This art installation is located next to two city icons, and tells a meaningful story

Dubai has become a vibrant canvas for art, with murals, sculptures, and installations scattered across the city like an open-air gallery. You might not have time to stop and read the description, but these works are more than decoration – they all carry meaning. This is especially true of a large-scale installation in Al Hudaiba’s beautiful public garden, set beside two of Dubai’s iconic landmarks: Union House and the Etihad Museum.

The installation is titled ‘Union of Artists’ and it was unveiled early in 2024 by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in collaboration with Art Dubai. It showcases seven pillars which represent the seven emirates and so represents the united spirit that binds the people of the UAE. These pillars represent themes like teamwork, cooperation, equality, solidarity, and cohesion.

Union of Artists

It has been created by five Emirati artists, each hailing from different emirates: Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, a pioneering experimentalist; Shaikha Al Mazrou – a visual arts professor at New York University Abu Dhabi; Asma Belhamar, an assistant professor at the College of Arts and Creative Industries at Zayed University; Khaled Albanna, who employs collage techniques to explore topics related to the history of the UAE and its rapid transformation; and Afra Al Dhaheri, who draws inspiration from her upbringing in Abu Dhabi.

The artists drew inspiration from Areesh – a traditional type of dwelling or shelter in the UAE and the region, constructed using palm fronds and wooden poles. The shelter is created with ropes linking the dried fronds of the palm leaves to create a simple enclosure to provide protection from the elements.

In short, the artists are showcasing that each Emirate serves as a pillar that accumulates with each other to form the strength of union and cohesion in one entity, seamlessly interweaving with its adjacent pillar to create a complex yet complete and unified piece.

Union House

And of course, there couldn’t have been a better spot to pick to display this than outside the Union House and the Etihad Museum.

The Union House is a historic building of great national importance to the United Arab Emirates. It is where the rulers – at the time, just six – met to sign the declaration that formed the UAE. It is part of the Etihad Museum, which showcases the story of the founding of the UAE.

So, the next time you pass by this sculpture and are with family and friends, you can impart your newly acquired knowledge.

Images: Dubai Culture