The Emirate of Dubai has great ambitions to become the center of art in the region. The goal of the latest initiative is to transform conservative urban neighborhoods into an open gallery thanks to original works of Street Art and graffiti.
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Dubai's vision as a global metropolis of the world doesn't end with modern buildings. The emirate strives to bring life and bustle from air-conditioned shopping centers back to the Arab street and thus create a new space for individual creativity and social discussion. Dubai simply wants to be "cool".
The Dubai Street Museum project is a government-supported initiative that brings together known artists and graffiti enthusiasts in the emirate, whose goal is to transform the concrete walls of many Dubai neighborhoods into a kind of open-air gallery open to everyone.
The new government program to support graffiti art in the UAE currently involves 16 artists of various genders and nationalities, including four from the Emirates. Among others, there is Ernest Zacharevic, who is associated with the British Street Art legend Banksy, or The
Inkman from Tunisia.
Each work celebrates the culture and national heritage of the Emirates. Tourists thus don't have to go only to museums, it's enough if they walk through neighborhoods like Satwa or CityWalk Dubai near the city center.
Other commissioned works from famous Street Art artists such as Rubén Sanchéz or eL Seed can be seen in various places such as Jumeirah Beach Road.
Graffiti and Street Art are currently extremely popular in the Emirates. Works created as part of the Dubai Street Museum project give the city a new cosmopolitan character and are thus a popular topic for many photographers and bloggers.
