Dubai Festival City Mall, part of Al-Futtaim Malls and DC Aviation Al-Futtaim in partnership with Dubai Culture have unveiled the winners of the group’s Festival of Arts competition. Held under the theme ‘Flight into Innovation’ in November 2021, the contest invited emerging artists across the UAE to express their creativity and transform innovative ideas into practical reality through wall-based art. As part of this inaugural edition, 866 entries were received with 34 selected to be displayed at an art gallery in a premium location at the mall. The Festival of Arts competition is supported by Dubai Culture, and the opening of the Gallery was attended by Dr Saeed Mubarak Bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
The panel of judges was led by British Artist Patricia Millns, FRSA, a creative industries advisor and mentor who spearheads a Middle East based practice centred on women’s studies, identity, and cultural significance – defined through clothing, adornment, and the region’s old-factory heritage. The committee included Emirati Photographer Jassim Al Awadhi, Emirati Poet, Artist and Film Director Nujoom Al-Ghanem, renowned Street Artist eL Seed and Art Journalist Aidan Imanova.
First-place contestant Sara Tahir from Pakistan was announced to be the winner of the competition and will receive exclusive mentorship from the judges. Moreover, her winning artwork will be featured on the Dassault Falcon 2000 LXS aircraft, owned, and operated by DC Aviation Group and expected to transport VVIP passengers around the world for six months. She also received AED 10,000 from Dubai Festival City Mall and DC AviationAl-Futtaim. Other emerging artists who made it to the top four included Kathleen Espinola Sum from Philippines, Abda Fayyaz from Pakistan and Ali Bahmani from Iran. Additionally, three participants were highly commended by the judges for their artwork, including Safeya M.R Sharif from the United Arab Emirates, Salma Nammas, a six-year-old emerging artist from Jordan,and Abdullah Essa from the United Arab Emirates.All the artists were recognized for their valuable work and received appreciation certificates as well as a gift cards to spend at Dubai Festival City Mall’s outlets.
Genevieve Colaco, Regional General Manager, Marketing and Customer Experience of Al-Futtaim Mallscommented:“As a family-owned business deeply rooted in the success of the UAE, Al-Futtaim is committed to supporting emerging artists across the UAE, by giving local talent the opportunity to showcase the best of their creations. I would like to congratulate each and every one of the winners, who have done a fantastic job in bringing such practical ideas to life through artistic expression and thank them for taking the time to be a part of our initiative. We encourage our visitors at Dubai Festival City Mall to head to the art gallery and be inspired by the winning artworks as they enjoy unparalleled shopping, entertainment and dining options.”
Holger Ostheimer, Managing Director of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, said:“There is nothing more inspiring than seeing UAE-based artists’ enthusiasm for innovation in aviation and we were impressed by the quality of entries we received. I would like to congratulate the winners who have demonstrated curiosity, creativity, and ingenuity. We look forward to partnering with Al-Futtaim Malls on further competitions which help enrich the industry through art.”
The 34 artworks from the Festival of Arts competition displayed at the gallery are open to the public from 28th February until 28th May 2022next to Sugar Factory on Level 1 at Dubai Festival City Mall.
Are you an aspiring artist with a passion for innovation? Keep an eye out for upcoming Al-Futtaim Festival of Arts competitions where the sky is the limit.
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