Resonance: An Artistic Tribute to Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood

Dubai, UAE, 3 February 2024: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in collaboration with Alserkal Arts Foundation, has unveiled Resonance, a site-specific installation in Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood. The artwork is part of the Dubai Public Art Strategy, which aims to introduce unique artistic experiences to enhance Dubai’s global reputation, enrich its creative identity, and transform the city into an accessible open-air gallery. The reveal took place during the 13th Sikka Art & Design Festival, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture. Organised by Dubai Culture as part of the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy, the festival supports pioneering and emerging artists from the UAE and the Gulf region, providing them with a platform to showcase their work and enrich Dubai’s artistic landscape.

The ‘Resonance’ sculptural installation by graphic designer Maryam Namvar and architect Neda Salmanpour, creates an interplay of visual, auditory, and spatial engagement in Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood, inviting visitors into a sensory dialogue with the past and present. Curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Resonance emerges from extensive research into the district’s layered histories, contemporary realities, and density of lived experience. Comprising three delicately suspended metal panels, the installation sways with the wind, reflects the shifting light, and echoes the rhythms of the creek - drawing from the perpetual movement of water, trade, architecture, languages, and communities that have long shaped life along its banks.

Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, emphasised that public art is an integral part of Dubai’s artistic ecosystem, reflecting the emirate’s heritage, history, and creative environment, stating: “The Dubai Public Art Strategy serves as an inspiring platform to engage the creative community in supporting cultural and creative industries while empowering talent to leverage Dubai’s rich cultural and historical heritage in expressing their artistic visions. This aligns with our efforts toward an innovation-driven economic framework. Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood stands as a witness to the evolution of Dubai into a global city, making its inclusion in our public art strategy a testament to its significant role in local collective memory​.”

Munira Al Sayegh commented: “Public art remains one of the most powerful forms of art as it becomes directly accessible to any public that is within its reach. Dubai Culture and Alserkal Art Foundation’s commitment to this domain is important for the community that surrounds it, and for the generous narratives we are collectively building for our shared future.”

Maryam Namvar and Neda Salmanpour, artists and collaborators, said, “Al Shindagha serves as a cultural and historical touchstone, and, with our artwork ‘Resonance’, we wanted to capture the emotion of being there. We are interested in culture and tradition expressed through a contemporary approach with alternative mediums, and aim to contribute to the ever-evolving culture and context we live in. We aspire for this piece to serve as a pause in the city's pace, evoking thought, emotion, and conversation - creating a soundmark, an auditory imprint that resonates with its surroundings, reinforcing memory, identity, and a sense of place.”

Resonance marks the first of three Dubai Public Art projects commissioned by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Alserkal Arts Foundation. This series is part of a broader initiative to bring inspiring, thought-provoking art into the city’s public spaces, including the Shindagha Historic District, Al Quoz Creative Zone and Hatta. Through these, both institutions remain committed to nurturing artistic and curatorial excellence among UAE-based practitioners, while also maintaining deeper connections between practitioners and the city.