Urban Art Fest in Deira

Al Ghurair Centre, one of Dubai's oldest malls, will be turned into the venue for a ten-day event celebrating street art in all its forms next month.

Street Con, will see seventeen different artists showcasing their talent through various art installations, creative displays, live exhibits, graffiti, music and street theatre performances.

Rollan Rodriguez, the curator of Street Con says they chose the venue in Deira because most people don't realise "how rich Deira is in terms of culture and diversity – it’s a perfect incubator for art".

Describing it as the "original urban community", Rodriguez also said that Street Con will expose urban art to the wider public.

Highlights include the Toy Jam, where artists will be decorating toy figures, wall murals and collaborative pieces. Artists include Enforce One or Gary Yong who will be performing on 5th and 6th February, Darwin Guevarra who is on during the 11th and 12th February and Rodriguez himself, on the 7th and 8th of February.

Irina Cooper, the manager of the mall says: “Since our expansion and renovation in October of last year, we have heavily promoted art, culture and music within the local community with events such as a live graffiti wall at Recon and our hugely successful Battle of the Bands music competition. The Al Ghurair Centre’s Street Con will continue this, attracting new visitors to this cultural heart of Dubai whilst providing an interactive opportunity for people of all ages to connect with art and get enthused about it in all its forms”.

* The Al Ghurair Centre's Street Con will be on daily from 1pm to 10pm, February 5^th to 15^th. It will be located on the inner road between the mall entrances (3 and 4) at the Al Ghurair Centre in Deira (near the Dome cafe and Spinney's). Nearest metro stations include Union Station and Salahuddin.