• Sky Castle is a dreamy, multi-sensory sound and light installation by the multi-award-winning Australian art and technology company, ENESS
  • Dubai exhibition is Sky Castle’s debut in the Middle East and follows its showcase to-date across Australia and in Hong Kong, China, Belgium and Canada
  • d3 Winter Season will run from mid-December 2022 to end of January 2023

Dubai, UAE: Dubai Design District (d3), a global hub of art, design, and creativity and a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), last night officially unveiled Sky Castle, a dreamy, multi-sensory sound and light artwork by the multi-award-winning Australian-based art and technology company ENESS. The work was revealed in the presence of the artist, Nimrod Weis, alongside the d3 team and representatives from DFRE.

The large-scale, interactive, colourful installation is presented in collaboration with DFRE’s Dubai Lights activation, part of Dubai Shopping Festival, and as the centrepiece of d3’s Winter Season, which runs from mid-December to the end of January and which aligns with the third edition of the “World’s Coolest Winter” campaign launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Sky Castle is making its debut in the Middle East, with the installation’s cluster of inflatable arches spanning in a colourful symphony across the core of d3. 

Visitors can interact with the striking installation. As they walk through the arches of the inflatable artwork, their movement powers and progresses a melodic xylophone soundscape, stimulating colour changes in each arch. Light, colour and music have been orchestrated to evoke the feelings of joy and hope that rainbows bring after every storm. As more people join the journey as well, the contemporary musical score crescendos creating a lush, orchestral piece that is different every evening as the installation responds to crowd flow and fluctuations.

Khadija Al Bastaki, Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), said: “This breath-taking, colourful light and sound experience will be the centrepiece of our winter season at d3 and we are honoured to collaborate with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment on their beautiful Dubai Lights, part of Dubai Shopping Festival activation as well, and align with the UAE’s “World’s Coolest Winter” campaign. With its impressive scale and multi-sensory elements, Sky Castle is the epitome of creativity and rethinking the regular and it is a natural fit for all we do as the region’s leading hub for the creative community.  We look forward to it stimulating conversation and bringing people together, all whilst reaffirming Dubai’s status as a global creative hub.”

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “The 28th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival features seven packed weeks of incredible experiences, events, entertainment, arts and culture. With this, the second edition of Dubai Lights as part of DSF, we have created a stunning showpiece of art installations from leading global talent in destinations across the city – including here at d3, the hub of design and creativity. Dubai is known as an incubator of talent and a catalyst for the creative economy, and the success and growth of Dubai Lights demonstrates our great city’s commitment to profiling and supporting a cultural and creative ecosystem. Working with our partners at d3 for the first time this year is indicative of the ways in which DSF, after 28 editions, continues to grow and evolve, and reach new destinations and new audiences across the city.”

Talking of the work’s debut in the Middle East, Nimrod Weis of ENESS also adds: "It is meaningful to us to share Sky Castle's message of joy and light to the city of Dubai as part of Dubai Lights because at the heart of all ENESS work is joyful, cross-generational connection. In this way we view ourselves as Happiness Architects who seek to add to the wellness of cities and public spaces by creating sculptures that have a positive effect on people's wellbeing - lifting them out of their present circumstances, whatever that may be - to touch their hearts and souls.”

The Sky Castle story was developed during lockdown to express freedom from isolation and positive clear skies that come after difficult times.  It was first unveiled in 2020 in Fed Square in Melbourne, Australia as the city came out of its third lockdown due to the pandemic. Later that year, the work travelled to Shenzhen, China and has since delighted visitors across Australia and internationally in Hong Kong, Belgium and Canada. This winter marks its Middle East debut.

In terms of design, Sky Castle is an exploration into inflatables as temporary architecture in public space. ENESS Studio is a multi-award-winning art and technology studio, led by artist and founder Nimrod Weis.  The studio has designed ground-breaking experiences for cultural institutions around the world for the last 20 years, including art galleries, museums and performing arts complexes, events and festivals. It is distinguished by a multidisciplinary team of creatives which includes artists, musicians, software engineers, industrial designers and a writer.

The Sky Castle installation epitomises d3's role as the region’s leading creative hub, bringing a diverse and influential creative offering and mix to the UAE and region. Art forms a crucial part of d3's ecosystem, alongside design, fashion, and architecture. 

The d3 Winter Season will also feature an array of other creative, festive and health and wellness activations and opportunities over the six-week period (15 December-29 January).  These will include:

  • A series of installations by contemporary fashion space SVD in the run-up to the launch of their new flagship store in d3 in early 2023.  The unexpected installations of Arabe style, in collaboration with the renowned artist Ali Sheban, will see them unveil an Arabe ‘majlis’ style lab installation within d3 as well as take-over The Block’s skate park and basketball court
  • A mix of health and wellness offerings bringing physical and mental wellbeing into the fabric of the d3 community.  These will include ongoing yoga classes by two of Dubai’s most talented yogis, d3’s first sound healing sessions brought by Sonic Temple, which is one of the region’s sound therapy trendsetters, and regular bootcamp sessions by Camp, which help people to tap into the best physical version of themselves
  • A curated line-up of musical artists, including two one-off classic music features and also d3’s first drum session led by Dubai Drums
  • Workshops by d3-based in5 Design startup PERFUMERY and Maison de Fleurs

For more information on Sky Castle and the full d3 Winter Season programme, visit dubaidesigndistrict.com/the-community/events.

This year’s 28th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) runs until 29 January 2023, and promises all-round winter fun for the whole family. Check out Visit Dubai and @CelebrateDubai and @StyledbyDubai on social media channels for more information. 

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About Dubai Design District

Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, is a global creative ecosystem dedicated to design, fashion, architecture and art. In line with Dubai’s position as the leading business destination for the region and beyond, d3 is an industry-pioneering concept that enables people and businesses to grow and co-create, whilst simultaneously providing a strong platform for creativity. Strategically located in the heart of Dubai, d3 is one of the city’s lifestyle and business district that challenges thousands of people to rethink the regular.

With state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to meet the needs of the industry and a business-friendly framework, the community offers creative talent the tools for collaboration and growth, further reinforcing Dubai’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design. d3 is a cutting-edge retail district offering a variety of multi-brand boutiques, fashion brands, art galleries and showrooms. In addition, d3 is home to leading companies and talent including architects, interior designers, photography studios, product and fashion designers. Some of the region’s most popular events take place in d3 and attract international artists and audiences to cultural and fashion exhibitions and gatherings such as Dubai Design Week, Arab Fashion Week and Sole DXB. The district also regularly hosts a roster of industry talks, workshops and educational programming, accessible to people of all ages.

d3 is home to TECOM Group PJSC’s business incubator – in5 – that aims to support the fashion and design industries by offering students and entrepreneurs the opportunity to transform their ideas into successful commercial ventures. This ecosystem is further supported by the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), the region’s only university exclusively dedicated to design and innovation, which offers a curriculum crafted with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The New School's Parsons School of Design. The district also features the city's first canal side recreational development, The Block. The open-air destination offers a range of different outdoor and leisure areas including a basketball and volleyball court, a skate park, outdoor gym and climbing wall.

For more information, please visit: dubaidesigndistrict.com

About TECOM Group PJSC

TECOM Group has been developing strategic, sector-focused business districts across the emirate of Dubai since 1999. TECOM Group is well-positioned to continue playing an integral role in cementing Dubai’s status as a global business and talent hub.

The TECOM Group portfolio consists of 10 business districts catering to 6 vital knowledge-based economic sectors, including design, education, manufacturing, media, science, and technology. The Group provides a varied and tailor-made leasing portfolio – which includes offices, co-working spaces, warehouses and land – to over 7,800 customers and more than 100,000 professionals.

TECOM Group offers additional value-added services to deliver a competitive and attractive environment for businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive in and to facilitate engagement between the districts’ community members. Government and corporate services are made available through an integrated smart services platform, “axs”, which enhances ease of doing business and provides community members with a seamless experience.

TECOM Group also provides industry specialised facilities, including media production studios, laboratories and higher education campuses. in5, its enabling platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups, offers innovation centres supporting tech, media, and design start-ups and SMEs. Its future-focused co-working spaces D/Quarters deliver stimulating work environments for tenants, and the “GoFreelance” package serves approximately 2,400 freelance talents.

For more information, please visit: tecomgroup.ae

For media enquiries, please contact:
Mutaz Albadri
TECOM Group PJSC
mutaz.albadri@tecomgroup.ae
Courtnie Peart
courtnie.peart@hkstrategies.com
Sarah AlBarazi
Sarah AlBarazi Sarah.AlBarazi@hkstrategies.com