It attracted more than 120,11 visitors in its <>th edition
«Sikka Art and Design». Successes and achievements that reflect the spirit of Dubai
This year's edition of the festival came with the participation of more than 200 Emirati artists and creators and residents. From the source
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Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Member of Dubai Council, in its 11th edition, SIKKA Art and Design Festival has achieved new achievements and records that reflect the vitality of Dubai's creative scene, as Dubai Culture revealed that SIKKA has succeeded in attracting more than 120,200 visitors who followed the creations of more than <> artists and creators, who decorated with their artistic productions the rooms and walls of the houses of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, and interacted with dozens of workshops. Work, talks, entertainment and musical performances witnessed by this year's edition of the festival.
Noor Khalfan Al Roumi, project manager of the SIKKA Art and Design Festival, said that the figures achieved by the 11th edition reflect the magnitude of the impact and strength of the festival and its position on the local and regional arenas. "SIKKA Art & Design has succeeded in becoming an essential part of the growing local cultural and artistic scene, thanks to its ability to give artists broad horizons that enable them to produce works and designs that highlight the richness of Dubai's cultural and creative industries ecosystem," she said.
Al Roumi added: "The successes of the current edition of the festival reflect the vitality of the cultural movement in Dubai, which strengthens its position as a supportive platform for professional and emerging artists in the UAE and the Gulf region," noting at the same time, that the festival continues its artistic giving, and its constant endeavor to present works that reflect the renewed spirit of Dubai, and enhance the emirate's position as a preferred destination to live, work and entertain.
This year's edition of the festival was launched with the participation of more than 200 Emirati artists and creators residing in the country, in addition to three international artists, and two from the Arabian Gulf region, who displayed in front of visitors to "Sikka" more than 500 artworks, distributed over six squares, and 14 houses, most notably: "Sikka House", "Talli House", "Ceramic House", "Photography House" and others. Over the course of its 10 days, the event opened its venues to nine outdoor installations that express exceptional cultural experiences that reinforced the strategy of "Art in Public Spaces", which aims to transform Dubai into an open art museum, where the artwork "Threads of Time: Weaving", presented by artists Hamda Al Falahi and Rima Al Muhairi, drew the attention of visitors, as well as the work of the Frenchman Alex Joji, the sculpture "The Ring" by the Emirati artist Jassim Al Awadhi, and the work of "Drisha" by the Emirati Rawda Al Ketbi.
Sikka also displayed six huge murals inspired by the spirit of Dubai and its heritage and traditions, including the mural "Dubai" by Emirati artist Abdullah Lutfi, the mural "The Future is Here" by Bader Abbas, and the mural "Ya Labs Al-Talli" by Emirati Fatima Al Ali, among others.
Bait Al Talli was a qualitative addition to the activities of the 11th edition, as it came to celebrate the UAE's success - last December - in registering the craft of "Al Talli" on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, and included within its walls innovative works bearing the fingerprints of five Emirati artists inspired by the details of the threads of "Al Talli", while the group exhibition, organized by the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children at the House of Ceramics, gave visitors the opportunity to explore the masterpieces of ceramics and clay, through a collection of various ceramic sculptures presented by 35 creators. From the UAE and the world.
On the other hand, the festival launched this year its first-of-its-kind initiative "Sikka Speaks", which included 14 dialogue sessions, presented by a group of artists and experts, who shed light on the local cultural scene and the trends of the arts sector globally, while the "Sikka" program appeared full of interactive workshops, as it witnessed the presentation of more than 136 workshops for adults, attracting more than 600 visitors, and the "Little Sikka" program included more than 100 workshops that attracted the attention of more than 1500,28 children, while the Al Jalila Children's Culture» <> workshops.
The festival witnessed the active participation of 13 tenants who took up residence in the houses of the historic district, including Tashkeel Center, Akkas Center for Visual Arts, Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding and others.
Visitors to the festival were on a date with a wide variety of musical and entertainment performances, film and poetry evenings hosted by the rooms of "House 45", in addition to the stage, which raised its curtains in front of 127 performers, artists and musicians who dazzled the audience with their various musical and artistic masterpieces, and the festival lit up its screens with scenes of 59 films, and presented 10 various entertainment workshops.
• 14 sessions in "Sikka Speaks" and sculptures of "House of Ceramics" signed by 35 artists.
• 127 musicians dazzled the audience with their creations and 59 films screened at the festival.
• The festival's workshops attracted 600 visitors and the "Little Railway" attracted 1500,<> children.