- Highlights include major public installation artworks such as, French-Tunisian graffiti artist eL Seed creating a larger-than-life mural, ‘Collection of Moments’, on the facade of his studio;
- ‘Red Flags’ by Anahita Razmi, courtesy of CARBON 12, featuring a series of vividly colourful banners and flags across various sites;
- ‘Every Color is a Shade of Black’ by Hamra Abbas and curated by Lawrie Shabibi exploring colour in the context of faith, identity, race, and beauty;
- The Synaptik and Friends, a standout live music performance with Palestinian-Jordanian rapper, The Synpatik, blending Arabic rap and trap to explore pertinent social issues.
- Slingshot Hip Hop by Reel Palestine and Cinema Akil featuring outdoor screenings of indie and alternative films focusing on Palestinian stories directed by Jacqueline Reem Salloum.
Dubai, UAE: Quoz Arts Fest, the region’s highly anticipated arts and culture festival, returns Saturday and Sunday, 27-28 January, 2024 for its 11th edition at Al Quoz Creative Zone, supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) as Strategic Partner. Known for bringing together art, live music acts from the region, cultural activations, and food in a single weekend, this upcoming edition of Quoz Arts Fest features more than 20 live performances, 80 artists, 200 activations, and 50 food concepts, from morning till midnight.
Detailed information is available at https://quozartsfest.com
Quoz Arts Fest 2024 invites visitors to take a fresh look at how they experience their weekends, with diverse and dynamic activities for visitors of all ages at all hours of the day. This year’s notable festival highlight, Echoes of Nature by London-based Japanese artist Yuri Suzuki, will be on show both days at Concrete, Alserkal Avenue’s multidisciplinary exhibitions and events space. The interactive, ambient sound installation mimics nature, connecting people and the environment, via an eclectic arrangement of pipes and horns. To deepen this connection, visitors are even encouraged to take home elements of the work.
Other artistic activations accessible during the entire festival include a larger-than-life mural, ‘Collection of Moments’, produced by French-Tunisian graffiti artist eL Seed, The Disappearing Art Show by Gulf Photo Plus highlighting works by emerging artists, collectives, and galleries while engendering sustainable collecting practices. Festival favourites Reel Palestine Souk and KAVE’s Market of Misfits provide the opportunity for all-day browsing of wares at the curated markets. Reel Palestine and Cinema Akil also present outdoor film screenings of Slingshot Hip Hop, to run alongside Reel Palestine Souk which highlights traditional and contemporary Palestinian crafts and more.
Amidst the numerous regional talents taking the stage at Quoz Arts Fest 2024 to perform live, is standout artist, The Synaptik. The Palestinian-Jordanian rapper, at the forefront of a popular wave of Arabic rap and trap, uses his infectious beats and unique song-writing style to effortlessly merge singing and rapping to explore issues such as migration and social inequality. With a steady string of new releases and numerous iconic collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights, his distinctive voice and potent lyrics have cemented him as one of the pioneering artists of the Arabic-speaking world.
Public installations on view include ‘Every Color is a Shade of Black’ by Hamra Abbas and curated by Lawrie Shabibi, exploring colour in the context of social concepts such as identity, faith, and more; ‘Red Flags’ by Anahita Razmi and courtesy of CARBON 12, a series of banners and flags in eye-catching variations of coloured gradients across multiple sites, prompting curiosity amongst visitors; and Muhannad Shono’s ‘A Forgotten Place’ which, inspired by indigenous plants largely ignored yet persistently thriving around Al Quoz and the Avenue, utilises AC water condensate to irrigate a garden of feral grasses, flowers, bushes and trees.
For Early Risers
For visitors looking to kick off their weekend with a wellness kick, there will be an invigorating yoga session hosted by Shimis in the Yard, and a rejuvenating outdoor ride by CRANK.
Families with children of all ages can also start their day early at Quoz Arts Fest with Gardens of Gaia by The Confidence Lab. Promising a colourful, creative experience for children & families, Gardens of Gaia features trusted home-grown brands in creative education, performance arts, tabletop gaming, health and fitness, and high-quality culinary options across a series of zones on Lane 4 at Alserkal Avenue.
There’s also thejamjar’s engaging artistic workshops and Original Mix DJs’ pop-up school for kids to showcase their talents. Additionally, Alserkal Avenue’s resident galleries will be open early for visitors to drop by and check out their eclectic exhibitions.
For Late Risers
Festival visitors who prefer a slightly later start to their day are in for a post-lunch treat with live performances such as Moroccan-French singer Amina’s intimate folk and pop-infused tunes and Tanzanian-born performance artist Dipesh Pandya’s transformation of a car into a sonic sculpture via site-specific spoken word. In addition, Quoz Encore will showcase the most promising homegrown emerging musicians of all ages, genres, and languages, Basma Choir’s mesmerising celebration of Arabic music and heritage will meld with Suzuki’s ambient sound installation, and Sima Dance Company will put on visually stunning performance in Concrete.
For Night Owls
At sundown, Quoz Arts Fest takes it up a notch with live performances by crowd favourites such as remixed South Asian DJ sets and custom visuals by UAE-based Stick No Bills; Sudanese fusion artists MarSimba’s mix of Sudanese lingo and African beats; and, millennial artist Usha Jey’s hybrid dance showcase of hip-hop and Bharatanatyam. Big Hass, a Dubai-based hip-hop DJ, who is no stranger to charming audiences on his popular radio show, will be helming the evening’s live entertainment as resident MC and DJ.
All Day
In addition to the aforementioned creative concepts and live performances at Alserkal Avenue, visitors can look forward to mouth-watering culinary options from some of UAE’s most popular independent dining concepts available throughout the festival. Mattar’s melt-in-your-mouth handcrafted smoked meats, Kooya’s unique take on classic Filipino dishes, Pinch’s unforgettable Paella, Monno’s hearty Italian pizzas, and Tacos Los Hermanos’ authentic Mexican culinary offerings will all be on offer in addition to the Avenue’s culinary residents.
On the retail side, there are Lady Mauve’s unique and edgy jewellery pieces, Scarfy’s wearable art made of recycled plastic bottles, Caped Coast’s versatile African print capes, kaftans & kimonos, My Backyard Chronicles’ timeless toys, Fix Chocolatier’s quirky chocolate bars, and El Botik’s trendy clothes in collaboration with artists and brands from around the world.
Festival attendees can book their full weekend access pass for AED 63 on Platinumlist at https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/quoz-arts-fest. The Quoz Arts Fest weekend pass offering a 50% discount is only available for sale online till 22 January. All proceeds from ticket sales are dedicated to the Quoz Arts Fest programme, supporting local and regional talent.
Strategic Partner is Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture)
In association with Dubai Calendar
Supporting partner is MINI AGMC
E-commerce partner is Ounass
ABOUT QUOZ ARTS FEST
Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal Avenue, is an annual celebration of art and culture that has been held since 2012. The festival takes place in Alserkal Avenue and across the surrounding Al Quoz area, and celebrates the thinkers and makers from this creative neighbourhood. Quoz Arts Fest includes activities for all ages, including exhibitions, art installations, talks, workshops, performances, music, and more.
ABOUT ALSERKAL AVENUE
Alserkal Avenue is a vibrant cultural district in the Al Quoz industrial area of Dubai, and is home to a community of over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, homegrown and entrepreneur-led businesses, and community spaces across 500,000 sqft and 90 warehouses. Alserkal Avenue provides an essential platform for the development of the creative industries in the United Arab Emirates. As one of the region’s foremost destinations for contemporary art, and home to Dubai’s risk-takers, makers and wide-ranging creative communities, Alserkal Avenue provides cultural experiences for local, regional and international audiences through its extensive year-round programming.
Alserkal Avenue is home to Concrete, a multidisciplinary exhibitions space conceptualised and programmed by Alserkal, as well as the artist residency programme of Alserkal’s non-profit, Alserkal Arts Foundation. Alserkal Avenue was established in 2008 by Alserkal Initiatives following the visionary thinking of its founder, Emirati businessman and cultural patron Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, who sought to cultivate a vibrant creative community and support cultural production in Dubai.
ABOUT DUBAI CULTURE & ARTS AUTHORITY
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.
Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirate’s historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2025.
The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers to support talent and stimulate active participation from society members by investing in the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of six heritage sites, five museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and eight Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that stimulates the cultural and creative industries.
For more information, please visit the Authority’s website www.dubaiculture.gov.ae
ABOUT OUNASS
Ounass presents a carefully-curated edit of exclusive capsule collections from local and international designers of the highest calibre, housing the Middle East’s widest range of top-tier designers, with brands ranging between Gucci and Bottega Veneta to Valentino, Prada and more. From fashion and beauty to lifestyle and homeware, Ounass has boasted over 1,500 luxury brands since launching in December 2016 as Al Tayer Group’s first, exclusively digital, luxury e-commerce platform. Dedicated to impeccable local talent and local service alike, Ounass currently operates exclusively within the Middle East. An extensive array of opulent collections and coveted seasonal pieces is presented through a tailored website, app and Personal Shopping service. Based in Dubai, the world’s new capital of fashion, we provide a 2-hour delivery in Dubai and same-day delivery service within the UAE, as well as an express delivery to KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain & Qatar.
Sanitary Measures: At Ounass, all our orders are dispatched directly from Dubai, every package is cleaned upon arrival, and products are handled only with protective gloves. We’ve also launched Contactless Delivery in the UAE & Riyadh, where we will leave the package at the door and send an SMS for confirmation.
ABOUT AGMC
The official MINI Cars importer in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates
For over 47 years, AGMC has delivered premium automotive products and services to its customers as the exclusive importer for BMW Group cars including BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce with 6 locations in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. Established in 1976, AGMC has now become one of the most important markets for BMW Group Middle East.
In addition to its commitment to the local community, AGMC has implemented a series of corporate social responsibility initiatives through partnerships with youth road safety programmes, and its long-standing relationship with Dubai Police, through which the innovative BMW ConnectedDrive features are used, aimed to improve road safety for future generations and the advancement of mobility solutions across the Emirates.
AGMC is passionately committed to the communities it serves and demonstrates the BMW Group’s belief in the region’s potential by supporting local activities and events including an exclusive partnership with Dubai Autodrome to bring unparalleled on-track driving experiences to the UAE and partnering with grassroots organisations as part of its commitment to the growth of the nation.
