Dubai Culture Receives Record Number of Submissions for the 8th Edition of SIKKA Art Fair 2018

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has received a record number of submissions for the eighth edition of SIKKA Art Fair, which will be hosted from 17th to 26th March 2018 at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. The Authority’s expert judging panel is currently assessing over 200 submissions from young Emirati, UAE-based and GCC artists, an increase of 50% in the number of submissions from 2016, which is a testament to the community’s increasing interest in SIKKA year on year.

SIKKA Art Fair – Dubai Art Season’s flagship initiative – is 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. The contemporary, artist-led fair which offers a unique platform for regional and local emerging talent to showcase their work via a range of exciting exhibitions, art installations, workshops, film, music and performing arts.

Latifa bin Demaithan, Executive Office Manager, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Acting Director of Projects and Events at Dubai Culture, commented: “SIKKA Art Fair goes from strength to strength each year and the 2018 edition is no exception; we received more entries than ever before and during the ongoing judging process we are discovering the wealth of exciting talent that is thriving in the UAE and across the GCC. SIKKA is a key event of Art Week, which offers exposure for young talent in the arts scene. This is an important fulfilment of our mandate to nurture and celebrate local talent while also positioning Dubai as a city of happy, creative and empowered people who are proud of their cultural identities.”

Since entries opened for Sikka Art Fair 2018, the Authority has received applications from a wide range of emerging artists and artist collectives that are based in the UAE, residing in GCC countries, and working within and across the spectrums of visual arts, performing arts, music and film. The final selected artists will be notified by the end of January and the ten-day programme for SIKKA 2018 edition will be released next month. 

SIKKA Art Fair complements the city-wide activation of cultural events that will take place during the fifth edition of Dubai Art Season, which will run throughout March and April 2018 and feature events such as the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Art Dubai, DIFC Art Nights and the Middle East Film & Comic Con, among hundreds of other initiatives.