Fadi Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel JEDDAH – In cooperation with Jeddah Municipality, and in line with the central cornice waterfront development project, ALJ Community Initiatives (ALJCI) contracted a specialized British company to maintain the sculptures along Al Hamra Cornice. Twenty six bronze sculptures made by world-prominent artists have been chosen to restore it to its original status and repair its damages. The process will be completed in cooperation with the artists who designed he sculptures or the organization to which such sculptures belong. Sculptures include works by the famous artists Henry Moore (UK), Victor Vazarelly and Cesar Baldicini (France), the Joan Miro (Spain), Alexander Calder (US), Jane ARB (Germany), and Arab artists including 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 sculptures. The workshop is equipped with highly advanced equipment required for maintenance of sculptures. Bloudan and Smith, the British company specialized in maintenance of such kind of sculptures. In addition, Mtec is responsible for dismantling and reassembling sculptures, the Mexican Luxpupoli is specialized in lighting sculptures, and Brandsaint, which is preparing illustrative maps of sculptures for Jeddah visitors and those who are interested in sculptures. Fadi Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, President of ALJ Community Initiatives International, said ALJCI International is proud to cooperate with the Jeddah Municipality to maintain this rare collection of sculptures and to restore to Jeddah its beauty and glory. This is only the first stage, and will be followed by other stages to maintain all other sculptures in Jeddah. Ibrahim Badawood, ALJCI Executive Director, said the documentation of this civilized and artistic history of Jeddah sculptures is highly important. ALJCI is preparing a book that is being written by the British writer Edward Booth and assisted by the Saudi researcher Maryam Bloding, while Dr. Ahmed Matir, the famous Saudi artists will prepare a documentary about Jeddah sculptures. Maintenance and installation works will finalize in November, after which Jeddah residents will again be able to enjoy the sculptures in their new look. Sculptures have been divided into two categories based on their sizes. The first category, including 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 sculptures will remain in a good condition at all times. Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras announced that due to the increasing importance of sculptures that have been installed along the cornice since 1980s, a special location has been dedicated for it between Al Anani mosque and Al Salam Palace, on an area of 7,000 m2. The area will be an open museum for Jeddah residents and visitors. He said no other city in the whole world enjoys this number of sculptures in one place. He expected that this open museum will be nominated to Guinness World Records. – SG
