Najm

Najm (2024), meaning “star” in Arabic, is a newly commissioned installation by Italian artist Stefano Cagol that pays homage to the natural light source that has guided human journeys for millennia. Installed on the plains of Wadi Hanifah, the artwork merges celestial symbolism with Islamic architectural heritage, reimagining the spiritual and navigational role of stars.

The canopy-like form draws inspiration from muqarnas—ornate, tiered niches found in traditional Islamic architecture—translated here into a fractured, crumpled dome. Constructed from lightweight aluminum, each panel is shaped and bolted by hand, resulting in an irregular, jagged surface that appears from below like a multi-pointed star collapsing into itself.

By day, the sculpture’s mirrored surfaces reflect and fragment sunlight, sending light in infinite directions across the surrounding landscape. By night, the structure absorbs and catches ambient illumination, giving the impression of a floating celestial body and creating an immersive experience akin to walking beneath a starry sky.

Najm invites visitors to pass beneath its shimmering vault, encouraging them to pause, look up, and reflect. It brings the vastness of the cosmos within reach—transforming a quiet moment under a canopy into a poetic encounter with the universe. In doing so, it celebrates light not only as a guiding force, but as a metaphor for wonder, discovery, and infinite possibility.