Street Night Art in Al Quoz
Tarsila Schubert
Street Night Art is a one-night event taking place on Friday, 24th January in Al Quoz, Dubai. It's part of Al Quoz Beautification Project, which aims to brand Al Quoz as a "unique, artistic district, giving it an identity, making it attractive to the UAE residents and tourists and strengthening community connections".
The following line appears across their website,
"We envision a neighborhood where a record of our local and regional artists are permanently marked in the public landscape"
Al Quoz isn't the most attractive looking spot in Dubai, despite the presence of many art galleries in the area. Graffiti is illegal in this country, permission needs to granted from the municipality and the owner of the property.
So far, graffiti and street art in Dubai have been showcased in organised and heavily sponsored events like club nights and concerts, in controlled environments and normally on fake walls - which goes against the spirit of street art and graffiti.
Unsurprisingly, a temporary wall will be installed for Street Night Art and the results from the night will be left for several months. I wonder if this event will pave the way for a more natural and organic expansion of street art. Hopefully the results from this night will encourage building owners in the area to allow artists to use their walls to create beautiful work and liven up the look of the area, to be more colourful and inspiring for its residents and visitors.
Street Night Art will include:
- Live art by local and international artists (here's the full line up)
- Art pieces, some available for sale from renowned art galleries
- Air-brush live-painting
- Break-dance competitions
- Beat boxing
- Open-mic sessions
- Drum performances
The night promises to be the "largest outdoor gallery" stretching from 4B Street from Time Square mall to 15th Street. Here's a map I found on the Street Night Art site.
Event details:
Date and time: Friday, 24th January 2014, from 6.00pm to midnight.
Venue: Between 4B Street, Al Quoz Industrial 1 (next to Time Square Mall) to 15th Street, Dubai, UAE.
Free entry.