Dubai Culture held ‘Dubai: A Thriving Art Scene’ talk as part of UAE Cultural Week

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, held a talk on 13th October at Ellia Art Gallery as part of the UAE Cultural Week in Paris, under the theme ‘Dubai: A Thriving Art Scene,’ and organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.

The talk was attended by His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Art Collector and Chairman of UAE Unlimited; Sheikh Salem Khalid Al Qassimi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Knowledge Development; Mohamed Ismail Al Sahlawi, Deputy Head of the delegation; and Ruba Al Hassan, Advisor to the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.

On the occasion of the UAE-France Cultural Dialogue 2018/2019, the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development presents the UAE Cultural Week in Paris throughout which the public will engage with diverse elements of Emirati culture through design and art exhibitions, film screenings, culinary fusion experiences, and Emirati-made products. The week will also host a series of interactive talks exploring the cultural and creative collaboration between the two countries.

Speakers during the ‘Dubai: A Thriving Art Scene’ talk included Ms Noor Shamma, an Emirati artrepreneur, and Emirati artists Mr Ahmed Al Enzi and Mr Khalid Mezaina. It will be moderated by art consultant, Ms Victoria Lelandais.

Ms Noor Shamma is an artist and artrepreneur who expresses herself through many different mediums and whose current work explores the relationship between art, identity, and emotion through a plethora of imagery, texture, and expressive styles. Ms Shamma is currently the Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi where she is responsible for heading the Communication Division. She is also a prominent public speaker who has delivered keynote speeches at a range of major events across the UAE including the GCC Government Social Media Summit 2013, the Arab Women in Leadership and Business Summit 2014 and 2016, the Global Women Leaders Conference 2015, and TEDx 2017 to name a few.

Mr Ahmed is an artist whose practice invites the audience to examine culture, customs, and Emirati identity more intimately. He also aims to break boundaries between Emirati values and the global community by encouraging Emiratis to weave their own interpretation of local identity, and by presenting a humorous element to his artwork. His debut piece, The Bisht, was commissioned in 2015 and was showcased in the UAE’s first fashion exhibition, ‘De.Fash.Struction’ and later exhibited in the United Nation UAE Mission in New York in 2017 to celebrate the UAE’s 46th National Day. Mr Ahmed is a distinguished fellow of Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation.

Mr Khalid Mezaina entered the art world working as a graphic designer and programme coordinator for UAE-based art organisations such as the Sharjah Art Foundation and Tashkeel. He participated in projects and residencies both in the UAE and abroad and has been featured in regional and international exhibitions, including ‘Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates’ (2014), ‘Emirati Expressions IV: Conventions of Art’ (2015), ‘Portrait of a Nation’ (Abu Dhabi Festival, 2016, and Berlin Art Week, 2017), and ‘From Barcelona to Abu Dhabi: Works from the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) in dialogue with the Emirates’ (2018). Mr Mezaina’s work is drawn from the fabric of Emirati culture, isolating subjects, and narratives from his daily experiences. 

The moderator, Ms Victoria Lelandais, is an art consultant whose experience in Emirati art spans 10 years. Her illustrious career in the UAE started at HUNAR Gallery in Dubai and has had her occupy multiple positions and a multitude of arts establishments the likes of Christie’s Dubai, Art Dubai, Dubai Culture as Production Manager on SIKKA Art Fair, and Head of External Relations at Alserkal Avenue.   

As part of the talk, the speakers highlighted the importance of SIKKA Art Fair and other existing fairs and cultural organisations in the country that helped them pursue an artistic practice as well as give them the opportunity to promote and market their artwork, in addition Over the last two decades, the UAE has become a cultural hub with an emerging arts scene that has grown over the years with the support of the public and private sectors. One of the nation’s many accomplishments in this relatively short period of time is its transformation to a flourishing arts market, becoming a vital regional destination for artists and their activities through events like SIKKA Art Fair that support the emerging talents in the United Arab Emirates. 

SIKKA Art Fair is built around artist-led practices, initiatives, and discourse, and includes live music, research initiatives, interactive gatherings, and educational activities, all of which featuring works by emerging Emirati- and UAE-based artists. The fair is considered one the key highlights of Dubai Art Season and is hosted at Dubai’s Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Also as part of the UAE Cultural Week, Dubai Culture recently organised the Retrospective Abdulqader Al Rais that is currently taking place in Paris at the World Arab Institute until 21st October.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilizations and cultures to enhance Dubai's position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with the aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally.