“In an average lifetime, the human being spends around six years dreaming, but what is really happening during this time still remains a mystery, impossible to decipher.

Located between our consciousness and the dream state, lucid dream allows us to control and modify our actions or scenarios, aware that we are living in a dream whilst making everything possible within the limits of our imagination.

Where would your dreams go if you could have control over them? How far are our dreams from reality?

Welcome to the thin line that connects consciousness with dreams.”

With this text I opened my new installation in Dubai for MeetD3, an annual art & design event taking place in Dubai Design District.
Invited by Tashkeel Studio and inspired by lucid dreaming, I created this space with the idea of placing yourself far from reality for a minute, and inviting you to interact and be part of this trippy dream. More info in my instagram @zoonchez​ 

Many thanks to Tashkeel Studio, D3 and all of the visitors who passed by and showed some love. <3

All photos by Jalal Abuthina

Facebook contacted me to paint a wall in their brand new Middle East offices in a flashy 40th floor of a building in Media City, Dubai.
I made this artwork before the official opening, and it is a big mosaic of characters representing connectivity, islamic culture and what I really think of Facebook.

As usual, you meet interesting people while sharing endless nocturnal hours on spray fumes like Richard (or Ricardo), a security guard from Filipinas with an artist soul, he played some classic r'n'r tunes on my lil guitar while I was painting, we did some amazing duets like ‘The house of the rising sun’ and he also paints some impressionist art on his day off. Or CobraSnake (I never understood his real name), a cleaner from India who has two girlfriends, two of the guettoest tattoos I’ve ever seen and doesn’t eat things that make ’mooooooo’ or ’eeeeeick’ according to his religion.

Mission accomplished.
One of my goals during my year of residency in Tashkeel was to paint a mural in the streets of Dubai.
In any other country, everything probably would have been easier but here graffiti or street art or whatever is heavily punished, actually I think this is the first and only mural that exists in the UAE (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

The process has not been easy. Since consequences of being busted painting here are no joke (and you need more than 10 minutes to paint this, set up a cherry picker, etc) you need a permission.
So after locating the spot by Jumeirah Beach Road (Anna!) we had to talk with the owner of the building, who luckily was open for the project since the first moment. Then with his ok, the Tashkeel crew were struggling with Dubai authorities day by day until we finally got their OK a few months later.

Keeping in mind that sedentary lifestyle is a big issue in this city, as well as the crazy unsustainability that involves most of its massive projects, I wanted this artwork, a local guy riding a bicicamel instead of a polluting car, while eating some healthy stuff, to be a wake up call for simplicity and sustainability to all the people living here (applicable to hundreds of other countries). I’m not really expecting any change with this, but that’s the message.

After spending the whole night painting this, I passed by the next day to take some photos and to speak with the neighbors about it (mostly shops and cafeterias). They look excited about it, even though they were kind of reluctant when they saw me painting the first lines. Late night visitors after closing their stores were also rewarded for their support with a quick lift in the cherry picker or with a few shots of spray on his guetto car to hide some scratches.
Now I’m getting free haircuts and lemon-mints on the area.

Big ups to Tashkeel: Bakhita, Haiya and Lateefa. Thanks for your company Jill, Sameena, Khaled and neighbors.

For your information, this is a personal project. There’s no brands nor any kind of payment related to this wall (or any others). Hope you like it Dubai peeps and i hope this will open doors for more public art projects.

Peace out!
R.

As part of the public programme Artscape: Cultures in Dialogue, I created this wall in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi as part of the Birth of a Museum exhibition public program.

I wanted an unusual wall to gather different artistic elements from different cultures and ages, just like [the Birth of a Museum] exhibition does… making them coexist through the same style and same colors.

If you look closely, you can find elements from the Birth of a Museum exhibition like the Rooster, the Eagle-shaped fibula from Domagnano, The Gyspy by Édouard Manet or the Lion-shaped aquamanile among others.