JEDDAH: As part of the Jeddah Sculpture Museum initiative, Art Jameel has, in partnership with the Jeddah municipality, installed artist Maha Mallouh’s sculpture, entitled “Food for Thought” at the Jeddah corniche.
This is the first time a sculpture by a Saudi female artist has been installed in Jeddah.
The Jeddah Sculpture Museum initiative is an ongoing project involving the restoration of a number of sculptures along Jeddah’s Central Corniche. Twenty of the sculptures were placed in the new Jeddah Sculptures Museum, which is located north of Al-Anani Mosque, and was inaugurated in March 2014 by Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah.
Maha Mallouh’s “Food for Thought” sculpture was installed in the middle of the corniche, next to the Al-Anani Mosque. Her work reflects her interest in the impact of globalization on the Arab region, and the shift from the traditionally proud oral culture of the Arabs to an increasingly visual culture. Her “Food for Thought” work attempts to create a platform where both oral and visual culture are brought together and celebrated.
“In my works, I explore our materialistic culture and its relation to national and individual identities. I’m so proud that my work is the first sculpture made by a Saudi artist in my city of birth, Jeddah, as part of Art Jameel’s sculpture project. This project sets an excellent example of modernism in art for the city of Jeddah,” she said.
For the sculpture, aluminum posts are created from pieces used historically as cooking vessels in bedouin tents, Arab homes and restaurants, collected from flea markets around Saudi Arabia.
Capturing this visual history also reflects an oral history, where coming together to cook and share food also brings with it the telling of stories, histories, anecdotes and tales. The pots, therefore, celebrate Arab history and the tradition of Arab hospitality, as they exist as a visual testimony of personal histories.
Dalya Mousa, Art Jameel program manager, said: “We are delighted to see the first sculpture by a Saudi female artist being installed as part of our ambitious sculpture project. The project is a celebration of sculpture, young and old, traditional, modern and conceptual, from around the world. ‘Food for Thought’ will sit proudly on the corniche as a reminder of a rich Arab history and culture and the way it has been, and continues to be, shaped by the modern world.”
The Jeddah Sculpture Museum initiative began in 2011, when Art Jameel and the Jeddah municipality came together to build the Jeddah Sculpture Museum, the first open-air sculpture museum in the city and one of the largest open-air museums in the world, and to restore a number of sculptures originally in place around Jeddah corniche.
The second phase of the project, restoring two of the most famous and historic sculptures in Jeddah, is currently underway. “The Fist” by one of the world’s renowned French artists, César Baldaccini, and “The Verse” by Spanish artist Julio Lafuente. Restoration of “The Verse” is currently ongoing.
Sculpture by Saudi female artist installed at Jeddah corniche
Sculpture by Saudi female artist installed at Jeddah corniche
Rebuilding lives: Saudi initiative gives fresh hope to amputees
- Baitureh Health Association has provided life-changing support to more than 1,000 people
- Prosthetic limbs can cost up to $76,000
MAKKAH: The Baitureh Health Association for the Care of Amputees has quickly become one of Saudi Arabia’s most impactful humanitarian initiatives, transforming support for people with lost limbs.
Established in 2020, the association deals with people’s physical, psychological and social needs and fills a long-standing gap in the national health system.
CEO Badr bin Alyan told Arab News that the initiative was created in response to a growing need, driven by amputations linked to accidents, blood disorders, occupational injuries and other causes.
Its operations were “based on service integration rather than fragmentation, enabling beneficiaries to return to their lives with confidence, ability and independence,” he said.
This holistic process covers everything from initial evaluations to psychological and physical rehabilitation, family support, prosthetic fitting and ongoing maintenance.
Its psychological support programs include group sessions led by certified mentors who have undergone similar experiences, as well as field visits to support patients before and after amputation.
More than 1,000 people across the Kingdom have so far benefitted from the association’s work, about 10 percent of them children, whom Alyan said were “the most sensitive and the most in need of intensive psychological and family support.”
Its specialist programs for children — My First Step and Therapeutic Entertainment — help young people adapt to prosthetics, overcome trauma and build confidence in a safe and supportive setting.
The association has completed more than 300 prosthetic fittings, including silicone cosmetic limbs, mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and 3D-printed models.
Alyan said the type of prosthetic selected depended on a number of factors, such as age, lifestyle, type of amputation, activity level and psychological readiness.
Children also have to undergo frequent adjustments to their new limbs to account for their growth.
Each prosthetic cost between SR20,000 ($5,300) and SR285,000, Alyan said.
The association funds its work through sponsorships, community contributions and strategic partnerships.
Despite its success, Alyan said there were still challenges to be faced, including the lack of a consolidated base for the provision of psychological support and therapy services and prosthetics development and maintenance.
There was also a shortage of local experts, he said.
In response, the association set up a rehabilitation center, which Alyan said would help to localize prosthetics manufacturing, reduce costs and accelerate fitting processes and create opportunities for local experts to develop their knowledge and experience.
But providing prosthetics was only part of the association’s work, he said.
“Rebuilding a human life is the deeper goal.”
