Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition 2023
Tuwaiq Sculpture is an annual symposium and exhibition in Durrat Al Riyadh, which is unique in that it allows the public to witness live sculpting of large-scale artworks, this year by 30 international and local artists. The symposium culminates in an on-site exhibition, with the sculptures enriching the Riyadh Art collection and later becoming a permanent feature of the Saudi capital’s urban fabric.
The cultural exchange is uniting international and local minds through sculpture and furthering Riyadh as a cultural hub in Saudi Arabia. The artists were selected from an open call by a jury panel of experts, including Marek Wolynski, along with Alaa Tarabzouni, Ali Al-Tokhais, Dr. Effat Fadag and Johannes von Stumm.
This year’s theme, ‘Energy of Harmony’, developed by Wolynski, this edition’s curator, reflects the balance we all strive for in our lives, as well as ideas of cohesion and mutual understanding in the midst of great transformative change. Artists responded to the theme whilst weaving in narratives existing in their practice and drawing inspiration from their physical location in Riyadh.
The artists travelled to Riyadh from 20 countries around the world to participate in Tuwaiq Sculpture, from as far as Austria, China, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland, alongside strong representation from Saudi Arabia. Artists have exhibited works internationally, with a number working as academics within the field of sculpture.
A strong cohort of Saudi women sculptors are participating this year, including Noha Al-Sharif, Rajaa Alshafee, Wafa AlQunibit and Azhar Saeed. Noha Al-Sharif will present her artwork entitled Vision, exploring the female body, which in her piece takes the form of both human and bird combined, and is complimented by the smooth material and surface of Saudi granite, exploring a balanced harmony between the two forms.
Another highlight includes a piece by Spanish artist José Carlos Cabello Millán, whose sculpture entitled Understanding, utilises 3D printing technologies and investigates human relationships, asserting that the understanding between two people is based on a shared language.
The sculptures will be exhibited in situ for a period of 6 days, from February 5 – 10. After this, they will be relocated to permanent locations throughout the capital city of Saudi Arabia, enriching the Riyadh Art collection and becoming a permanent feature of Riyadh’s urban fabric. Carved out of granite and Riyadh stone, the sculptures embrace the viewer in a maze of cultural significance as they tour the exhibition.
The sculptures will be exhibited in situ for a period of 6 days, then, they will be relocated to permanent locations throughout the capital city of Saudi Arabia making Tuwaiq Sculpture part of the broader Riyadh Art program, which seeks to turn Riyadh into a “gallery without walls” with more than 1,000 artworks to be displayed across the city in the coming years.
Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition 2023
Location: Durrat Al Riyadh
Duration: 5 February – 10 February