TITLED "TURUQ: THE MANY WAYS OF FOOD," THE FOUR-DAY SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES THE DIVERSE FOODWAYS OF THE ARAB WORLD

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation announces the symposium “Turuq: The Many Ways of Food” on April 9–12, 2025. This multidisciplinary public program marks the inaugural edition of The Research Room, an annual four-day event dedicated to exploring the relationship between art and daily life. The symposium programming is open to visitors of the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, currently taking place at the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport through May 25, 2025.

“Turuq: The Many Ways of Food” is conceived to explore the diverse "foodways” of the Arab world. Tracing historical trajectories and contemporary culinary practices, the program takes a specific look at the enduring influence of the western region of Saudi Arabia with its ancient spice routes and rich traditions. The program aligns with the Islamic Arts Biennale’s commitment to exploring the arts of Islamic civilizations and creating spaces of engagement and exchange.

Featuring a wide array of renowned culinary artists and researchers from the local community and global cooking networks, the program underscores food as a space of memory and connection. It welcomes visitors to discover how food shapes culture and identity and facilitates sharing heritage across generations.

Each day of the symposium is dedicated to a different moment and mealtime throughout the course of a single day—dawn, midday, afternoon, and dusk. Day one (Dawn) focuses on the beginning of nourishment and morning rituals; day two (Midday) is dedicated to hospitality in the Arab tradition and food as communal ritual; day three (Afternoon) explores tea culture and rituals of rest; and day four (Dusk) celebrates the abundance of the feast. “Turuq: The Many Ways of Food” is designed to foster curiosity, exploration, and participation with a wide range of events: tastings, keynotes and panels, live cooking, recipe sharing, tablescapes, and storytelling.

Highlights of the program include the Edible Lecture: Haisah and Medieval Cooking, a talk and cooking demonstration by medieval food historian Daniel Newman ; a keynote by storyteller, filmmaker, and influencer Nadir Nahdi; a look at food in pop culture with Hafsa Alkhudairi; a screening of short films organized by the Red Sea Film Foundation, and a Canon Academy food photography workshop.

The program is open for all Biennale visitors, with registration available through the official Biennale website (biennale.org.sa). Follow @biennale_sa for more information.

Programming Highlights

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 (Dawn)

12:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Makkawi Breakfast: Recipes from My Grandmother with Marya
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: The Shawarma Report: On Pop Culture and Food with Hafsa Alkhudairi
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Curating Your Research Question as a Sufra with Anthropology Bel3araby
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Talk with Nadir Nahdi: Child of the Indian Ocean, keynote

Thursday, April 10, 2025 (Midday)

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Fatteh: Of Breaking Bread by Mirna Bamieh
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Pilaf Culture, a lecture with Majed Almuhanna from the Culinary Arts Commission
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Traversing Lifeforms: A Conversation with a Goat - Lecture Performance with Salma Serry
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Cinema Nights: Saleeg and Abdo & Saneya, two short films presented by The Red Sea Film Foundation
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Traversing Lifeforms: A Conversation with a Goat - Roundtable with Salma Serry

Friday, April 11, 2025 (Afternoon)

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Re-orienting Taste: Interactive Workshop with Edible Archives (Tejaswini Niranjana, Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, and Shalini Krishan)
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: How to Grow Roots: Conversations on Plants, Migration, and Belonging with Khunfus Publishing
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: The Summer Triangle and the Bekila Recipe: Assyrian Protection Strategies in Northern Arabia with Reem AlNasser
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Edible Lecture: Haisah and Medieval Cooking with Daniel Newman

Saturday, April 12, 2025 (Dusk)

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Open Book: Re-orienting Taste with Edible Archives (Tejaswini Niranjana)
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Final Feast

MULTI-DAY WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS

Stamp-making with Issam Kourbaj

April 9, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bread Stamping as a Medium: Dawn
April 10, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bread Stamping as a Medium: Midday
April 11, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bread Stamping as a Medium: Afternoon
April 12, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bread Stamping as a Medium: Evening

Placemat Embroidery with Plants of the Qur’anMasterclass with Margarita Andrade (Threads of Hope)

April 9, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
April 10, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
April 11, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Food Photography: Flavors In Focus with Canon Academy

April 9, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
April 10, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Rewilding the Kitchen: Alfiyyah wa Alsafsaf

Mon, April 7, 2025, 6:00–10:00 PM
Tues, April 8, 2025, 6:00–10:00 PM
Wed, April 9, 2025, 6:00–10:00 PM
Thu, April 10, 2025, 4:00–10:00 PM
Fri, April 11, 2025, 3:00–10:00 PM

This schedule is subject to change. Please see the website for the most current programming: biennale.org.sa

ABOUT THE ISLAMIC ARTS BIENNALE

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s Islamic Arts Biennale provides a holistic platform for new discourse about Islamic arts, offering an unparalleled space for 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.

ABOUT THE DIRIYAH BIENNALE FOUNDATION

Inspired by the changes taking place in Saudi Arabia and the heritage site of Diriyah, and Chaired by H.H. Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) assumes a critical role in nurturing creative expression and instilling an appreciation for culture and the arts and their transformative potential. The Foundation aspires to be a catalyst for lifelong learning and serves Saudi Arabia’s communities by offering opportunities to engage with the burgeoning local art scene. Central to the Foundation’s mandate is to stage two recurring world-class Biennales of contemporary and Islamic arts, year-round interactive educational programs, and overseeing the activation of JAX, a creative district with industrial heritage in Diriyah. At this historical moment of evolution and growth in Saudi Arabia, DBF’s Biennales showcase some of the world’s leading artists, drive cultural exchange between the Kingdom and international communities, promote dialogue and understanding, and further establish Saudi Arabia as an important cultural center.

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