The fifth edition of Dubai Canvas, the 3D art festival organised by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, in partnership with Meraas, came to a close on Monday after entertaining audiences with live art shows, performances and immersive art experiences.

Held under the theme ‘Travelling through Art’, the month-long 3D art festival transformed the indoor space of City Walk into an open-air canvas for exciting contemporary art created by international and local artists.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, said the festival supports the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into an open-air museum by organising events that dissolve the boundaries between art and its audiences.

“The fifth edition of Dubai Canvas introduced the community to unique creative perspectives and helped it forge new connections with the urban environment through art. The festival offered a space for audiences to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds created by artists and reimagine their reality in adventurous ways. With a series of live performances and interactive experiences, the festival inspired the community to closely engage with art and innovation,” she added.

Badri expressed her gratitude to Meraas for its partnership and all the teams that contributed to the success of the festival.

Shaima Al Suwaidi, Manager of City Branding, Brand Dubai, said, “Dubai Canvas received an overwhelming response from visitors who shared their memorable experiences of interacting with the 3D artworks on social media platforms.”

“The presence of international and local artists brought a unique mix of styles and sensibilities that was greatly appreciated by the audiences. We were particularly keen to provide Emirati and Dubai-based artists a chance to showcase their creative talent to the community. Giving UAE youth opportunities to enhance their role in the development of the local art landscape was one of the key objectives of the festival,” she added.

Dubai Canvas 2020 featured a distinctive group of contemporary artists, including 3D artist Juandres Vera, one of the world’s most well-known street artists. Vera created 3D murals that made audiences feel they can actually walk into the image.

The art festival showcased the 3D artworks of two of the UAE’s most promising artists, Saggaf Al Hashemi and Mahra Al Falahi. Also joining the festival was Emirati artist Ahmed Al Mahri who created contemporary calligraphic murals and hosted an interactive calligraphy show in front of a live audience.

Serbian artist, Milan Katanic, also known as Kal3, led painting performances that used a swinging pendulum instead of a brush to create quirky artworks.

Entertainment shows held on weekends featured mime and musical performances. Basita Band was one of the musical groups that performed at the festival. Dubai Canvas also offered 10 musicians and performers drawn from the public an opportunity to display their talent. The performers were chosen after a review of video auditions that Brand Dubai had issued an open call for.