Riyadh Art adds seven Al-Salim sculptures to collection — Asharq Al-Awsat

The Riyadh Art program in Saudi Arabia has added seven monumental sculptures by Saudi artist Mohammed Al-Salim to its permanent public art collection in Riyadh. Six works have already been installed in the open plaza of the Western Metro Station on Line 3, also known as the Orange Line. The seventh sculpture is planned to be installed later, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

The works waited decades for installation

The sculptures were created in 1985 for an urban public art competition organized by the Riyadh municipality. They were not installed at the time, so the works remained stored in the artist's studio for decades.

In 2022, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City acquired the sculptures and arranged for their restoration and conservation. The process was overseen by the artist's daughter, Najla Mohammed Al-Salim, and the Dar Al-Funoon Al-Sa'udiyyah foundation in order to preserve the author's original vision.

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From the desert to urban space

In August, the works Al Showkah Al Khumasiyah, Shurfa, Al Kurah, Al Mouthalathat, Bur'aum Al Zahrah, and Al Ahilla were installed. The seventh sculpture is to be Al Nafourah Al Halazouniyah, whose name is translated as “Spiral Fountain.”

In these works, Al-Salim drew on motifs of desert landscapes, the architecture of the Najd region, geometric forms, and celestial imagery. The Western Metro Station was designed by the Saudi architecture and engineering company Omrania: its earth-toned forms evoke sand dunes, allow natural light through, and provide shade for pedestrians.

Following the addition of the sculptures, Riyadh Art's permanent collection comprises 82 artworks located in city districts, public spaces, and along the main transport routes of the Saudi Arabian capital.