Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium

Riyadh Art announces the opening of Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium, its second project slated to run from November 15 through December 10, following the inaugural edition of Noor Riyadh. This symposium places community engagement at its fundamental core, which aligns with Riyadh Art’s mission to enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike.

The Tuwaiq Sculpture artists all work at the cutting edge of their field, and are comprised of seasoned international sculpture symposium participants, as well as rising local talent. In line with Riyadh Art’s mission to bring emerging artists from around the world to the Saudi capital, these 20 artists will live-sculpt their work during a period spanning November 15–December 5, 2021, following which the resulting artworks will be on view for four days, before moving to various outdoor locations across the city. Tuwaiq Sculpture is conceived as a celebration of diversity across art forms while examining thematic commonalities between international artists through aesthetics, and more.

Tuwaiq Sculpture will include more than 30 engaging talks and panel discussions while simultaneously conducting workshops for the general public. The symposium will also include over 90 guided tours for everyone, including children of all ages, university students, adults, and art aficionados, providing a range of opportunities to delve into the world of sculpting.

Convening the 20 Tuwaiq Sculpture artists along with leading figures in the Saudi cultural landscape, the talks will cover topics such as calligraphy as an artistic medium, the history of sculpture as an art form in Saudi Arabia, and the prevalence of organic motifs in sculpture. The program also includes a roundtable with Eike Schmidt (Uffizi, Florence) and Cristiana Collu (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome), both of whom sit on the Riyadh Art expert panel.

Tuwaiq Sculpture will welcome visitors to the program from November 21 with guided tours and educational trips, and from November 25 with panel discussions and workshops. Tickets are free and can be pre-booked online. A schedule of the symposium along with ticketing details as well as health and safety information is available on the Riyadh Art website.

Rooted in a desire to further art knowledge in the city, Riyadh Art has set up a volunteering program in partnership with Riyadh’s Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, which will see students interact with the participating artists during the Tuwaiq Sculpture.

Tuwaiq Sculpture features 20 international sculptors who will create a series of permanent public sculptures. This year’s theme, The Poetics of Space, invites visitors to join the participating artists in  exploring connections between matter and emptiness, light and shadow. The symposium (November 15–December 5, 2021) is a platform for international and Saudi artists to create public sculptures in a live setting. The sculptures will be on public display for four days during a special on-site exhibition (December 7–10, 2021) before moving to various permanent locations across the city, furthering the mission of Riyadh Art to transform the city into a gallery without walls.