Traces of what will be

Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 marked a defining milestone in the evolution of the symposium, presenting its most ambitious chapter to date, and the seventh since its inception.​ 

 Set within a highly visible urban location, this edition placed sculpture at the center of the city's movement, expanding its reach and reinforcing public art as a shared civic experience.​ 

With unprecedented levels of public engagement, the symposium evolved into a dynamic platform for live creation, interaction, and cultural exchange. Twenty-five selected artists were invited to participate in this edition, producing original sculptural works while engaging directly with the public. Visitors were encouraged to witness the sculptural process as it unfolded and experience art as an active presence within the urban landscape.​ 

For the first time in its history, Tuwaiq Sculpture introduced metal alongside stone, presenting monumental works in granite, stainless steel, and reclaimed metal. This expansion of materials enabled bolder forms, larger structures, and new artistic expressions, setting a new creative benchmark for the symposium both locally and internationally.​ 

The artists produced original works that will be permanently installed across the capital, enriching Riyadh's expanding public art collection and contributing lasting cultural landmarks to the city.​ 

Traces of what will be 

Set along Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Street(Tahlia Street), the former site of Riyadh's firstdesalination plant, the 2026 edition of the TuwaiqSculpture Symposium and Exhibition unfolded underthe theme Traces of What Will Be. This year’s editionexplored transformation as both a physical process anda metaphor for urban renewal. Tahlia is inseparablefrom its history as the site of Riyadh’s first desalinationplant, a pioneering infrastructure that converted scarcityinto sustenance, and saltwater into life.​ 

The Kingdom’s journey with desalination began in1907, when a salvaged shipwreck was repurposed inJeddah. From that ingenious beginning, Saudi Arabiabecame the world’s largest producer of desalinatedwater. This technology now sustains life in coastal citiesaround the globe. Tahlia’s early embrace ofdesalination reflects a broader civic urgency, groundedin innovation, adaptability, and collective well-being.​ 

The symposium celebrated this legacy by inviting artiststo respond to a site shaped by environmental ingenuityand transformation. Working with local stone andreclaimed metal, materials that hold both memory andpotential, artists created new sculptural works that markthe present while imagining the future. Tahlia became ashared space for artistic production, reflection, andglobal exchange, culminating in an exhibition at the verysite of their creation.​