Lakum Artspace in Riyadh is back with a public programme and Malmoum Café
The arts and culture space on Al Urubah Road has returned as a gallery, library, shop and café, with paid workshops for children and adults through November.
Lakum Artspace, the multidisciplinary art space in Riyadh's Umm Al Hamam district, is open to the public again with a new calendar of workshops and its own café, Malmoum. The space describes itself as an artspace, gallery, hub, library, shop and café in one building, and its new programme spans art, design, sound, film, food and performance.
Lakum first opened in December 2021 with Prognosis 1979-2019, a large solo show by the Saudi artist Ahmed Mater, followed in 2022 by Raw, Kingdom. Since then much of its activity has been private: brand evenings and launches for names such as Dior, YSL and Cheval Blanc, which it lists on its own website. What's On Saudi Arabia reported on 8 November that Lakum announced its return on Instagram in mid-October, and the venue's site now presents itself as "the new face of Lakum Artspace", a place where exhibitions turn into gatherings.
The café is part of that new face. Malmoum Café is run with the space, and in September the two hosted a Saudi National Day evening with live music and the launch of Malmoum's new signature drinks. What's On also mentions regular coffee mornings at the café.
The first public booking on the new calendar is Little Makers Club on Saturday 14 November at 4pm, a children's workshop where young artists paint a canvas and arrange ceramic pieces on it. Lakum's ticket page lists it at SAR 115, with ten places left when we checked. What's On lists two more Saturdays: a "creative break" of games, painting and coffee for adults on 21 November, and an ikebana workshop on 28 November, where guests make a preserved floral arrangement, at SAR 650. No new exhibition has been announced yet.
The building sits on Al Urubah Branch Road in Umm Al Hamam Al Gharbi. What's On gives the hours as Sunday to Thursday 10am to 10pm and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Friday hours have not been published. Workshops are booked and paid for on lakumartspace.com, which takes Apple Pay, mada and cards, and the space can also be hired for private events. For questions, the venue's number is 920012083.