Dubai Culture closes SIKKA Art Fair 2019 artist applications with a record number of submissions

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, announced that registration for the ninth edition of SIKKA Art Fair, which closed in October, received an unprecedented response from artists wishing to participate in the exhibition which will be held from 16th -24th March 2019 in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. 

Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Office at Dubai Culture, SIKKA offers a unique platform for emerging United Arab Emirates and regional talents to showcase their work through a range of exhibitions, interactive installations, workshops, film, music and an array of performing arts activities.

The Authority confirmed a 100% increase in the number of applications compared to 2018 by emerging UAE and GCC artists, along with a notable increase in turnout of 30% from GCC submissions. Due to popular demand from the public, Dubai Culture also extended this year’s application deadline by two weeks giving potential applicants additional time to work on their application proposals.

Walid Ahmed, Head of Committee of Dubai Art Season at Dubai Culture, said: "SIKKA Art Fair is considered one of the biggest events in the region which attracts Emirati as well as UAE- and GCC- based artists to showcase their artistic and creative work. We expect to witness a distinctive ninth session due to the large number of submissions we received, which increases year after year and serves as evidence for the importance of the art fair as a platform that supports emerging talent. The fair is also in line with Dubai Culture’s mandate to support creative talent, aiming to position Dubai as a global, creative, and sustainable city for culture, arts, heritage, and literature to enhance happiness and positivity among the society."

The Authority will announce SIKKA 2019 participating artists in December 2018. The art fair complements the city-wide activation of cultural events that will take place during Dubai Art Season, taking place annually throughout March and April. The season’s flagship events include Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Art Dubai, DIFC Art Nights, and Al Serkal Avenue Galleries Night, alongside an array of creative events and activities.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures to enhance Dubai's position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with the aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally.