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Artsy mural work is a new trend in the UAE for the country which wouldn’t allowed to exhibit any graffiti. Recently, this form of art has been promoted and encouraged.
In collaboration with Dubai Festival City Mall, Zee Arts has been responsible for a new initiative, a three wall project, for which they have commissioned an artist (Shahul Hameed). As art is a catalyst of Social Change, this initiative has its goal to introduce it, to communicate and interact with the viewers on a larger canvas. Zeearts is very happy about the outcome.
“The UAE; Past to Present”
The artwork celebrates the Emiratis heritage and legacy that speaks out the important nation-wide theme of tolerance and Dubai’s unique social makeup. It connects the ‘past to the future’: Dubai, originally home to Emiratis nomadic Bedouins, is today a modernized United Arab Emirates, lives with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the spirit of innovation (shown with the portrait of Hazza Al Mansouri's momentous journey aboard the International Space Station last September 2019 - acknowledging the landmark period in which he blasted off into the skies).
The project features the work of three mural and graffiti artists that delivers an important function in establishing a cultural identity for this relatively young nation. With a focus on the upcoming Dubai EXPO 2020, Dubai Festival City Mall, wants to beautify and celebrate Dubai heritage, culture and evolution through their public space of Festival Bay. Through that end, the Mall has partnered with ZeeArts that supports emerging artists community in Dubai who are at the ground roots of interpreting that message and able to translate in an interesting and bold way.
Artist: Shahul Hameed
Curator: Zaahirah Muthy - ZeeArts - Read her exclusive interview for Rosemont Art Advisory in August 2019