Outdoor art is booming and creating communities in Dubai

Art brings people together. At a time when people have been restricted indoors and isolated due to the global pandemic, art displayed out in the open is the perfect antidote.

Aspects of the art world are sometimes deemed too exclusive; however, outdoor art is open and accessible to all. Whether statues in parks or murals in cities, art displayed in the open has a way of drawing people in, creating communities and shaping its environment.

Art in open public spaces becomes integrated into people’s daily environment and embeds itself into their lives, even for those who did not actively seek it out. It is the mural that people walk past on their daily commute, it is the sculpture that families picnic next to. One of the great benefits of outdoor art is that it engages with people who may never have otherwise had the opportunity to do so.

Outdoor art also creates communities. Art can evoke debate and discussion between strangers whose paths may never have otherwise crossed. It can become synonymous with its environment, cultivating a cultural identity that communities become proud of.

The outdoor environment also elevates the art itself. It creates an organic work of art that is never static but is constantly interacting with and reflecting its environment. The appearance and meaning of one art piece can change depending on whether it is day or night, whether it is in the sun or rain, or whether it is being admired by a single person or a crowd.

Arif Amiri is CEO of DIFC Authority and Chairman of the Board of Art Dubai