AGB Creative Founder Anthony Bastic AM floodlights Dhai Dubai
Sisters of the Desert projection at Dhai Dubai Light Art Festival.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Happening at Expo City Dubai is Dhai Dubai, the first Emirati-led light art festival (Jan. 26 – Feb. 4). Being held in in partnership with AGB Creative and supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), it is a place where local artists transform light into a canvas of creativity and cultural storytelling. A fusion of traditional Emirati heritage and cutting-edge artistic innovation, visitors can engage in a radiant exploration of Dubai’s art and culture there. Partner AGB Creative is a cultural events company, founded by Anthony Bastic AM. An international event designer, he has used his creative talents to bring some of the world’s most inspiring event experiences to life. He was instrumental in establishing Vivid Sydney and was associated with the event holding positions of Curator and Festival Director of Light for a decade. He has also developed and inaugurated The Australian Garden Show Sydney, the Lights of Boston, and produced the first two iLight Marina Bay in Singapore. He shines the light on Dhai Dubai
What sets Dhai Dubai apart from other light art festivals in the region?
Dhai Dubai prides itself on being the first-ever Emirati-led light art festival. It’s also an artist and designer-led festival - which means we prioritise creative expression and exploration, above all else. In other words, it’s not lights on structures or installations, its art pieces lighting up and telling a story through lights. For our inaugural edition, we wanted to make sure we carefully curated a group of diverse, talented, and distinguished artists to illuminate the Expo City stage, setting the bar high for future light art celebrations around the world. Moreover, we wanted festival goers to feel like equal partners in this immersive experience, underlining the power of light as a creative medium.
Can you share the vision behind the curation of the event?
Light has always been a focal point of art and culture, especially in this region. To this day, it’s still such a powerful and visceral medium, activating our senses and capturing our imaginations in such a profound way. For Dhai Dubai, we wanted to push the envelope of storytelling through the medium of light art. Storytelling is deeply rooted in Emirati tradition; there is a treasure trove of homegrown talent in Dubai that combines tradition with contemporary inspiration. The artists who call this city home can offer us a remarkably intricate understanding of both past and present, and how they intersect with future possibilities. At Dhai Dubai, each of our artists was chosen to bring to life a luminous, thought-provoking, and enlightening installation that is distinctly unique to their perspective. Yet, when they all come together, it’s like a ‘light bulb moment’ – a universal story starts to unfold, reflecting Dubai’s spirit.
Who are the artists featured at the inaugural Dhai Dubai?
We have seven incredible artists helping us launch Dhai Dubai on the Expo City stage. They are each Emiratis who shine a different light on their own personal stories, narratives and perspectives on Dubai. Mattar Bin Lahej, whose calligraphic façade on the Museum of the Future has become an iconic symbol of Dubai’s skyline, and his works bring a sense of motion and immediacy. The inimitable Dr. Najat Makki, who was honoured with the French Chevalier of Arts and Letters is among the UAE’s pioneering artists, with a spectacularly diverse practice. We also have Dr. Mohamed Yousef, one of the UAE’s earliest sculptors and recipient of the first-ever Golden Prize at the Asian Art Biennale.
Also taking part is designer Abdulla Almulla, who participated in last year’s London Design Biennale and Dubai Design Week, with ingenious works reflecting the country’s culture and architecture. The exciting multidisciplinary conceptual artist Maitha Hamdan also joins us, exploring the nuances of societal practice and history, alongside renowned designer Khalid Shafar, who has notably collaborated to LASVIT and the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum. We’re also proud to have the celebrated visual artist Reem Al Ghaith, who examines tradition and transformation in her work. Together, the works piece together an image of Dubai which is multi-faceted, beautiful and thought-provoking.
What impact will Dhai Dubai have on the cultural landscape of Dubai?
One of our main objectives of organising Dhai Dubai is to further position Dubai as a hub for impactful art events and festivals on the global map of art events, thus creating a bridge for the Emirati artists to reach the international art scene. We also hope to create a memorable space where people can explore and celebrate art, yet also feel they are an inextricable part of it. Dhai Dubai comes to life through its visitors, elevating them from mere spectators into active participants. Many of our light art experiences, like our skate park ‘Speed of Light,’ are responsive and interactive, allowing people to shape their experience and infuse it with their own joy and imagination. Another vital aspect is our partnership with ‘Liter of Light’, a philanthropic organisation that provides light to communities with limited or no access to electricity. We couldn’t imagine having an inaugural Dhai Dubai event without connecting our vision to a larger global mission that recognises light as a catalyst for positive change. Ultimately, we are proud to join an already rich creative landscape in Dubai – and we hope to continue to set an example of what an immersive cultural celebration can look like.
