Canvas – Lighting the Way: Noor Riyadh 2024

Pictures by Noor Riyadh

Canvas, the leading Middle Eastern arts and culture magazine, featured VOUW's Chairwave installation as a standout work in their comprehensive review of Noor Riyadh 2024, the world's largest light art festival. Writer noted Chairwave as "the real standout" among the 62 installations, praising its "retro game show-style hotseat energy that explicitly discourages social distancing." The review highlights how when someone sits down, the seats next to them light up and unfold—creating a scenario where "you cannot sit alone"—embodying VOUW's slowtech philosophy of technology that brings people together rather than alienates them.

The review positions Chairwave as a compelling example of meaningful interaction design within a festival that featured works by 61 artists from 18 countries. Canvas's coverage underscores how VOUW's kinetic seating installation successfully demonstrated an alternative approach to technology in public spaces, encouraging genuine human connection in an era where social isolation has become increasingly common.