How Tuwaiq Sculpture in Riyadh is breaking the mould

It’s time to paint the town – the amazing art festival brings sculpting to the streets. 

Saudi Arabia is fast becoming the art capital of the Middle East. The one-of-a-kind art festival, Tuwaiq Sculpture, has returned for its fifth edition. The event has two parts: the first half lets the public watch the production process, and the second half exhibits the finished artwork. FACT attended the opening ceremony, and met with the artists and curators redrawing the lines. 

Tuwaiq Sculpture is part of Riyadh Art, and turns the city into a gallery without walls. The festival brings together artists from the Kingdom and around the world. The 2024 edition is curated by Marek Wolynski and explores the theme Dimensions of Movement, which is inspired by the acceleration of modern society – aka Saudi Vision 2030.

Tuwaiq Sculpture makes art accessible, both in its selection of artists and how it showcases art. The festival sent out an open call and people responded. Sebastiano Barassi, Head of Henry Moore Collections and Programmes at Henry Foundation, and Tuwaiq Sculpture juror, explains: “We had over 600 applications, which were literally from all over the world. The requirement is to bring sculpture to the public, and immerse sculptures into everyday life.”

Man versus stone

What makes Tuwaiq Sculpture unique is that visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at live sculpting. The challenge: 23 days, one assistant, and six cubic metres of granite or two cubic metres of sandstone. The artists produce large-scale sculptures out of raw blocks, which originate from the country and then return to the country as public art. Festival Curator, Jumana Ghouth, confirms: “One of the things that make it special is you get to see the art in progress. It’s kind of therapeutic.”

Sculpting is often associated with men, from Michelangelo to Rodin. At Tuwaiq Sculpture, it’s commonplace to find a woman in an abaya and headscarf using a chisel, hammer and mallet. Saudi Arabia’s Azhar Saeed is one such female artist, and her work Extension pays homage to HH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. She reveals: “I’m from Saudi Arabia, and I’m excited to see all these artists coming to my country. I’m also excited that I get to exhibit my work in my country.”

Kuwaiti artist Fahah Alhajeri’s Breaking the Limits is inspired by triangular shapes and his heritage. He recalls: “It means a lot to have my work in the city of art, Riyadh. For me, it wasn’t 23 days, it was actually 12 days. The first time they bought me the stone, I found a crack. They gave me another stone, and I worked hard. It’s not easy to carve granite, especially a big piece that is 3.6 metres.”

Spain’s Antonio Vigo’s Unlimited Dreams is a curved, circular wonder. In order to achieve the roundness, he had to create a compass. He shares: “The hardest part was making the circles with precision. The stone is hard and it’s not easy. The sun and moon are international symbols for countries and cultures. I only realised later that the moon is so important in Saudi Arabia.”

Polish artist Piotr Gargas’ Reaching has smooth, soft edges and is nearly three metres tall. “The piece is about reaching for the sky. Usually, I use a softer material like limestone and marble, and this was my first-time using granite. Some people finished earlier, but I worked until the last moment,” he laughs. “It was a challenge turning over two tonnes of block into a delicate piece. I love the phrase, ‘art is not what we see, but what we make others see’ – so everyone can see something different.”

If you’re feeling inspired, you can meet the artists, join panel talks and interactive workshops. Break the mould. Tuwaiq Sculpture runs from 12 to 24 February. 

GO: Visit https://riyadhart.sa for more information.