«Culture Authority» and «Alserkal» launch assignments «Lammat | Together»

From the Shindagha neighborhood to Hatta. Art decorates Dubai's public spaces

  • The artwork will capture the history of Al Shindagha and the neighborhoods surrounding Dubai Creek. ■ From the source

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Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in collaboration with Alserkal Art Foundation, issued the open call "Lammat | Together" to implement a new installation in the historical Al Shindagha neighborhood, as part of the Art in Public Spaces strategy that the Authority is activating with the aim of providing unique artistic experiences that enhance Dubai's position and leadership, enrich its creative identity, and contribute to transforming it into an open and accessible international art gallery.

The Authority and the Foundation invited artists, practitioners, designers and architects to submit their proposals for a unique artwork that embodies the history of Al Shindagha and the neighborhoods surrounding Dubai Creek, which will be officially unveiled next October.

Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, Executive Director of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said: "Public art is a key element in enhancing the strength of cultural tourism in Dubai, and contributes to enriching the emirate's creative identity," noting that the Authority, in cooperation with its partners, continues the process of activating the "Art in Public Spaces" strategy, to motivate members of the creative community to participate in supporting the cultural and creative industries in the emirate, and to enable talents to invest Dubai's cultural and heritage stock in expressing their visions. Innovative art."

He continued: "The historical neighborhood of Al Shindagha is a witness to the stages of the emergence and development of the emirate until it became a global city, and its selection to be part of the map of the distribution of art in public spaces reflects its importance and distinctive place in the societal memory."

Velma Gurkut, Executive Director of Alserkal Initiatives, said: "At Alserkal Arts, we recognize the importance and ability of participatory art to re-evaluate current themes and call for constructive critical participation, which contributes to the formation of an enabling space capable of bringing about social transformation in all its activities, and we look forward to collaborating with Dubai Culture to stimulate communities in the areas of Al Quoz Creative, Shindagha and Hatta, which are among the most linked sites to Dubai's history."

Innovative Ideas

Emirati visual artist and curator Munira Al Sayegh invited artists, designers and architects to propose a project that deals in depth with the multiple dates and chronological events of the neighborhoods surrounding Dubai Creek, and also invited visitors, residents and practitioners of the historic district to join and participate in presenting their own visions of the work, and proposing innovative ideas capable of embodying the role of art in public spaces in highlighting the local urban heritage.

Al Sayegh said: "The 'Art in Public Spaces' initiative is one of the most powerful forms of art because of its high expressive ability to the narratives and ideas we carry in our collective memory for our common future."

The open call is "Lamma | Together" is part of a series of commissions that Dubai Culture and Alserkal Arts will launch in the coming period to implement other artworks in Al Quoz Creative District and Hatta, which aim to create distinctive and innovative installations capable of interacting with the nature of Dubai and its neighborhoods, and contribute to the flourishing of local artistic practices. Curator Somaya Vali, co-founder of experimental research and architecture firm Counterspace, will oversee the implementation of the work dedicated to Al Quoz Creative, reflecting the region's industrial past and creative future.

In Hatta, Faisal Tabbara, Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah, oversees landscape treatment and seeks interventions that highlight the arts and their relationship to the environment.

deadline

Dubai Culture accepts offers and proposals for the open call «Lamma | Together" until next April 16. A jury comprising curator Munira Al Sayegh and a group of art experts will receive and sort the applications in preparation for selecting the best three main proposals, which will be shared with Dubai Culture and the shortlisted finalists will be announced next May, and their owners will later be invited to work with the curator and hold conversations, workshops and various studies related to the oral history of the region, with the aim of developing the idea of the artwork, the winner of which will be announced next June, while the work will be officially revealed in October.