the artist created it?
• How does it connect to nature?

Courtesy the artist and Hafez Gallery, Jeddah

14 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 15 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
Interpreting FACTS AND BRIEF IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Why do you think the artist wanted to represent the artwork in ABOUT THE ARTWORK
such a way?
Searching for Darkness shows us how powerful moving light can be in
• Why did he choose to create the artwork with these materials?
a dark space and how it is constantly changing.
• What do you think the key message behind his work is?
In its spiral form, the artwork refers to the idea of a spiral galaxy and
• How does it relate to the theme of light?
suggests broad ideas of our presence in the wider universe.
• What do you think he’s trying to say about the environment and
or our surroundings? Rashed AlShashai was born in Al Baha in the western part of Saudi
Arabia, a city surrounded by more than forty forests. He now lives in
Discussing the city of Jeddah. Do you think this background has influenced his
perspective on mankind’s impact on the environment and the planet?
• What do you think is the artist’s inspiration in creating the artwork?
He has been an active figure in the growing conceptual art movement
• How does the artwork translate its message to us clearly?
among contemporary artists from Saudi Arabia. Do any elements of
• Does it relate to the theme of light? the artwork indicate that the artist is from Saudi Arabia?
• What do you think our long-term effect is on nature and how does
it impact our future?

Opinion

• Do you think the way the artist created the work of art made us
understand what they want to reflect through their art clearly?
• Do you like it?
• Is it something you can relate to?

16 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 17 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
 C LA SS O R AT H O M E A C TI V IT IE S
AT
in to the studen ts w hat a co llage is and how to
Expla
create one.
• Provide them with the materials needed to create a collage, such as
magazines appropriate for their age, comics, glue.

y think are
• Encourage them the day before to bring in pictures the
relevant to their collage and what they can create.

• Ask them to think about how the modern world has affected the
environment and to create a story around that through their collage.
I N GA
LLER
Y ACT
th o w the world ha
s ch IVIT
r y
ou
ab how have we aff
a n ged
f
Y
, e ro m
• Write a sto oday t?
cted
t he en ten
til l t a v e i
s viro
years ago do to nm
w e ent
?
What can

s co n sider the urban envir pi n g

rhap o nme elo
• Pe audi Arabia, such as Ri
n ts in the fast-d e v
it ie s in S y a e d?
c
u p re se nt t hi s v
dh. H
a c h a ng
can y o i s ually s the skyline
H ow ?

nment be different if
v iro we liv
u r en e d
c o u ld o anet?
• Ho w r pl
t he
on ano

18 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 19 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR
YOUNGER STUDENTS
• Learning about our solar system, understanding the size
of the universe.

• What makes our night and day (the rotation of the earth on its axis)
and our annual seasons (the earth orbiting around the sun).

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER STUDENTS

• Connect the artist’s ideas with current affairs, such as developments
to reach Mars and further explorations of space.

• Experiment with how you can make objects move (i.e. a ball rolling
down a slope, a spinning top, a windmill).

GLOSSARY OF DEFINITIONS RELATED TO

THE ARTWORK
• Conceptual: based on ideas or concepts.

• Kinetic art: containing moving parts.

• Spiral galaxy: a twisted collection of stars, gas and dust with a

central concentration of stars known as a bulge and radiating arms
of younger stars.

20 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 21 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
 Location in Exhibition: B02
ARTWORK SPOTLIGHT 2

Name of artwork: Infinity Mirror Date: 2014

room – Brilliance of Souls Materials: Mirror, wooden panel,
Artist: Yayoi Kusama LED, metal, acrylic panel, water

Theme:
experiencing light

Education subjects that relates to the artwork:

art, technology, science (physics), mathematics (geometry), mental health

The way you connect with the artwork:

senses, surroundings, reflection

BREAKING DOWN THE ARTWORK

Looking

• What do you see?

• What does it look like?
• How would you describe it?

Analyzing

• What materials did the artist use to create the artwork?

• How do you think the artist created it?
• How do you think it creates the mirroring effect that it does?

Photo: ©Yayoi Kusama Inc.

22 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 23 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
Interpreting FACTS AND BRIEF IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Why do you think the artist wanted to represent the artwork in ABOUT THE ARTWORK
such a way?
• Why did she choose to create the artwork like that? Yayoi Kusuma was born in 1929 in Japan and she continues to live and
work in central Tokyo. She spent two decades in the USA between
• What do you think is the message behind her work?
1957-1977, during the time of minimalism and pop art but forged her
• How does it relate to the theme of light? own unique style.
• What do you think she’s trying to say about our surroundings?
A trailblazer for female creatives, she has always had a completely
unique approach to making art. Her artworks are immediately
Discussing recognisable due to a dense field of colored dots: inspired by vivid
hallucinations she has experienced since childhood.
• What do you think the key influences behind creating the artwork are?
• How does it translate the message to us clearly? In her infinity rooms, which she has created since 1965, these dots
become three-dimensional through the use of LEDs, mirrors and a
• Does it relate to the theme of light? shallow pool of water and an optical illusion of space is created.
• What kind of effect do you think the artwork has on people?

Opinion

• Do you think the way the artist created the work of art made us
understand what they want to reflect through their art clearly?
• Do you like it?
• Did it affect the way you feel? If so then did it make you feel happy,
excited, anxious?

24 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 25 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
AT CLASS OR AT HOME ACTIVITIES
Learning about how a mirror can bring another
element to their artworks.
half a shape,
• Start off with simple drawing activities, such as drawing
to hold up and
half a face or an abstract pattern. Then give them a mirror
complete their pictures.
iature three-
• You can go a step further and work together to create min
faces.
dimensional exhibition spaces using mirrors or reflective sur

• Provide the children with the materials needed

such as a shoebox or
pieces of cardboard, paper, drawing and colorin
LLERY ACTIVITY
g tools, small mirrors or
foil, tape, glitter, sticks to help hold the mirrors in
place if needed. GA
Kusama has written IN
• Encourage the children to decorate all the inte sev
rior surfaces, placing foil
artwork co uld be t era o a creative respo
or reflective materials on the base, ceiling or walls o writ l boo ry, s nse
as they wish. e k s of po et rm po etry whic to he
in Japan) inspired by aH o rt fo
ho
the aiku
(a typ e of sh rigi r
• You could make three-dimensional spot-covered spheres in different spa na
ce aro nd you: ted
colors and place them inside. u

• Remember to make a hole big enough to look into your new space from
th re e lines, with 17 syllables in total.
the outside once you have put the lid of the shoebox back in place. only
f
eo you see)
• Haiku’s are mad t wha t
es . ( abou
yllabl
5 s
• The first line i s
o
• The second line is 7 sy re minds y u of)
llab h at it
les. (about w

• The third line is 5 sylla t how you feel)

bles ab ou
like the first. (

26 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 27 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR
YOUNGER STUDENTS

For extension activities focused on this artwork for younger children,

please refer to the Activity Booklet Ages 5-8.

GLOSSARY OF DEFINITIONS RELATED

TO THE ARTWORK

Infinity: boundless, with no end. A term used in mathematics and physics,

often to describe the cosmos or universe.

Optical illusion: a visual trick using light, color or patterns to create

images that are deceptive and intentionally misleading.

Mirror: an object or surface, typically of glass, that reflects an image.

Maze: a network of paths designed as a puzzle.

Sphere: a geometrical object in three-dimensional space that resembles

a ball.

28 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 29 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
 Location in Exhibition: C03
ARTWORK SPOTLIGHT 3

Name of artwork: Capturing Light Material:

Artist: Maha Malluh Lambda print mounted on Forex
Date: 2010 (foam sheets)

Theme:
Projecting light

Education subjects that relates to the artwork:

art, technology, history

The way you connect with the artwork:

senses, familiarity, identity

BREAKING DOWN THE ARTWORK

Looking

• What do you see?

• What does it look like?
• How would you describe it?

Analyzing

• What did the artist use to create the artwork?

• How do you think the artist created it?
• Why are we seeing these objects in the images or x-rays?

Private Collection
30 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 31 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
Interpreting FACTS AND BRIEF IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Why do you think the artist wanted to represent the artwork in ABOUT THE ARTWORK
such a way?
A photogram is a photographic image captured without the use of
• Why did she choose to create the artwork like that? a camera. Instead, an image is created by placing objects onto the
• What do you think the message behind her work is? surface of light-sensitive paper and then exposed to light. This creates
the distinctive negative shadow image, that appears like an x-ray. The
• How does it relate to the theme of light? technique was invented by Fox Talbot in 1841 and developed by artists
• What do you think she is trying to say about our surroundings? such as Man Ray.

Discussing In her photogram series, Maha Malluh makes specific choices in her
arrangements of personal items, exploring how such objects define us
• What do you think are the main influences behind creating and our identity. In her case, they also chronicle the great changes that
the artwork? have continued to occur in Saudi Arabia over recent decades, with the
resulting clashes between tradition and modernity.
• How does it translate the message to us clearly?
• Does it relate to the theme of light?
• What is it trying to say about us, do you think it represents something
about our identity?

Opinion

• Do you think the way the artists created the work of art made us
understand what they want to reflect through their art clearly?
• Do you like it?
• Did it affect the way you feel? If so, did it make you feel happy,
excited, anxious?
• How does it make you think about your own identity?

32 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 33 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
AT CLASS OR AT HOME ACTIVITIES
Make a shadow puppet theatre.

D iv id e th e cl a ss in to groups of five.
•
ic ks , sc is so rs , fa b ri c, cotton and glue
rdboard, st
• Provide them with ca
to create puppets.

• Explain to them the concept behind it and how it should reflect who
they are and their identity.

• Encourage them to create a storyline, perhaps inspired by everyday

life or a fairy-tale, in the tradition of oral storytelling.

jected behind
• Turn off the lights in the classroom and have a light pro
the big sheet of fabric, to be able to see the shadows. T IV ITY
RY AC
LLE dentify?
GA n you i
ork ca
IN artw
in the
cts
bje
• How many o

• Try to describ
e how
h y
w do the a
y repres ll thes sent an identity,
ent e objects repre
an
iden
tity?

th ey specific to a particular time

• Are to the hum an bo dy
in hi
story?
on n ec te d and c
u How are they
c lture
?

34 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 35 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNGER
STUDENTS
For extension activities focused on this artwork such as making a
pinhole camera, please refer to the Activity Booklet Ages 8-13.

GLOSSARY OF DEFINITIONS RELATED TO

THE ARTWORK

Photogram: a photographic image captured without the use of a

camera.

X-ray: a type of radiation that can go through solid substances,

allowing hidden objects such as bones and organs in the human body
to be photographed.

Identity: who a person is, the qualities that define a person or group.

36 Light Upon Light Educators Guide 37 Light Upon Light Educators Guide
CONCLUSION

We encourage you to share the activity kits

appropriate to the age of your students for them
to complete independently as further learning
resources related to the exhibition and ideas
begun in this guide.

Do share creative responses to the artworks we

have learnt about with us to inspire others.

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