SIKKA 2020; the flagship event of Dubai Art Season completes artist selection

Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), SIKKA Arts Festival is the Authority’s flagship initiative and a pillar event of Dubai Art Season. This year’s event is the 10th anniversary of the prestigious arts and cultural festival, and will take place from 19th - 29th March 2020 in the heart of historic Dubai, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. 

Today, Dubai Culture announced the selection of artists from the open call for SIKKA. After closely evaluating the submissions from UAE-based practitioners received during the open call, the four primary jurors: Ghassan Salameh, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Giuseppe Moscatello and Lisa Ball-Lechgar, determined the strongest proposals that will have the biggest impact in transforming the houses inside Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, into interactive and engaging art and design installations. The festival will also activate the alleyways and rooftops of the picturesque neighbourhood as well as offering live music, performance and entertainment for the whole family.

Held under the theme of Dreamers, the open call for the 10th anniversary of SIKKA Arts Festival asked for Dubai’s most creative and talented artists to unleash their dreams to their fullest potential for their participation in SIKKA 2020 – inspiring arts for 10 years. The final list of artists totals more than 65 and they are currently working under the guidance of Giuseppe Moscatello, this year’s selected curator and Asma Belhamar, assistant curator. Together, they will advise the artists to express their visionary projects for the city in innovative ways, which will have a lasting impact and pave the way for the future as well as ensuring that visitors have their most memorable experience of the festival to date.

Walid Ahmed, head of SIKKA and Dubai Art Season said: “The participating artists, whom we chose with our preeminent jury, showed original ideas, high quality work and a commitment to the festival and its engaging theme with their innovative and creative proposals. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who applied.

“We, at Dubai Culture, are committed to nurturing future generations of artists and establishing cross-disciplinary collaboration, so that we can work together with entities all over the city, in the public and the private sector, to enhance the creative economy. It is essential to maintain long-term and fruitful partnerships not only with the private sector but also with individuals to encourage this kind of mutual relationship and to maximise our combined outputs. Furthermore, as part of SIKKA, we pride ourselves on listening to the needs and concerns of the artists and taking on board their feedback, so that together, we will actualise our collective dreams and make them come true within Dubai, our magical city.”