Al Ghurair Centre in Deira offers local artists chance at permanent exhibit

Public art, or the lack of it, is a growing concern for artists and aficionados in the UAE.

Last summer, when Emaar unveiled its latest piece – a life-size horse on Burj Plaza overlooking the Dubai Fountain – we took the chance to address the issue and gather opinion from cultural leaders.

In May, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched Dubai Speaks to You, a project bringing together the country’s best artists in a celebration of the city and its people. He promised art installations, sculptures and street art would be installed in popular spots across the city, and this came just a month after a Dh184 million plan to turn six metro stations into art galleries from the Road and Transport Authority.

Now, Dubai’s oldest shopping mall is tackling the subject again with an open call to find artists to build pieces of public art. The Public Art Commission, a project spearheaded by Al Ghurair Centre in Deira and supported by Dubai Culture, will permanently establish pieces of public art within the urban landscape.

Soul of Dubai

David Thurling, the vice-president of the mall, says the thinking behind the competition was to celebrate the real story of the building.

“While we might not be the biggest or the most luxurious of malls, we do have a community that lives on our doorstep and they are part of Deira; the soul of Dubai. Our vision is to create art, music and culture that embraces the streets and the pedestrians and become everything that all the other malls are not.”

Original article by Anna Seaman

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Al Ghurair Centre in Deira offers local artists chance at permanent exhibit