Dubai's Al Fahidi district paints the way forward for artists

Gulf News

Artists and gallery owners share their experiences of how Dubai's Al Fahidi district has enabled them to pursue their dreams and help to grow the art scene in the region.   See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

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00:00The growing art scene in Dubai has been drawing artists from all around the world, but it's

00:12hard to believe that not too long ago there were no art galleries or museums for the artists

00:18to show their work.

00:19We've come to Al Fahidi Historic Neighbourhood in the heart of Old Dubai to take you inside

00:25the Majlis Gallery, where a visionary British expatriate opened the very first fine arts

00:30gallery in UAE.

00:32There was a sudden beguining of more galleries and more places where artists could show their

00:41work in this part of the world. But all of the good artists that you'll find at places

00:46like Meme Gallery or Third Line, prior to there being places for them to show here,

00:52they were showing all over the world. It's just that suddenly here in Dubai, the outlets

00:58were there that weren't there before. The artists were always there, but they weren't

01:02seeing this as a market. But then with the growth of Dubai and with the fact that more

01:07galleries were opening, they came here. But they were there before the galleries. The

01:14galleries didn't make the artists, the artists made the galleries.

01:17Alison is right. The artists were always here, they just didn't have anywhere to show their

01:21work.

01:22We've come to meet the UAE's most celebrated artist, Mr. Abdul Qadir al-Rais, often referred

01:28to as a national treasure. His work has helped inspire the phenomenal growth we see in today's

01:33art scene.

01:34In the school, which I remember was my classmate, he was telling me, Abdul Qadir, you should

01:42take care of your education. The artists will not, you can't eat from art. It was difficult

01:50to sell art. It wasn't easy. And this is not only that time, during the 60s and 70s.

01:58Also during the 80s and 90s, but after 2000 and 2005 and 2006, everything has changed.

02:08Now a lot of people, they come and ask me, their son or their daughter, they have talent

02:15in art, how we can, they can learn more and how we can advise them. And these things,

02:22it wasn't happening before. This is good for the new generation who is coming after us.

02:31At least we leave for them something. Right, we start late, but we have.

02:37Abdul Qadir's journey began in the Al Fahidi neighbourhood, which has become a hotspot

02:41for Dubai's growing art scene.

02:42We thought we'd go and check out an art gallery with a twist. XVA have combined a hotel, art

02:48gallery and a cafe in one to provide a truly unique artistic experience.

02:54When I opened XVA, the house itself lent itself to the concept of being a place where people

03:03could stay, people could eat and people could exhibit. When I opened, I was the third gallery

03:10in Dubai. Majelis Gallery was first and then Green Art Gallery. And I felt there was a

03:16need for a gallery showing more contemporary art. I think that art is something that captures

03:25the magic that the artist sees or wants to portray and that's what attracts people to

03:34art. And it can be beauty, it can be provocation of some sort. It's what we want to see.

03:44Hadil Mufti, a Saudi-born artist, moved to Dubai about four years ago and soon after

03:50taking this studio, started getting noticed in Dubai's art scene.

03:55It's not like being in New York or London or Paris, but really exciting. There's so many

04:00things going on and things change really fast. There are lots of opportunities for artists

04:06and it is like everything else in Dubai. If you work really hard, you can do so much.

04:13Hadil's dramatic style is even more intriguing when she explains her inspiration.

04:19I like to repeat the same image. It's called serialism, as in serial, because I think only

04:27one image can look so different if repeated. And you can change the image slightly, make

04:35it bigger, smaller, black and white coloured and just get a strong sense of that one image,

04:41much, much more than if you just had it in a big scale.

04:44Hadil's big break came when she was accepted in the Sikha Festival last year. The Sikha

04:49Festival is an annual event which takes place in the Al-Fahidi Historic Neighbourhood. The

04:54word Sikha refers to alleyways between the old houses in Dubai. During the festival,

05:00the whole area is transformed into what can be described as a street party which celebrates

05:06the arts.

05:06You know, ideally we're all a team here. When Sikha happens for a few weeks, there's like

05:12a spirit that you don't find anywhere.

05:14With the growing success of the annual Sikha Art Festival, Al-Fahidi Neighbourhood continues

05:19to support art enthusiasts to come together and celebrate creativity.

05:24I think it's like an origin point of where everything started, nearby the creek and everything.

05:30So everything started here, everything started by trade, so having art here symbolises a

05:36lot when it comes to a country by itself.

05:38The kids can play on the streets and it's one of the rare places in Dubai where you

05:43can walk on streets. We don't have the urban feel everywhere.

05:50Dubai has become famous for everything, for culture, for art, for anything.

05:55I really like it. A lot of Emirati artists are growing and getting better. Year by year

06:01I can see improvement.

06:03The UAE has come a long way in establishing its art movement and it seems to be growing

06:09stronger year by year. I'm Sarvia Girampaya, Gulf News.

06:20For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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