Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium Concludes Seventh Edition In Riyadh 2026 With 25 New Works

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has wrapped up the seventh Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026, held from January 10. The event drew a strong public presence along Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Road, where residents and visitors watched sculptures take shape in real time and engaged directly with participating artists.

The Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium is organised under the Riyadh Art program, which sits among the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s main public art initiatives. The program supports the creative economy, develops the cultural sector, and aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 goals to reinforce Riyadh’s role as an international arts destination.

This year’s Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026 turned Tahlia Street into an open-air creative studio. The site functioned as a temporary outdoor gallery, allowing audiences to move between works in progress. The approach reflected a plan to place art in public spaces and make cultural experiences part of daily city life.

During the live sculpting phase, held from January 10, artists produced 25 new works on site. Local and international sculptors took part, working in shared spaces that encouraged dialogue with visitors. The new pieces added to a growing body of public sculpture shaped specifically for Riyadh’s urban environment.

Materials played a central role in the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026. Artists used locally sourced stone alongside recycled metals. This choice supported sustainability concepts and showed how discarded or raw materials could be transformed into finished artworks that respond to the surrounding city, streets, and public squares.

The symposium featured a broad community program running in parallel with the sculpting. Activities included specialist panel discussions, training workshops, advanced technical courses, and daily guided tours. These events deepened visitors’ understanding of sculpture, encouraged cultural exchange, and offered practical learning chances for emerging artists working next to international sculptors.

Curators Lulwa Alhomoud, Sarah Staton, and Rut Blees Luxemburg oversaw the artistic direction of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026. Their backgrounds in public art, spatial practice, and contemporary visual culture shaped how the works related to material and place, while also addressing present urban realities and potential future developments.

After the live phase ended, visitors viewed all completed works together in an exhibition that continued until March 8. The sculptures will now move to several key public locations across Riyadh, following a phased installation plan that embeds contemporary sculpture within the city’s streets, open spaces, and wider urban fabric.

The Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026 closed with new artworks ready for permanent display and a wider audience familiar with sculptural practice. Through its mix of creation, education, and public engagement, the symposium supported Riyadh Art program objectives and contributed to ongoing cultural change in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

With inputs from SPA