Riyadh Art

Description

Riyadh Art is one of four major programmes that will transform the Saudi capital into a city offering the highest standards of livability and lifestyle, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. Proger is in charge of the Programme Management Office of this unprecedented initiative, which counts more than 1,000 contemporary artworks to be installed in 300 selected sites in the city of Riyadh, with the aim of transforming the city into an open-air art gallery and a world-class tourist destination.

In order to make such an ambitious vision come true, Proger has assembled a team of engineers, designers, managers, art experts and directors of some of the world’s most important museums to work together according to the company’s principles of flexibility and excellence

Going into details, Riyadh Art is divided into 10 sub-programs and two annual festivals. 

Sub-programs range from Jewels of Riyadh, dedicated to site-specific installations of artworks by world-renowned artists in the city’s most important squares, to Hidden River, that is focused on illuminating the main bridges of the city and revitalising the wadis banks. They span different levels of scale and visual impact, from the numerous small playground projects of Joyous Gardens to the imposing works of Art on the Move and Welcoming Gateways, which will mark the most important infrastructural junctions and entrance ‘gates’ to the city. To complete the overview, we can mention Art in Transit, dedicated to metro and public transport stations, Urban Art Lab, Urban Flow, Garden City and Riyadh Icon, which will give life to a new landmark in the city, visual symbol of the cultural aspirations of Vision 2030. 

Finally, there are the two annual festivals, which at the moment are the most tangible manifestation of Riyadh Art: the Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium and the Noor Riyadh, a festival of lights, where artists from all over the world lit up and coloured the city streets and involved hundreds of thousands of people.

Client

RCRC – Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Services

Permitting. Project Management. Construction Management. Procurement. Specialist Consultancy.

Location

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Technical Data

Programs: 10 + 2 festivals

Total installations: 1.000 +

Sites: 300+

International artists involved: 200+

World-class artworks shortlisted: 170+

World-class artworks selected: 24

International competitions launched: 3

Proposals selected: 20