Dubai Culture Announces SIKKA Art Fair 2017 Programme

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has announced the programme for the seventh edition of Sikka Art Fair – Dubai Art Season’s flagship initiative – which is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The contemporary, artist-led fair will offer an unmatched celebration of visual and performing arts, music, film, literature and food, over the course of ten activity filled days that will take place from the 11^th to 21^st March 2017 at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Showcasing GCC, Emirati and UAE-based artists, SIKKA Art Fair invites visitors to become part of the region’s cultural mosaic, with the 2017 edition featuring all-new ‘SIKKA Around The City’ initiatives and exciting collective ventures for the first time ever. SIKKA 2017 has attracted an unprecedented number of submissions, with over 150 artists and institutions eager to participate in the fair’s evolving programme.

Lubna Al Shamsi, Projects Manager and Project Leader of Dubai Art Season and Sikka Art Fair at Dubai Culture, commented: “SIKKA 2017 will welcome new levels of collaboration between artists from across the region and indeed the world, as well as ‘SIKKA Around The City’ initiatives that will broaden the fair’s scope to enrich Dubai’s public art scene and expose new segments of the community to the joys of art. Over the past six years, SIKKA has supported Dubai Culture’s commitment to nurturing home-grown talent and celebrating the region’s flourishing artistic scene, and this year we are proud to be offering the largest and most innovative showcase to date.”

SIKKA 2017 highlights include The Bahrain House, which will showcase the work of five Bahrani artists, a collaboration between LOCO’MOTION Community Cinema and The Animation Chamber that will screen a diverse array of cultural films, and the fair’s traditional Closing Feast – a celebratory meeting of creative minds. In addition, the fair will welcome a wide range of artistic and cultural mediums from selected artists including the UAE’s Rashid Al Mulla and Brazil’s Cosmic Boys, Lebanese street artist Tarsila Schubert, and Dubai-based designer Miaser Al-Habori, who will bring the fair to life with their distinct creative identities. 

Now into its seventh successful year, the SIKKA Art Fair celebrates local talent and enhances the community’s pride in its rising stars, allowing Dubai Culture to nurture young talent, promote Emirati culture, and build a heritage that future generations will call their own.

SIKKA Art Fair complements the city-wide activation of cultural events that will take place during the fourth edition of Dubai Art Season, which runs throughout March and April 2017 and also includes Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Art Dubai and Design Days Dubai, and the Middle East Film and Comic Convention, among hundreds of initiatives.