Dubai Insider

“DUBAI HAS BEEN STEADILY BUILDING UP ITS PORTFOLIO
OF PUBLIC ART, WITH SCULPTURES, VIVID MURALS AND
ATTENTION-GRABBING GRAFFITI DOTTED AROUND TOWN”
Etihad Museum your next stop.
Opened in 2017, this strikingly modern
museum is home to an impressive
collection of documentary films,
photographs, artefacts and interactive
displays that chronicle the formation
of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
Another museum showcasing
aspects of Dubai’s warp speed growth
can be found at the base of Dubai
Frame in Zabeel Park. The immersive
gallery tells the story through a series
of hi-tech presentations, including
virtual reality and curated scents.
As all savvy travellers know,
meeting the locals is the best way to
get under the skin of a city. You can
savour a traditional spread of Emirati
food while learning more about the
customs and traditions of the UAE
at Sheikh Mohammed Centre for
Cultural Understanding. Its hugely
popular 90-minute Emirati Cultural
Breakfast Experience offers a chance
to ask your local host anything you
want to know about the culture. The
centre also offers tours of Jumeirah
Mosque, one of only two mosques in
Dubai that are open to non-Muslims.
With a thriving art scene, the
city is a vibrant canvas that begs
discovery. The hip and happening
Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz lures art
aficionados with its cool collection
of warehouses comprised of more
than 60 art, design and creative
spaces running a full gamut of
styles and influences. Some of our
favourite stop-offs include Custot
Gallery Dubai, which showcases
modern and contemporary artists
such as Josef Albers, Chu teh-
Chun and Ian Davenport. There
are plenty more gems to discover
besides, from The Third Line for
contemporary Middle Eastern art to
Carbon 12 for its engaging line up
of exhibitions and talks. Meanwhile,
at Dubai International Financial
Centre, a coterie of art hubs shake
up the corporate vibe with esteemed
galleries to check out, including
XVA Gallery, Opera Gallery and
The Empty Quarter, which is
devoted to fine art photography.
Making waves as the country’s first
non-profit, non-government owned
museum dedicated to contemporary
art, Jameel Arts Centre on the
bank of Jaddaf Waterfront is worth
a visit for its striking collection of
traditional and cutting-edge works
by local and international artists.
A city that wears its heart on
its sleeve, Dubai has been steadily
building up its portfolio of public art,
with sculptures, vivid murals and
attention-grabbing graffiti dotted
around town. The Dubai Walls project
at City Walk brought 15 of the best
street artists from around the world
to put their stamp on the urban
development. In addition, buildings
along 2nd December Street in
Satwa are suitably adorned,
having hosted the first wave
of the Dubai Street Museum
project, which unleashed a cadre
of international artists on the city
to create artworks showcasing the
UAE’s rich history and culture.
In Downtown Dubai, Emaar
Boulevard is a hub for striking
sculptures and installations,
including Richard Hudson’s ‘Love
Me’ public art commission, which is
situated just outside the Waterfall
Entrance of The Dubai Mall.
For a glamorous evening out, Dubai
Opera calls with its diverse line-up
of performances, which range from
opera and ballet to comedy and music
concerts. Meanwhile, an evening of
thrilling entertainment awaits at La
Perle by Dragone, Dubai’s first inresidence
show, which draws on the
aquatic, aerial and acrobatic expertise
of a troupe of outstanding performers
to weave a spellbinding tale inspired
by Dubai’s rise to prominence.
41 Culture