Dubai: If you’re into optical illusion carrying a lesson, head to The Beach opposite Jumeirah Beach Residence on Sunday at 4pm to feast your eyes on a live art show featuring three-dimensional (3D) paintings on flat surfaces.
Dubai is taking street art to the next level with the unveiling of the Dubai Canvas, an annual festival that celebrates art and culture with varying artistic themes each year.
The inaugural art festival will run until March 7, featuring a host of local and international 3D artists who will hold daily live performances for the public free of charge.
The festival aims to transform the city of Dubai into an actual canvas or the workspace of artists, hence its name. Organised by Brand Dubai, the festival aims to contribute to the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into an open-air museum.
“This is a new form of art in Dubai and our main objective as the Brand Dubai team is to enhance the knowledge of local-based artists and allow them to be exposed to the latest trends,” Noora Al Abbar, Director Communications and Innovation at Dubai Government Media Office, told Gulf News.
Street art also figured prominently in Dubai in December last year when Dubai called in more than 150 local and international artists to visually retell the UAE’s story, its rise from sand to skyscrapers and its promising future through the world’s longest graffiti scroll.
Graffiti or any form of street art in Dubai is illegal. But the government compensates by organising art festivals like this for artists to create their craft in an organised manner. In the case of graffiti artists last year, those who wanted to indulge in street art were asked to apply for permits.
Noora said a number of 3D artists have been invited to Dubai, including Kurt Wenner, the inventor of 3D pavement art, Peter Westerink, and Juandres Vera, among others. The artists will each paint two 3D pavement artworks from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 12am on weekends. Wenner will also give a lecture and workshops for the public to learn the art of 3D painting.
At the end of the festival, Brand Dubai will distribute the artworks across Dubai to allow the public to view the pieces and better understand the craft.
