Dubai: 2nd December Street is set to get a major artistic makeover.
Residents can feast their eyes on this traditionally busy street from Satwa to Jumeirah over the next five years as a group of young UAE artists transform it into a visual treat as part of the first phase of the Dubai Street Museum Project.
Local and international artists will display works of art, specifically murals, on the buildings lining 2nd of December Street, formerly known as Al Diyafah Street.
Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, is jointly implementing the project with Dubai Municipality.
Shaima Al Suwaidi, project manager of the Dubai Street Museum Project, said that UAE artists are making a unique contribution to the project.
“Local artists have created distinctive murals for the ‘2nd of December Street’ project and displayed a high level of skills. The project has facilitated their engagement with famous international mural artists from diverse genres, which will help them enhance their ability to execute such large projects,” Al Suwaidi said.
Maitha Al Mazroui, a senior green building engineer at Dubai Municipality, said the municipality has come up with a comprehensive plan to execute the project.
Ahwaq Abdullah, a young UAE artist, created her version of a famous photograph of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum taken by UAE photographer Noor Ali Rashid.
Abdullah said the mural is the biggest she has ever made and it was challenging to work on it in open spaces where conditions were not under their control, including the weather and light. The mural took 10 days to complete.
“I wasn’t able to move easily and had to walk long distances to review the mural. Light was also an obstacle at times apart from the lack of a quiet environment. At the end, I managed to overcome all the challenges and meet the deadline,” she said.
Emirati artist Maisoon Al Saleh’s mural based on old postal stamps was completed in 12 days.
Meanwhile, Hamdan Bati Al Shamsi used new techniques to create his version of the style of art that is typically used for images displayed in official celebrations and weddings. His mural was completed in seven days.
The Dubai Street Museum project seeks to highlight the UAE’s unique history, heritage, achievements and aspirations through public artworks.
