The 11th Sikka Art and Design Festival was opened by Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture, with the theme "New creativity." It was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council. Same Path," which features a wide range of creative exhibitions, installations, murals, and other works of art throughout Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood during the festival, which runs through March 5th.
After receiving an overview of the highlights of the festival, Badri went on a tour of the neighborhood's houses, each of which featured a vibrant array of artwork. She saw the installation "Threads of Time:" at the beginning of her tour. recognizing the region's rich weaving heritage, the artists Hamda Ahmad Al Falahi and Reema Al Mheiri created the work "weaving history on a blank canvas." She also went to House 38 to see the collection of artworks by Fatima Jawad, Maryam Al Huraiz, Maitha Al Omaira, and other artists, as well as the mural by Fatima Al Ali titled "Ya Labes el Tally."
Hala Badri paid a visit to House 31 and learned about the work of 14 artists, including Moza Al Falasi's "Tasbih series," which depicts feelings and their projections on things. Melika Shahin's "Shahin," an installation, explores the intersection of heritage, belonging, and escaping reality. Areen's "Rugs," which aims to inspire the audience to spread love to others, is another example. She also saw Ali Bahmani's origami-influenced installation "Mirrorigami" and a group work by Saif Saud Alreyami, Hamad Al Jasmi, and Mohammad Ahmad AlDhanhani, students at the Higher Colleges of Technology.
Badri praised the Talli House participants as artists: Sarah AlKhayyal, Hajer Al Tenaji, Feryal Al Bastaki, Munira Al Mulla, and Noora Taher, whose work was woven into the art of Al Talli, came together to celebrate the UAE's inclusion on the UNESCO list of cultural heritages that cannot be reproduced. She also went on a tour of the Digital Arts House, where 14 artists' works are on display, including Saeed Al Madani, Ahmed Al Attar, Ahmed Al Ali, Reem Al Mazrouei, Dalia Omran, and Patrick Lichty, among others, Mohamed Al Mansoori.
Badri also went on a tour of Bait Al Khazaf, which is home to the sculptures and art installations of 35 different artists. Some of these works include Abdullah Al Kindi's "Thigmomorphogenesis," Rawdha Al Ketbi's "Al-Darisha," and Moey Studio's "Migrant Minds." Badri went to the Photography House, where he saw the works of Noora Al Neyadi, Shoug Abdulla, Walid Al Madani, Zayed Ibrahim Al Haddar, and Mohamed Almaazmi's photographers.
Badri also went to House 5, where the Ministry of Health and Prevention participated for the first time in the festival. The goal of Badri's visit was to spread the humanitarian message of the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation (Hayat) by using its innovative "Art for Health" initiative to engage and interact with community efforts to address health issues. She also went on a tour of Sikka House, where she saw the works of a lot of amazing artists like Omar AlNajjar, Sarah Al Saman, Salma Al Mansouri, Hamda Ahmed Al Falahi, Mayed Abdulla, and Ayesha Hadhir.
Hala Badri stated that Dubai has achieved a prominent position in the arts and culture sector as a result of the visions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. She also emphasized that Sikka Art and Design Festival was able to convey the emirate's directives' aspirations to be a home for creative talent and artists. She stated, "A decade after the launch of Sikka, the festival has succeeded in cementing Dubai's position and global leadership, in addition to enriching its art scene with works that celebrate the creations of promising talent and young artists in the UAE and the region." She also stated that the festival had also succeeded in enhancing Dubai's artistic scene.
"The continuous growth of Sikka Art and Design Festival reflects the depth of the cultural movement taking place in the emirate and raises the contribution of the cultural and creative industries to Dubai's GDP," Badri continued. Recognizing Dubai's role in cultural tourism, we want to put on an exceptional festival this year, especially since the festival has evolved into a supportive platform for all artists thanks to its extensive programming that reflects our talent's artistic diversity. This is a fulfillment of Dubai Culture's commitments to create a sustainable creative and artistic ecosystem that can empower and refine creative talent, ensure the prosperity of their businesses in a way that supports Dubai's creative economy, and realize Dubai Culture's cultural vision of being a global cultural center, creative incubator, and talent hub.
In addition to a wide range of cinematic and musical performances and entertainment activities held within an inspiring atmosphere, the current edition of the festival features over 30 local F&B concepts in collaboration with Brand Dubai, fuelled by members of "Proudly from Dubai" to highlight the entrepreneurs and owners of these projects, celebrating the local culture and rich flavors of Dubai. In addition, the festival features over 100 talks, panels, and workshops that highlight the trends in the international arts sector.
The Sikka Art and Design Festival, which is part of the Dubai Art Season, also gives visitors the chance to experience one-of-a-kind cultural and artistic experiences. These experiences were created by Dubai Culture in collaboration with several institutions and art centers to present events and activities that show the beauty of the arts and reflect Dubai's creative scene.
