SIKKA 2019 presents an inspiring potpourri of cultures and artistic flavours

SIKKA Art Fair, the Emirate’s most-awaited celebration of art and culture, is just around the corner. An initiative of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and a pillar event for Dubai Art Season, SIKKA Art Fair (SIKKA) makes headlines every year for its diverse line-up of artists and array of site-specific works, visual and performing arts, music, film screenings, free workshops, talks, and more, all of which make for an unforgettable week in the month of March.

This year sees the fair holding its ninth edition under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture. SIKKA is the first annual initiative of its kind that supports and showcases the works of Emiratis as well as UAE- and GCC-based artists. It is in line with Dubai Culture’s vision to bring happiness to the community by building a vibrant and sustainable multi-cultural society and promoting the establishment and development of creative industries.

This year’s edition is a reflection of the UAE’s national theme ‘Year of Tolerance’ and is titled ‘An Open Window to Art and Tolerance,’ under which a set of selected artists were invited to highlight the values of co-existence, freedom, and cultural diversity that Dubai epitomises as a home for people from around 200 different nationalities, through their artworks, performances, and creative installations.

A world within the fair:

This edition of SIKKA attracted over 400 submissions, out of which 48 emerging artists were selected and invited to develop their artistic research around the theme.

By the numbers, SIKKA will host a total of 23 Emirati artists, amounting to 48% of the roster, along with artists from Arab countries, including Jordan, Palestine, and Syria (19%); artists from India and Pakistan (17%); and from other parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, Australia, and South America (16%).

The list of artists is indicative of the fair’s commitment to providing a platform for emerging artists, granting them a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and share it with art aficionados.

The success stories:

There are a number of artists who are returning to the fair and have gone from ‘emerging to established’ over their years of participation. One such success story is that of Khawla Darwish.

Khawla is returning to the fair for the fifth time. She first participated in SIKKA as an emerging artist and now is one of the most well-known artists in the fair.

“I believe the fair is a great platform to showcase the works of UAE-based artists. It is an amazing opportunity for artists to exhibit their works in such an authentic and traditional place,” she says.

The Emirati artist is exhibiting a sculptural piece that would capture viewers’ minds and thoughts, encouraging them to ponder the meaning of life.

Her thoughts resonate with all other artists, who appreciate SIKKA as a platform, regardless of the genre of art they are sharing with the world or where in the world they come from.

“We can voice our thoughts and translate them into reality through our work. The beauty of SIKKA is that it is not an event that takes place in a lavish art gallery where only a select few will attend and appreciate it. It takes place in one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Dubai, a place that is open to the public, residents, and tourists, offering artists access to a wider range of audiences,” she explains.

Another returning artist is Ahmed Alanzi, who is participating in the fair for the second time with an artwork that is partially inspired by a trip to Paris, arranged by Dubai Culture last year.

The Emirati artist says, “SIKKA provides an opportunity for artists to present their work in an environment that doesn't put pressure on them to be commercially successful or be bound by other constraints. It is a platform that is accessible and welcoming to everyone, engaging the city in a dialogue with the creative community and artistic narratives.”

Alanzi regards his previous participation as being “extremely beneficial” and is confident that this year’s edition will “allow for artistic expressions to run freely and expose [artists] to each other and the public.” 

Speaking on the theme of the festival, Alanzi says, “We have always deemed the UAE as a place of tolerance, and my work celebrates diversity while confronting stereotypes. Personally, I believe that tolerance embraces diversity; thus the theme of the fair is in perfect alignment with this notion.”

Newcomers have high hopes:

Emirati artist Jumaanah Alhashemi, who is participating for the first time, said: “SIKKA brings together people from diverse backgrounds and allows them to share their love for art. It connects the traditional with the conventional and is an amazing platform for young local and regional talents like me in addition to being a chance to share our creative inputs, showcasing them at a once inhibited, vibrant neighbourhood.”  

Alhashemi’s installation at SIKKA this year brings together handmade and mechanical processes and showcases perpetual rituals in a nonconventional manner.

From an attendee to a participant, the journey of Asma Shikoh, a Pakistani-American artist, is an interesting one. She says: “I was an attendee, and I always immensely enjoyed the diverse voices the fair brought alive. I also observed that the fair is strategically located and carefully designed to attract people who would otherwise never step into an art museum or gallery.” 

Hoping that this year artists will “ask fundamental questions, make meaningful connections, and allow audiences to be part of the art process,” Shikoh believes that artists have the power to bring about a positive change where needed.

She adds: “I hope SIKKA will take art off a pedestal, acknowledge subjectivity, emotional responses, and highlight imperfections, thereby upholding the theme.”

Shikoh, whose artwork at the fair will build around the relationships between an artist and a city, is embracing the experience of Dubai's multiculturalism and engaging with public transportation maps.

She explains: “This project has enabled therapeutic, communal connections for me as a new immigrant to Dubai. I am hoping the highly detailed and familiar functional map of Dubai, as part of SIKKA, will gain a reverence and become a popular icon in my work.”

Another first-timer, Farah Abdel Hadi, who hails from Jordan, is an ardent admirer of the fair who is presenting an exciting project that highlights an everyday medium —the banknote — which she refers to as “a country’s business card.”

Regarding her expectations, she states: “It is my first time participating in SIKKA; I have always admired this incredible initiative that brings together diverse artistic talents from the UAE and around the world. Every year, SIKKA grows, and I am positive that this year is going to be more engaging, especially because 2019, the ‘Year of Tolerance,’ highlights the enhancing role of the country in instilling the values of co-existence, openness, and peace across all sectors.”

Abdel Hadi, who is bringing her project to life at SIKKA, terms her participation as a dream come true and says that the fair plays a fundamental role in encouraging creative growth.

Returning with pride and renewed passion:

There are a good number of artists who are returning to the fair this year.

Selma Catovic Hughes, from Bosnia, is a returning artist who is bringing an art installation titled I.M.PERFECTION to SIKKA this year.

She says: “The support and opportunities for the art scene in the UAE have been on a positive upward projection. Through events like SIKKA, both emerging and established artists are able to extend their creative platforms and are motivated to continue pursuing their passions.”

Expectations to connect:

For Kapil Bhimekar from India, it is his first time participating and his first visit to Dubai. He is thrilled to be a part of the fair which he believes is a powerful platform for artists like him.

“This is the first time I’m participating or even visiting the SIKKA Art Fair. I’m looking forward to seeing some exciting work, based on the theme, from different artists who have been hand-picked from all over the UAE and beyond. Art is the most powerful tool of expression gifted to human beings, and SIKKA provides the artists the platform to attend and express themselves year after year, which I think is phenomenal,” he said. 

Like Kapil, Mioara Corozel Cherki from Romania and Fleur Antoine-Hindermeyer from France are also participating in the fair for the first time. The two met as artists two years ago in the UAE, and collectively claim that the country has been a source of inspiration for them.

“More recently, while we felt the desire to co-create together, we had the intuition that SIKKA corresponded perfectly to our universe: our common taste for heritage through its presence at the Al Fahidi Historical District and our common aspiration to contemporaneity in our creations,” said Cherki.

Both artists are presenting an art piece that comprises an installation, a performance, and a participative piece, reflecting the energy of life and the interrelatedness of its processing that they want to share with the public through this creation at SIKKA. 

SIKKA is aligned with Dubai Culture’s aim to enhance Dubai’s art and cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich culture. 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.