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presence and absence. Alia Adnan Sharafi’s ‘Friday Prayer’ examines the tension between
religious commitment and modern distractions. Meanwhile, ‘Defrosting What Was’ by Alina El
Assadi reflects on frozen histories and suspended moments in time.
Exploring nostalgia, Amna Ilyas’s ‘The Album’ recontextualises childhood memories by
transforming everyday objects into fossilised forms. Similarly, Asma Yousef Al Ahmed’s ‘Folded
Memory’ highlights nostalgia through fabric folding and stitching techniques. Andres
Ugartechea’s ‘El Mercado Market’ shifts the focus to global working-class experiences in a
mixed-media installation, while Bao’s ‘Figure’ critiques the dynamics of the contemporary art
market.

Sustainability and materiality take centre stage in Fatma Kherbash’s ‘Hive Studies,’ which
incorporates beeswax and reclaimed wood frames. Malak El Ghuel’s ‘Four out of Ninety-Nine’
reimagines the 99 Names of Allah using textile art. Mariam Bayat, in ‘Erth,’ honours Emirati
heritage by incorporating handmade paper, palm tree fibres, and Al Ain sand. Meanwhile, Layla
Doueidi and Tor Seidel’s ‘Odoroasis’ maps Dubai and Sharjah through scent-based storytelling,
creating an immersive olfactory experience.

Urban development and personal narratives emerge in works like Reem Al Ani’s ‘Trespassers,’
which captures the experience of growing up in a city that constantly evolves, while Zayed
University students Hessa Naser, Mariam Al Ali, Suad Al Younes, and Asma AlShamsi document
the historical transformation of Al Rams in Ras Al Khaimah and Old Umm Al Quwain in ‘Untold
Stories,’ preserving their narratives before urban development reshapes them.

Additional pieces featured in the house include: ‘Untitled Still Life’ by Lameece Bouarroudj;
‘Through the Glass, We Grew’ by Maitha Bushelaibi; ‘Kwaashi’ by Maryam Alzaabi; ‘Imagined
Memories’ by Maryam Bin Bishr; ‘Residual Traces’ by Mohamed Maged Rowaizak; ‘Still Life With
Teapot’ by Morvarid Mohammad; ‘Traversing Light’ by Sara Alahbabi; ‘Unforeseen
Consequences, Pursuit of Influence, Diverse Perspectives’ by Shahid Altaf Awan; ‘What’s The
Next Stop?’ by Somaya Alsayed; ‘Visual Noise’ by Tamer Karam; ‘Emerging Ephemerals’ by Dr
Aref Maksoud and Eng Sarah Isam Alawneh; ‘An Interplay of Light And Water’ by Zahra Shafie;
and ‘Through Their Windows’ by Zainab Alhashmi.

Studio Thirteen House 357 at the festival is presented under the theme ‘Community’, where
artists Spencer Shea and Arthur Du Peuty showcase ‘Passing Through’, a photographic and
sound experience that documents everyday cultural moments. Meanwhile, British artist Fink 22,
in ‘Hidden Conversations’, explores graffiti as a visual communication tool. Mexican artist José
Roberto’s ‘Surreal Land’ reinterprets the centenary of the Surrealist movement within Dubai’s
historical setting. Filipino artists Martin Yambao and Yasha Estrada, in ‘Echoes’, merge the
textures of Al Shindagha with real-time motion capture, highlighting the relationship between
fabric and movement. Leo Tapang’s ‘Dialogues’ transforms the static history of Al Shindagha
into dynamic interactions, while Rabab Tantawy’s ‘Shadows of Humanity’ presents a collection
of abstract paintings reflecting cultural identity and collective memory.

House 348, presented by 7X and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA),
celebrates Emirati identity and cultural evolution through a thoughtfully curated collection.
Among the highlights are ‘Time Stamps’ by Abdallah Alastad, ‘Embroidery on Prints’ by Aysha
AlMadhani, and ‘Kazua’ by Hessa AlZarooni, a rocking chair inspired by local heritage and
modern design. Other pieces on display are ‘Reimagining Carrom’ by Hind Rais, which is a

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