ArtDayME: Alserkal Arts Foundation, in collaboration with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), presents Resonance—a site-specific sculptural installation by graphic designer Maryam Namvar and architect Neda Salmanpour.

Curated by Munira Al Sayegh, the installation is situated along the creek in the historic Al Shindagha District, a neighbourhood shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange. Selected through an open call, Resonance emerges from extensive research into the district’s layered histories, contemporary realities, and density of lived experience.

Comprising three delicately suspende metal panels, the installation sways with the wind, reflects the shifting light, and echoes the rhythms of the creek—drawing from the perpetual movement of water, trade, architecture, languages, and communities that have long shaped life along its banks.

Positioned between the creek and the houses of Al Shindagha, Resonance creates an interplay of visual, auditory, and spatial engagement, inviting visitors into a sensory dialogue with the past and present.

Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said, “The Dubai Public Art Strategy serves as an inspiring platform to engage the creative community in supporting cultural and creative industries while empowering talent to leverage Dubai’s rich cultural and historical heritage in expressing their artistic visions.

This aligns with our efforts toward an innovation-driven economic framework. Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood stands as a witness to the evolution of Dubai into a global city, making its inclusion in our public art strategy a testament to its significant role in local collective memory.”

Nada Raza, Director, Alserkal Arts Foundation, said, "Resonance, developed in response to the curatorial prompt evoking shared cultural history embedded in Al Shindagha and its creekside, integrates itself into the visual environment. Maryam and Neda’s work also activates our ears to stop and listen more carefully, reminding us that nothing is static, and that history is continually remade. 

This public artwork reflects the shared vision and commitment of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and the Alserkal family, whose belief in artists and ideas has long shaped, and will continue to shape, our cultural landscape.”

Maryam Namvar and Neda Salmanpour, artists and collaborators, said, “Al Shindagha serves as a cultural and historical touchstone, and with our artwork ‘Resonance’, we wanted to capture the emotion of being there. We are interested in culture and tradition expressed through a contemporary approach with alternative mediums, and aim to contribute to the ever-evolving culture and context we live in. We aspire for this piece to serve as a pause in the city's pace, evoking thought, emotion, and conversation creating a soundmark, an auditory imprint that resonates with its surroundings, reinforcing memory, identity, and a sense of place.”

Munira Al Sayegh, curator, said, “Public art remains one of the most powerful forms of art as it becomes directly accessible to any public that is within its reach. Alserkal Art Foundation and Dubai Culture's commitment to this domain is important for the community that surrounds it, and for the generous narratives we are collectively building for our shared future.” 

Resonance marks the first of three Dubai Public Art Projects commissioned by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Alserkal Arts Foundation. This series is part of a broader initiative aimed at bringing inspiring, thought provoking art into the city’s public spaces, including the Shindagha Historic District, Al Quoz Creative Zone and Hatta. Through these projects, both institutions remain committed to nurturing artistic and curatorial excellence among UAE-based practitioners, while also fostering deeper connections between artists and the city. The launch will be accompanied by a thoughtfully curated public programme featuring neighbourhood walks, conversations, and listening sessions.