Between the Lines, 2025

Between the Lines (2025) is an installation by Abdelrahman Elshahed that extends his ongoing project of the same name. The work draws on a rhetorical metaphor in Arab heritage that asks the viewer to attend to what is implied rather than what is stated. It is inspired by Arabic letterforms that open with “Bismillah, in the name of Allah,” and close with “Peace be upon you.” For Noor Riyadh, this imaginary letterform is rendered invisible, leaving only its contents—the vivid red of the calligraphic phrase “I love you.” Placed on Qasr Al Hokm District’s mud walls in Riyadh, bending along the curve of the building in a gesture of care, it becomes an ode to time. The neon red “I love you” is elongated to inhabit space without overt declaration, its extension a quiet statement of permanence. Elshahed deliberately merges historically rooted elements with contemporary Arabic typography, aligning his calligraphic heritage with a modern visual language.