Remember, I recently told you about my stopover in Dubai and I shared with you my thoughts on this strange country. I also mentioned that by opening my eyes, we could see another Dubai , a Dubai that I liked and touched, with art, history and culture in its heart.
f we think of Dubai, we do not immediately think about culture . On the contrary, we think present, future, money, bling-bling, etc. My first impressions confirmed that. Yet, by scratching the surface, going beyond the clichés, we can see another Dubai, a Dubai that tries to bring culture and art to the center of his concerns and this, in many ways. This seems to be one of the priorities of the government and private companies for the years to come. It is really inspiring to see this cultural scene develop as well. Even if, despite everything, money and appearances always have their place.
Fairs and festivals
Festivals and other events come together in an incredible whirlwind in Dubai and the cultural agenda is already full in the months and years leading up to the 2020 World Expo . I had the chance to visit two of these international fairs: Design Days , an international design fair for artists from the Middle East and around the world; and Art Dubai , the Middle East’s largest contemporary art fair showcasing artists from around the world and the Middle East. This year, a very interesting parallel was drawn between the art of South America and that of the Arab world, creating imaginary and real bridges between these two worlds. Dubai Artis more than a fair: it’s an event spanning several weeks, mixing editing, performance, video, sound, education, painting, sculpture, design and much more.
