Artists are invited to apply for the 2026 edition of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium and Exhibition in Riyadh, responding to a site shaped by transformation and renewal.
Courtesy of Riyadh Art.
The Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium and Exhibition has opened applications for its 2026 edition, which will take place in Tahlia, Riyadh. Under the theme Traces of What Will Be, this year’s programme invites artists to reflect on transformation as both a physical process and a metaphor for change.
Tahlia, whose name means desalination, was once the site of Riyadh’s first desalination plant. The location marks a point where innovation turned scarcity into sustenance—where saltwater became life. By returning to this history, the 2026 symposium positions artistic practice within broader narratives of adaptation, ingenuity, and collective renewal.
Tracing Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s relationship with desalination began in 1907, when a salvaged shipwreck in Jeddah was repurposed to produce fresh water. From this early experiment, the Kingdom grew to become the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, shaping the future of global water sustainability.
Through Traces of What Will Be, artists are invited to respond to this history of transformation and its continuing resonance. Working primarily with local stone and reclaimed metal, they will create new sculptural works that reflect both memory and possibility. The symposium emphasises materials that hold traces of the past while opening pathways to the future.
A Platform for Exchange
Organised under Riyadh Art, Tuwaiq Sculpture provides an international platform for sculptors to create, exchange, and exhibit work in public space. Each year, the symposium transforms a district of Riyadh into an open-air studio and exhibition site.
During the 2026 edition, selected artists will produce their works in situ in Tahlia, engaging directly with the material, site, and community. The symposium will culminate in a public exhibition at the exact location, turning the district into a temporary landscape of artistic experimentation and collaboration.
Eligibility and Application
Applications are open to professional artists with a minimum of three years’ experience and at least three completed public sculptures or commissions. Artists may submit one proposal only.
Before applying, applicants are required to review the Open Call Guidelines and Tuwaiq Sculpture FAQs, available online. The open call is accessible in English and Arabic.
The symposium will run from 5 to 31 January 2026, and will include on-site production, mentorship, and the final exhibition of completed works.
Art and Renewal
Through its annual editions, Tuwaiq Sculpture continues to shape Riyadh’s public art landscape and strengthen its position as a global centre for contemporary sculpture. The 2026 edition draws from the legacy of Tahlia’s desalination plant to explore how transformation—both material and metaphorical—can define the future of cities and their communities.
Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026: Traces of What Will Be runs from 5 January to 31 January 2026 in Tahlia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For application details and submission guidelines, visit www.riyadhart.sa.
