Riyadh Rising (proposed) 2021

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Dimensions: 55’ x 732’ x 55’

Medium: Stone, steel, light

Client: Art on the Move

Budget: $7.5 million

Fabricator: Vector Custom Fabricating, Douglas Masonry, RGB Lights

Riyadh Rising uses the traditional Bedouin water jug as a metaphor for the spirit of survival in the desert that led to the emergence of Saudi Arabia as a world power with Riyadh as its capital. This humble, common object is connected to much of what made modern-day Saudi Arabia possible. It embodies the legacy of Bedouin women's work, and the spice, incense, salt, and silk caravans that first enriched the region. The network of wells that dotted the desert were used for centuries as a system of navigation; a precursor to the present day highway system. In the Masnawi, Rumi writes of a jug of water in a parable about grace and compassion. Millions of pilgrims are familiar with the small jugs of water they receive from the Zamzam well.