Dubai Metro transformed into canvas for works of art
FIRST ART-WRAPPED TRAIN FEATURING A PHOTOGRAPH BY HAMDAN UNVEILED
Works by local and international artists will adorn Dubai Metro trains in an initiative organised by Dubai Culture in collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The first art-wrapped Metro train has been unveiled. It features a photograph taken by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
The Dubai Metro art wraps complement the Dubai Arts Season, the umbrella initiative by Dubai Culture that incorporates citywide activation of arts and cultural events.
Some of the artists whose works adorn the Metro trains are Abdul Qader Al Rais, Rachid Koraichi and Safwan Dahoul.
Koraichi’s works reflect his fascination with signs, symbols and ciphers illustrated with intricate Arabic calligraphic script. His densely detailed design is defined by the universal language of signs accessible to people from all over the world, whether or not they understand Arabic.
Dahoul’s work is part of the dream series he has been working on over the past 20 years where he mirrors the corporal and psychological effects of alienation, solitude, and longing that punctuate the human experience stages in life.
Regarded as the UAE’s national treasure and a visionary who is emulated by many young Emirati artists, Abdul Qader is best known for his striking abstract artworks.
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His works have evolved over time from his early figurative works that explored his culture, identity and surroundings. Saeed Al Naboudah, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture, said: “The wrapping of Dubai Metro carriages with accomplished works of art reiterates the cultural soul of the city and reflects the Dubai Open Air Museum initiative announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This path-breaking initiative highlights the city’s cultural identity with the wider audience of Dubai residents as well as visitors. The Dubai Metro project also inspires established and aspiring artists to explore innovative methods for showcasing their art.”
Abdullah Yousuf Al Ali, CEO of RTA’s Rail Agency, said, “This initiative makes Dubai Metro a moving ‘icon of happiness’ with a huge number of riders, including residents, visitors and tourists onboard.”