Paint the town – the exhibition takes art to the streets of Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is emerging as the art capital of the Middle East. The one-of-a-kind art festival, Tuwaiq Sculpture, has returned for its sixth edition. The event runs from 12 to 24 February, and this year’s theme is From Then to Now: Joy in the Struggle of Making. 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 within the country and around the world. The event makes art accessible, both in its acceptance of open submissions and how it showcases art. The process is in two parts: the first half lets the public watch the production process, and the second half exhibits the finished artwork.
The 2025 edition is curated by Sebastian Betancur-Montoya. This year’s theme is fitting for a country going through headline-hitting changes – aka Saudi Vision 2030. He explains: “The theme is focused around the idea of process. There is a moment of vulnerability when an artist is creating an artwork, and this normally happens in private in the studio. This offered the public the opportunity to see artists creating in a communal way. It’s like a reality TV programme for art. It forces the artist to come up with ideas on the spot or modify things. There is that moment where they put the tools down and stop – it’s beautiful”.
Meet the artists
What makes Tuwaiq Sculpture unique is that visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at live sculpting. The challenge: 24 days, an assistant, and blocks of locally sourced granite. The artists produce large-scale sculptures out of raw blocks, which originate from the country and return to the country – then, as public art.
Sarah Alruwayti, Director of Tuwaiq Sculpture, shares: “When we relocate the sculptures, it beautifies the city. It doesn’t just impact artists, it impacts the public. They can think, I can do it too”.
Sculpting is often associated with men, from Michelangelo to Rodin. At Tuwaiq Sculpture, it’s common to find a woman in an abaya, headscarf or niqab using a chisel, hammer and mallet. This year, there are an impressive number of Saudi Arabian female artists, including Ebtesam Saleh, Bodour Alaqidi, Noha Alsharif and Rawan Alshehri.
Ebtesam has created Anan. She is only 23 years old, and working with confidence alongside older, experienced – and male – artists. She reflects: “At this current time, there is a lot of empowerment and support for women in Saudi Arabia and in the art field. It is a huge honour for me to be one of the female sculptors”.
The festival also brings together artists from around the world, from Columbia to China. Australian artist Jacob Lucius Cartwright has made his first visit to Saudi Arabia, and is behind Memory Palace. He shares: “I decided to put all preconceptions aside, and I was happily surprised by the warmth. My piece explores how archetypes reside in our consciousness and subconscious. It’s about the construction of who we are, our identity and cultural memories. The different facets, portals and doorways are about different opportunities and spaces containing our memories”.
South Korean artist Seungwoo Hwang’s The Whisper of the Wave is inspired by the desert. He states: “When you see my work, you can see the desert and the dunes. The title is not only related to water but the desert. This is my second time to Saudi Arabia, and I think everyone has a desert inside of them”.
If you’re feeling inspired, you can meet the artists and join panel talks and interactive workshops. Break the mould.
GO: Visit https://riyadhart.sa for more information.