Beginning on Jan. 8, the fourth Tuwaiq Sculpture edition featured 30 international artists creating enormous sculptures that will be a permanent part of Riyadh’s urban environment as public art. This year’s annual sculpture symposium, with the theme “Energy of Harmony,” will run through February 10 and includes a live sculpture event in addition to a public schedule of more than 65 events, including panel discussions and engaging workshops.
An experienced judging team chose the participating sculptors for Tuwaiq Sculpture 2023 from among 650 applicants received through an open invitation. The artists, who come from 20 different nations, including Austria, China, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland, as well as a sizable contingent from Saudi Arabia, have displayed their work internationally, and some of them hold academic positions in the discipline of sculpture. Their suggested works, presented in abstract and figurative shapes, explore ideas like synergy, nature, and ask questions about the human experience.
The 2019-launched Tuwaiq Sculpture is a component of the larger Riyadh Art programme, one of the biggest public art initiatives currently being undertaken globally. More than 1,000 works of art will be displayed throughout Saudi Arabia’s capital as part of Riyadh Art’s effort to transform the city into a “gallery without walls.” Up to now, Tuwaiq Sculpture has collaborated with 90 illustrious local and international artists and thousands of visitors.
Tuwaiq Sculpture will be using Saudi Arabian stone for the first time since its founding, specifically granite and Riyadh stone, commonly known as sandstone. Project manager for Tuwaiq Sculpture Sarah Al-Ruwayti stated: “Use of stones from our local quarries offers significant significance for Tuwaiq Sculpture, notably to highlight Saudi Arabia’s rich history with the medium, from ancient artifacts to rock carvings and contemporary sculpture. Additionally, we wanted both local and foreign musicians to relate to content that was derived directly from the nation’s environment. Once carved into lovely pieces of art, the granite and sandstone will adorn Riyadh’s public spaces, including its parks, cultural centers, and commercial districts.
On January 8, the stone-carvers started their work, and on a special site in Durrat Al-Riyadh, a neighborhood in the north of the city, the general public was allowed to watch the carving in progress live. The culmination of Tuwaiq Sculpture will take the form of an exhibition that runs from February 5 to February 10.
In addition to the creative process, there will be more than 65 community engagement activities, including hands-on workshops in calligraphy, lino print, wood sculpture, stone and glass carving. A series of informative panel talks will cover a variety of subjects, including urban ecology, the business of art, design principles, and sculptural techniques. The community events for Tuwaiq Sculpture will run from January to February in two areas of Riyadh: Durrat and JAX District. Activities for beginner and intermediate levels will be offered in both English and Arabic.
Alaa Tarabzouni, co-founder of Very Public and an architect, artist, and curator whose work focuses on urbanism and the built environment, is one of the artists that have been chosen for the Tuwaiq Sculpture; Wolynski is also the chairwoman of the jury panel that made the selection; Dr. Effat Fadag, a renowned academic whose work focuses on the arts, culture, and heritage of Saudi Arabia; Ali Al-Tokhais, a sculptor with a 40-year career who is an expert in stones from Saudi Arabia; Johannes von Stumm, a renowned artist who is the president of the Oxford Art Society and a former president of the Royal Society of Sculptors in the UK.
The community engagement programme of Tuwaiq Sculpture will host school and university visits, giving students first hand exposure to different sculptural practises as well as sculpting skills, tools, techniques, and materials. Participating artists will contribute to this programme.