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
14 sculptures go on display at public spaces in Riyadh
- The works were chosen by Riyadh Art from its international Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium to reflect its ‘vision of weaving beauty and intellect into the city’s fabric’
- Initiative aligns with efforts to make art a key part of city’s identity that improves quality of life and promotes the cultural economy, says Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s Khalid Al-Hazani
RIYADH: Fourteen sculptures selected from the annual international Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium, a Riyadh Art program, went on display on Wednesday at three prominent public spaces across the Saudi capital: ROSHN Front, the SEDRA residential community, and Sports Boulevard.
The project is part of Riyad Art’s efforts to showcase artworks in public spaces, and the addition of more works in other places is expected later.
Khalid Al-Hazani, the executive vice president of the lifestyle sector at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, said: “This step reflects (Riyadh Art’s) vision of weaving beauty and intellect into the city’s fabric, and creating vibrant and culturally rich public spaces, allowing art to become an integral part of people’s daily lives.”
It is also in line with Riyadh Art’s broader strategy for transforming the city into an open-air art gallery, he added, thereby “turning art into a central element of the city’s identity and a key contributor to improving quality of life and promoting the cultural economy.”
The three chosen locations were considered perfect places to host the artworks because of their vibrancy, strong community connections and accessibility, Al-Hazani noted.
“This provides residents and visitors with the opportunity to engage with the sculptures in their everyday lives,” he said.
Seven of the sculptures have been installed at ROSHN Front, considered a key urban hub. The artworks on display there form a thought-provoking artistic landscape that encourages interaction, organizers said, and explores a number of themes including the values of urban transformation, community spirit, and creative curiosity.
Three sculptures are on display at the SEDRA residential community. Chosen to complement its serene character and nature-integrated urban planning, they blend in with their surroundings to reflect the values of environmental harmony, contemplation and renewal, organizers explained.
The remaining four sculptures are at Sports Boulevard, known for its open, green spaces. These works reflect several concepts, in particular ideas of nature, balance and public health.
All of the sculptures are part of Riyadh Art’s permanent collection, which includes works created by local and international artists during the Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium.
