Dubai Culture and RTA partner for new outdoor art project

The outdoor art project is also aligned with RTA's mission to beautify the streets of the city, under the direction of His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Executive Director and Chairman of RTA, while providing innovative platforms for emerging and aspiring artists to display their talent through urban expressionism.

Dubai Culture has commissioned two emerging Emirati artists - Fatma Saifan and Salama Nasib - to produce a total of 11 artworks that will be displayed on the traffic light control boxes on Marakesh Street and Airport Street - paying homage to the interdependence between transportation and travelling.

A graduate in Visual Arts from Zayed University, Fatma Saifan's artwork at Airport Street, 'Airport and Travel' draws on the shape of the control box, camouflaging it to resemble discarded luggage and shipment boxes, to evoke different forms of travel.

Visual artist Salama Nasib Saeed's designs on Marakesh Street derive inspiration from the various modes of transport that Dubai has to offer including bicycles, cars, the metro, and boats, among others, in addition to a personal symbol, a bird, to give the work a fantasy-like aura. The works are set on a background of light colour layers of washes, which enhance the shapes and patterns.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said, "As the Emirate's dedicated Authority for art, Dubai Culture consistently works with various Government entities to further elevate the aesthetic appeal of Dubai, using art as the avenue of expression. Through this partnership, the Authority will continue to drive the realm of outdoor art while also providing our artists with strong platforms for creative expression."

Engineer Maitha bin Edai, Chief Executive Officer of RTA's Traffic and Roads Agency, said, "Since its inception, the RTA endeavours to attract significant attention to the cultural and heritage aspects of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular, by highlighting its facilities' designs and their inspiration derived from the city's cultural legacy. RTA is committed to supporting an array of cultural activities, underlining our artists' achievements and contributions to UAE's culture and heritage over the years."

The works mark the third 'Outdoor Art Project' initiated by Dubai Culture. Previously the Authority had joined hands with Dubai Properties Group (DPG) to commission 12 UAE-based artists to design the hoardings of The Executive Towers in Business Bay, one of DPG's key developments.

Dubai Culture is committed to driving the Emirate's development as an influential driver of culture and the arts in the region, by building a strong creative environment, nurturing and developing talents as well as strengthening artistic community engagement, through its expanded arts services.