20 artists transform Riyadh into an open sculpture exhibition in “Tuwaiq 2027”

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The Saudi capital, Riyadh, is preparing to receive 20 artists from the Kingdom and around the world, who will meet in early 2027 to sculpt new works of art in front of the public, before distributing them to various locations in the city, as part of the eighth edition of the “Tuwaiq Sculpture Forum,” which is organized by the “Riyadh Art” program under the slogan “Deep in the Roots.”

The program, one of the projects of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, announced the opening of applications for participation for artists from October 18 to November 8, 2026, in a version that explores the relationship between land, cultural memory, and transformations of place, and gives the public the opportunity to follow the making of artistic works from its early stages until its completion.

The forum aims to select 20 artists to participate in the production of large-scale sculptures, according to an artistic vision that combines cultural heritage and contemporary experiences in sculpture and public art.

Applications require at least three years of professional experience in the field of sculpture, in addition to previous experience in displaying artworks and implementing commissions related to public art.

The artistic direction and selection of participants is supervised by the British curator and art producer, Aldo Rinaldi, and the British-Italian curator and art director, Oronda Scalera, along with the Saudi artist, researcher, and academic, Dr. Soha Al-Zaid.

The eighth edition bears the slogan “Deep in the Roots,” in an artistic proposal that draws inspiration from the layers of the earth and the memory, history and culture they store, and rereads the relationship between the roots of a place and its urban and social transformations.

The concept is not limited to evoking the past, but rather addresses the roots as a source of growth and renewal, and an element that links the city’s identity to its future.

The forum allows artists to work with multiple materials, including granite, metals, decorative ventilation blocks, mosaics, and cement, giving participants space to develop diverse works in terms of composition, materials, and artistic methods.

Types of granite extracted from the Kingdom are also available to artists working on stone, in colors including royal gold, green and royal pink, in addition to black basalt, highlighting the possibilities of employing local materials in contemporary sculptural works.

Over the course of three weeks, the forum site turns into an open artistic space, allowing visitors to watch the artists as they create their sculptures, and learn about the stages of work, starting from the formation of raw materials to the final details.

The forum is accompanied by a cultural and interactive program that includes school and university visits, applied workshops, and specialized dialogue sessions in sculpture, art, and urban planning.

Director of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Forum at the Royal Commission for Riyadh, Sarah Al-Ruwait, said that the forum gives the public the opportunity to follow artists as they work side by side to create large-scale sculptures, noting that each work of art represents a shared experience that strengthens the city’s connection with art.

The forum's activities conclude with an exhibition open to the public that includes the completed works, before they are transported to various locations in the capital to become part of the permanent collection of artworks of the "Riyadh Art" program.

This step gives the forum a dimension that goes beyond holding a temporary cultural event, as the sculptures move from the production space to the urban landscape, becoming works that residents and visitors can see in public places.

The Tuwaiq Sculpture Forum is part of the “Riyadh Art” program, which was launched in 2019 with the aim of enhancing the presence of art in public spaces and enriching the cultural and visual experience in the Saudi capital.

By integrating artworks with urban sites, the program seeks to make art a part of everyday life, and to strengthen the relationship between city residents and its public spaces.