Goppion, a leader in the design, construction, assembly and installation of cutting-edge display cases and installations, is celebrating the launch of the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which is taking place at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah until 25 May 2025.
The company was tasked with engineering, producing, and installing 144 display cases for the prestigious event, including a 6-metre-long table display case with a seamless glass hood to contain a loan from the Vatican Apostolic Library.
A spokesperson from the company says: “Goppion was honored to be part of the 2025 initiative in Jeddah, to participate in the showcasing of leading global artists, and support the Biennale’s broader mission to foster cultural exchange and understanding between Saudi Arabia and international communities.”
The Islamic Arts Biennale is organised by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and offers a unique opportunity to see Islamic artworks and artefacts from museums and institutions across the globe. The second edition opened on 25 January and is titled And All That Is In Between. It examines how faith is “experienced, expressed, and celebrated through feeling, thinking, and making” both historically and today.
In this, the show, led by artistic directors Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer, and Abdul Rahman Azzam, with Saudi artist Muhannad Shono as curator of contemporary art, explores how cultures from around the world interact and endure, in a dialogue framed by Saudi Arabia’s ongoing cultural transformation.
This year, the Biennale has expanded and offers seven themed zones spread across 110,000 square metres of dedicated display space. On show are loans from a network of Saudi artists and organisations, accompanied by exhibits from international participants such as the Musée du Louvre, Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London, the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research, Timbuktu, and the Manuscripts Institute of Türkiye, Istanbul.
Highest quality & fast production
Goppion has made 144 display cases for the Biennale, which is taking place in the award-winning Aga Khan Western Hajj Terminal. The cases are positioned across galleries 3, 4, and 5, and show both modern and historical items from prestigious international museums like the Louvre, the V&A, and others. Among these exhibits are pieces from the Al Thani Collection, which were formerly displayed in Goppion showcases at the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris.
The company has delivered a mix of freestanding, wall-mounted, and table cases working to a concept by exhibition designer Colin Morris of Colin Morris Associates. Goppion dedicated an entire production facility and team to the project, taking the production from Morris’ concept design to engineering, manufacture, and case assembly in just six months.
The success of the project depended heavily on a flexible, linear, and clear design aesthetic. For instance, the wall-mounted and freestanding vertical display cases had adjustable inside fixtures like inclined or vertical panels to hold a diverse selection of artefacts.
The project also features a unique interior display arrangement, engineered by Goppion to allow the display surface to be raised or lowered using a modular table composed of a series of stackable rings.
Goppion’s use of advanced technology gives equal importance to preventive conservation and sophisticated design. The company’s work meets the highest requirements for world-class museum display cases, and all of its cases feature high airtightness and passive RH (relative humidity) stabilisation, with additional provisions for active stabilisation.
OMA designed the scenography for the Islamic Biennale. For this project, Goppion collaborated with BLACK, a global leader in producing and managing cultural projects.
