BURAIDAH, 16 August 2007 -- Municipal workers around the country exert great effort in beautifying streets and squares with giant sculptures and monuments. However, according to art experts in the Kingdom, the workers seem to lack an understanding of the negative hidden messages that their sculptures convey.
There are three cases that best illustrate how people misread municipal sculptures that are built to beautify city streets and roundabouts. At the entrance of Tumair, a town 130 kilometers northeast of Riyadh, visitors are greeted by a giant sculpture of an old rifle built by municipal sculptors and artists.
"One logical interpretation of this giant rifle is violence," said Mohammad Nayef Awad Al-Mutairy, an art teacher at an intermediate school in Qasim. He added that a person casually admiring the piece might praise the artist or sculptor, who is simply responsible for the end product.
Al-Mutairy also said that art by nature can be interpreted in various ways that may contradict the artist's original intention. "Violence is what the rifle sculpture stands for. It has no artistic value," he added.
"Imagine the number of times children look at this sculpture every day. It can create a violent attitude in them. The situation here is just like a violent Hollywood movie, but with a different perspective," said Abdulrahman Al-Qusair, another teacher.
"The sculptor does not have authority over his work. The interpretation is simply in the hands of passersby," he added.
Next to an abattoir in Al-Shumasiah, a town 45 kilometers east of Buraidah, is a giant butcher's knife standing tall. "It is meant to tell the public that there is a slaughterhouse near here," said Al-Qusair. "But the hidden message is very disturbing. It is a message of violence again," he added.
Al-Qusair said there is a need to hold art-training programs for municipal workers that make sculptures and draw murals. "They could also consult artists or experts who could give them a helping hand in suggesting ideas for monuments and sculptures," he said, adding that making sculptures of a butcher's knife along a street is not exactly a good idea.
Close to a dispensary in Al-Shumasiah is a giant hypodermic syringe marking the way to a local health clinic. Ali Al-Rasheed, a supervisor at Al-Shumasiah Municipality, told Arab News that the syringe looks "beautiful."
When asked about its potential negative effects on children, he said, "On the contrary, they are happy about it. It has no bad effects whatsoever."
Speaking about the inspiration behind some of the Kingdom's wacky sculptures, Al-Rasheed explained that foreign workers translate the ideas of senior Saudi municipal officials into physical form and come up with "beautiful sculptures."
"It is strange that these administrators and workers are not able to understand the negative aspects of the sculptures they make and the unpleasant effects needles can have on children," said Mohammad Nayef Al-Mutairy. "This sculpture should be removed away from the sight of children and adults alike. It is simply inappropriate," he added.
By Khaled Al-Awadh
© Arab News 2007
