In cooperation with Jeddah municipality and in line with the central Corniche waterfront development project, ALJ Community Initiatives (ALJCI) has contracted a specialized British company, Bloudan and Smith, to maintain the sculptures along Al-Hamra Corniche. Twenty-six bronze sculptures made by world-prominent artists have been chosen to be restored to their original status. The process will be completed in cooperation with the artists who designed the sculptures or the organization to which the sculptures belong.
The statues include works by Henry Moore (UK), Victor Vazarelly and Cesar Baldicini (France), Joan Miró (Spain), Alexander Calder (US), Jane ARB (Germany), Mustafa Subul (Egypt) and Rabi'a Al Akhras (Syria).
ALJCI prepared a special workshop of 500 square meters inside Abdul Latif Jameel Co. for maintenance of the sculptures. The workshop is equipped with highly advanced tools required for their maintenance. In addition to the British maintenance company, Mtec is responsible for dismantling and reassembling the sculptures, while the Mexican Luxpupoli is specialized in lighting sculptures. Brandsaint is preparing illustrative maps of sculptures for Jeddah visitors and those interested in them.
The statues have been divided into two categories based on their size. The first category consisting of 20 sculptures was dismantled and carried to the workshop for maintenance works, while the other category, which includes six sculptures, were maintained on-site. The maintenance program was accompanied by a training program for Saudi artists on preventive maintenance works to ensure that the sculptures would remain in a good condition at all times.
Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras announced that due to the increasing importance of the statues that have been installed along the Corniche since the 1980s, a special location had been dedicated for them between Al-Anani Mosque and Al-Salam Palace on an area of 7,000 square meters. The area will be an open museum for Jeddah residents and visitors. According to Abu Ras, no other city in the world enjoys this number of sculptures in one place. He expected that this open museum would be nominated to the Guinness World Records.
Fadi Jameel, president of ALJ Community Initiatives International, said that ALJCI International is proud to cooperate with the municipality to maintain this rare collection of sculptures and to restore to Jeddah its beauty and glory. Jameel added that this is only the first stage, which will be followed by other steps to maintain all sculptures in Jeddah.
ALJCI Executive Director Ibrahim Badawood announced that documentation of the civilized and artistic history of the Jeddah sculptures is highly important. ALJCI is preparing a book written by British writer Edward Booth and assisted by Saudi researcher Maryam Bloding, while famous Saudi artist Ahmed Matir will prepare a documentary about the sculptures.
Maintenance and installation works will be finished in November, after which Jeddah residents will again be able to enjoy the statues in their new look.
ALJCI to maintain Al-Hamra Corniche sculptures
