Arts Oasis opens to crowds at Wafi
Works of multi-national residents highlighting environment conservation
Arts Oasis, a DSS 2009 Signature Event that exhibits works of multi-national resident artists, officially opened to public on Thursday, July 9, 2009, at Wafi, a key sponsor of this year’s DSS. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Salah Al Qassim, Advisor to the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA), and Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of Dubai Shopping Festival Office; and attended by Abdulla Ibrahim bin Hussain, Director of Local Affairs and Marketing, Wafi; and Yousif Mubarak, COO of DSF Office.
Dr. Salah Al Qasssim was taken on a tour of the exhibition that this year features a variety of art works including paintings, sculptures, installations, and videos of around 33 artists. Dr. Qassim was briefed on each exhibit by the artists who had assembled for the opening day.
“what we are witnessing here today is the real embodiment of how can art serve society through the amazing works of these artists. The participation of the local artists is notable, and adds a lot of significance being among this host of international talents”, Dr. Al Qassem said.
Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of DSF Office said, “Arts Oasis justifies its stature as the art highlight during the summer due to the inclusion of high-profile resident artists and especially the theme for this year that aims at raising awareness on environment conservation. As an integral element of the DSS itinerary, Arts Oasis has gone a step further this year by including programmes involving participating artists thereby creating a platform for them to reach out to audiences in a meaningful way.”
The theme for this year, ‘Green Vision’, aims to provide a platform for artists to explore their relationship to place, environment, and sustainability.
“Wafi is proud to host this year’s ART OASIS as part of Dubai Summer Surprises. It offers a unique platform for artists to display their distinctive creations following the theme ‘Go Green’”, explained Shajahan Unneen, General Manager for Wafi Property. “It is a high-profile showcase for prominent local and regional artists working across mediums such as photography, sculpture and painting, utilising the arts to promote sustainability and ecology. We are sure it will generate a great interest from our guests and continue to build on the success of DSS.”
Initiated in the summer of 2006, Arts Oasis has enjoyed overwhelming popularity since its inception and is today regarded as a platform for artists locally and regionally to reach out to a wider audience.
Arts Oasis took on a different perspective this year with around 10 multi-national artists going in for an intensive artist residency programme where participants had the opportunity to explore questions on sustainability through their own media and practices.
The artists were in regular discussions with well-known curators Beth Carruthers and Elizabeth Monoion to come up with works aligned with the Green Vision theme. These works are currently being displayed in Arts Oasis. The works of three artists, Zain Mustafa, Robert Ferry, Haseena Sakhri, were chosen and awarded for their ability to incorporate the ‘Green Vision’ theme successfully.
The presence of multi-national participants aims to add to the diversity of the event with artists from UAE, India, Philippines, UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. Arts Oasis will go on till July 15th at the Eye of Horus in Wafi from 10am to 10pm.