Piece title: Oasis
Technical details: Large Scale Sculpture. Aluminum and LED installation. 2022. New commission. 32m L, 16m H
Location: 25.2256264, 46.4068766. 40-minute drive north from Riyadh, near Horimlaa.
Dates: November 3 – November 19, 2022
Arne Quinze presents his light installation Oasis in the midst of the Riyadh desert. This public installation embodies Arne Quinze’s ideology of an oasis in the desert; a vibrant place in the arid desert where life emerges.
Oasis is a venue where artist Arne Quinze immerses you in the unbridled beauty and diversity of nature. In an overflow of colour, light and form, the spectator is given an inspiring and refreshing vision into the powerful and simultaneously fragile biotope of nature.
Arne Quinze has been installing public installations around the world (Paris, Brussels, Caïro, New York, Washington D.C, London, Shanghai, Mumbai..) for over 30 years. In 2006, he created Uchronia, the largest wooden sculpture to date, in the Nevada desert (Burning Man, USA).
Quinze’s quest to bring nature back to places where they have been forgotten. With his public installations, the Belgian artist aims to generate interaction and dialogue between spectators and jointly encourage them to restore the balance between culture and nature.
For the creation of his public art installations and sculptures, Arne Quinze’s wildflower garden serves as the main inspiration. The perfectly balanced diversity in form and light that the artist sees there throughout the season serves as an endless experience.
“Arne Quinze: Our cities can learn so much from nature’s diversity. It is a crucial moment in time to bring colour and nature back into our society.
To date, I have been creating work for over 30 years with the aim of encouraging people to re-energize themselves with new insights. To open them up and learn to embrace nature back into their daily lives and communities.
Since my birth in 1971, more than 30% of our flora and fauna has disappeared because of our human intervention. I see it as my duty as an artist to plant a seed in your mind with my art work and inspire you to join me in rethinking our society and empowering nature.”
Oasis will be the largest public light sculpture ever created, aiming to reflect the ultimate beauty that we find in nature. A mesmerizing experience to be discovered in the desert plains in the outer reaches of the bustling cultural city of Riyadh.
The power of colors is strongly reflected in this aluminum light installation which makes a clear statement that the effervescence of all spectrums of light is needed in our society. The 16-meter-high installation, spanning 40 meters wide, places the observers in an open-air museum setting where public art seems larger than life. The installation aims to bring people together and open themselves up to new horizons through the beauty and power of public art.
Oasis by Arne Quinze will be a part of the second edition of Noor Riyadh, a light and art festival in the city.
ARNE QUINZE
Website: https://www.arnequinze.com/
Instagram and Facebook: @arnequinze
Twitter: @quinzearne
