Dubai street art turns urban sprawl into open-air museum

DUBAI: The streets of Dubai may be  known for architectural superlatives like  Burj Khalifa, the highest of the world’s  high-rises, and the Middle East’s largest  shopping centre Dubai Mall.  But a group of street artists now also  wants to turn the concrete walls of a fastgrowing  urban sprawl into an open-air museum  that celebrates Emirati heritage and  speaks to everyone in the multicultural city.  From poetry painted in intricate Arabic  calligraphy to a portrait of an old man rowing  a wooden boat, the art of the government-  funded Dubai Street Museum is  bringing new life to the city.  The project features the work of 16  mural and graffiti artists of different genres  and nationalities, including four Emiratis.  They include Malaysian-based Lithuanian  artist Ernest Zacharevic -- who has been  likened to British graffiti artist Banksy --  and Tunisian street artist The Inkman.  Each brings their own interpretation of  a curated theme -- "The Past" -- to the 2nd  of December Street in the heart of Satwa,  one of the older quarters of Dubai. "Dubai  has everything, from finance to tourism,"  says project director Shaima Al-Soueidi.  "Tourists can see our history at the museums.  But we want everyone to be able to  see that history everywhere, even in the  streets." Urban art is a growing trend in the  Middle East, a region dotted with cities carrying  complex -- and frequently crisis-ridden  -- histories. But while graffiti in older  cities like Tunis and Beirut often acts as a  form of resistance against contemporary  politics, the art form takes on a more a conciliatory  tone in Dubai.  Satwa, originally home to Emirati  bedouins, is today a working-class neighbourhood  largely inhabited by labourers  from the Philippines.  Known locally as "mini Manila", Satwa  is a bustling residential area dotted with  late-night restaurants and shops selling  everything from car parts to Chantilly lace.  Satwa’s unique social makeup caught  the eye of those behind the Dubai Street  Museum, who hope to see the project  spread further across the city. —AFP