Celebrating the holy month of Ramadan and promoting the values of Islam, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in partnership with Dubai Mall, has announced the launch
of an interactive display at the Bloomingdales Atrium of the mall, which will be available at the venue from 18th - 27th May 2019. The installation named Quran Tech seeks to promote the concept of tolerance in the Quran and bring alive the beauty and importance of Islamic element of Arabic calligraphy.
The innovative user interface will allow the users to create their own calligraphy art, out of verses from the holy Quran available for selection in 6 languages. The visitors will be encouraged to choose one out of a total of 5 verses that will highlight the significance of tolerance as mentioned in the holy Quran. The selected verse will then be turned into a calligraphic art piece that the users can take as souvenir
The installation has an in-built library of artworks of renowned calligraphers from around the world. The activity, open to all visitors of the mall, will help reinforce tolerance, openness, and diversity as the core Islamic values, which Dubai as a city has embraced and exemplified. Visitors can create this calligraphy art marvel in 4 easy and engaging steps using the user interface. First of all, a user is greeted on the interactive screen and prompted to begin the process of creating his/her own calligraphy art. In the next step, the user will be required to select the style of calligraphy. Further, as Quran Tech translates and makes a calligraphic art piece out of it, the user will be asked to select a border and the background from the available options in the library. The final version can then be previewed and finally printed to be taken away as a gift.
The initiative by Dubai Culture is in line with its broader aim to inculcate the values and traditions of the Islamic culture and spread awareness about Dubai’s multicultural society and how diversity is at the very core of it. Quran Tech also seeks to strengthen the efforts of the Authority to promote the art of Arabic calligraphy and position Dubai as a capital of the Islamic economy.
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 civilisations 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.