Dubai's Design Disruptors - ICEBERG
Hear from some of the designers who are disrupting Dubai's design landscape.
Helidon Xhixha, EARTH, mirror polished stainless steel 01 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
The sculptor Helidon Xhixha's masterpieces, "Iceberg" and "Earth," demonstrate the integration of art into public spaces as a powerful tool to highlight pressing concerns, such as the potential challenges of climate change and global warming.
They stand out as notable examples of the impactful fusion of art and societal consciousness, in the context of elevating awareness of critical issues.
Background to ICEBERG in the Gulf and EARTH
The floating installation Iceberg, a 4-metre-high irregular block of reflective stainless-steel sculpture was first exhibited at the Venice Biennale.
Floating through the Grand Canal and the Venetian lagoon, it made a compelling statement about global warming and its potential impact on a place like Venice.
Rebranded as ICEBERG in the Gulf, it takes the form of a small iceberg that floated away from an icecap in the polar glaciers.
Iceberg 1 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
The steel surface of the artwork suggests coldness, but being under the Gulf sun makes it seem fragile and vulnerable. It serves as a reminder of the UAE’s vulnerability to climate change, with rising sea levels, warmer temperatures and less precipitation.
The sculpture EARTH offers a terrestrial counterpoint to ICEBERG in the Gulf, suggesting that climate change affects the world, across seven continents.
The reflective metallic surface, which displays sky and greenery, are in some parts smooth, and in others mottled and broken – signalling the state of our world today.
The two works are now permanent installations at Jumeirah Golf estates, a residential golf destination in Dubai, as part of a wider ‘Art for Public Spaces’ project.
Helidon Xhixha, EARTH, mirror polished stainless steel 03 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
Helidon Xhixha
Helidon Xhixha is an established Albanian contemporary artist, with his base in Dubai and Milan. Having pursued sculpture studies, he chose stainless-steel as his signature medium.
Iceberg 3 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
His innovative vision and technique can be seen in his monumental public art installations that redefine the relationship between a sculpture and its environment.
He has been commissioned to design works across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the US. Amidst his works of art installed in the UAE is the Pillar of Fortitude, a 7-metre high sculpture that represent the 7 Emirates of the UAE.
