Dubai's Design Disruptors - Public Art at Expo 2020 Dubai
Hear from some of the designers who are disrupting Dubai's design landscape.
Monira Al Qadiri Art 03 Piece by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
At Expo 2020 Dubai, visitors embarked on a journey of ideas, aesthetics and concepts showcased through various artworks created for public spaces.
They included “A Point in Time” by Khalil Rabah, “Chimera” by Monira Al Qadiri, “One Day on Two Orbits” by Nadia Kaabi Linke, “Terhal” by Abdullah Al Saadi and “The Plinth” by Shaikha Al Mazrou.
These masterpieces represent the importance of art in public spaces, highlighting Dubai's journey towards becoming a premier global cultural hub and host of key international events, enriching the city's cultural landscape and appeal.
Art Map Expo by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
Expo 2020 Dubai
Dubai hosted the 35th World Expo from October 2021 - March 2022, the first to be held in the Arab world. The world’s largest cultural gathering, 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' created a lasting legacy focused on sustainability, mobility and opportunity.
The site has now transitioned into Expo City, a sustainable ecosystem to connect, create and innovate. Here, commissioned public artworks, installed across the Expo 2020 Dubai site, continue to inspire the visiting public.
Khalil Rabah Art 01 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
About A point in Time
Created by distinguished Palestinian artist Khalil Rabah, this set of sculptures unveil the aesthetic aspects of an instrument of the 11th century CE that could measure latitude without calculation tables, only using sunlight and the three components of the instrument.
About Chimera
Based on the shape of an oil drill, this gigantic iridescent sculpture by Kuwaiti visual artist Monira Al Qadiri brings to mind a futuristic creature from outer space.
Like the mythical Chimera, made from parts of various animals, this sculpture merges various aesthetic elements of pearl and oil, re-imagining the past, present and future of the Gulf economy.
Monira Al Qadiri Art Piece 02 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
About One Day on Two Orbits
One Day on Two Orbits is a sculpture by Tunisian artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke that shows the revolving shadow of a bicycle on the ground over the course of one day.
It pays homage to Ibn al-Haytham, who introduced the idea that the sun and the moon revolve on geometrically and temporally different orbits, which led to a better understanding of both time and space.
Abdullah Al Saadi Terhal, acrylic paint on rocks Art 01 by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority
About Terhal
Abdullah Al Saadi's work Terhal is a permanent public intervention in a seating area at Dubai Expo, and the result of his experience in the unique natural surroundings of Wadi Tayybah in the Emirate of Fujeirah.
Organised according to his own symbolic code, they form a poetic, archaeological language in themselves.
About The Plinth
The Plinth by Shaikha Al Mazrou embodies her aesthetic language, which creates dynamic forms with an interplay of tension and balance, demonstrating an intuitive understanding of materials and their physical properties.
Referencing plinths conceptually and formally, it is expected to function as a tool for future dialogue with other artists.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.