Minted Narratives: Legacy of Saudi Arabia in Coins_ 17.09.2025 / 16.12.2025
Scenography by GHAITH&JAD
Exhibition by the Saudi Museums Commission_ Saudi Ministry of Culture
National Museum of Saudia Arabia_ Riyadh_ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Under the patronage of
His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture
His Excellency Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Vice Minister of Culture
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia_ Riyad, KSA
Exhibition showcases the exceptional collection of Dr. Alain Baron, renowned numismatist and founder of Numismatica Genevensis. Bringing together some of the most significant and rare Islamic coins, the collection traces centuries of cultural, political, and artistic history.
The scenography for Minted Narratives: Saudi Arabia’s Legacy in Coins was conceived as an experience entirely shaped around the coins themselves, with the design becoming more than a backdrop, it becomes a central storyteller. The exhibition unfolds as a journey through carefully designed environments, each reflecting the layered meanings and shifting values of coinage across time. Our objective was to let the coins speak, while designing spaces that amplify their narrative power.
We envisioned the exhibition as a gradual progression through a sequence of immersive settings, each crafted in response to the themes and historical periods on display. The experience begins with a classical museographic approach, offering visitors a calm, focused atmosphere for close observation of the earliest coins and their details. As the journey continues, the scenography evolves: spaces open, projections emerge, sounds unfold, and light becomes more expressive, leading the visitor into increasingly atmospheric environments. This transformation mirrors the evolving role of coins, from simple means of exchange to powerful symbols of authority, faith, and identity.
The scenography harmonizes two pivotal forces: the extraordinary cultural and historical value of Dr. Alain Baron's rare collection, and the significance of presenting it in Saudi Arabia, the very land where many of the coins were minted. A dedicated section further enriches this narrative through a selection of treasures and coins from the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s collection.The design carries both meanings, shaping a journey that reconnects the collection to its geographical and cultural roots.
Additionally, as scenographers, we invited sound artist Zimoun to contribute a contemporary visual and sonic installation to the experience, one that reflects the perpetual movement of coins in our world and evokes their connection to water, luck, and sound.
More than a conventional exhibition, Minted Narratives offers a layered experience, moving from intimacy to immersion, observation to engagement, allowing visitors to encounter Saudi Arabia’s numismatic legacy through space, story, and sensation.
Photography — Artur Weber
MUSEUMS COMMISSION
Advisor — Mona Khazindar
General Manager, Museums and Concept Development — Ibrahim Alsanousi
Director of Cultural Programming and Exhibitions — Noha AlKadhi
Head of Exhibitions — Racha Salah
Head of Programming — Fadwa ElSayed; assisted by Jumaah Al-Bosaad, Norah Al-Hajri
Director of Communications — Dr. Jana Jabbour; assisted by Attia Al-Rajhi, Nuwayyir Al-Otaibi, Budoor Al-Rubayan, Khaled Al-Dusaimani
Director of Collections — Dr. Virginia Cassola; assisted by Mohammed Al-Nofel, Fahad Faqihi
Head of Publications Department — Jane Smythe
Senior Specialist, Publications Department — Hagar Adam
Senior Specialist, Exhibitions Department — Mashael BinShalhoub
Senior Specialist, Exhibitions Department — Abdullah AlShehri
Operations and Logistics Manager — Hussein Al-Abbad; assisted by Abdullah Al-Faifi, Constantine KSA
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Director — Rola Al-Ghrair; assisted by Reem Aljalhami, Hanan Alyahya, Bander Alwaber, Najla Abuainain
COLLECTOR — Dr. Alain Baron (Numismatica Genevensis SA)
CURATORS — Dr. Alain Baron, Dr. Naif Al-Sharaan
SCENOGRAPHY, LIGHTING — Studio GHAITH&JAD:
Head Architects — Ghaith Abou Ghanem, Jad Melki
Lead Technical Designer — Johnny Kokajian
GRAPHIC AND EDITORIAL DESIGN — Farah Fayyad
ILLUSTRATION — Rana Zaher
CURATORIAL TEXTS — Hagar Adam
CURATORIAL SUPPORT — Majed Al-Otaibi
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES — Artisans d'idées
TRANSLATION — Tanwin
PARTICIPATING ARTIST — Zimoun
AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION — XYZ
PRODUCTION AND INSTALLATION — PICO KSA
Development, Build-up, and Coordination — Chih-Ying Chiang, Hansel Jathan, Shaik Latheef, Wasim Afroz
Graphics Production and Implimentation — Muhammed Asharaf, Sudheesh Kumar