Abu Dhabi: The House of Artisans, managed by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and the Institute Francaise in the UAE, has launched a new cultural arts exchange program in partnership with the French Embassy in the UAE and the Institut Francais.
The creative arts program seeks to support designers and artisans from both the UAE and France whose work is focused on craftsmanship. The initiative further aims to facilitate new French-Emirati dialogues, support a local network of artisans, and create long-term exchanges and opportunities for professionals in the arts and crafts space.
We are delighted to see this valuable artistic exchange program come to life and particularly proud to collaborate with our creative partners in France for this first edition, both further strengthening the long-standing cultural relationship between our two countries and paving the way for future international collaborations.
Ms. Salama Al Shamsi, Acting Director at Culture Sites, DCT Abu Dhabi, shared.
The program, which takes place in both the UAE and France, has sent the designers and artisans on residencies in the partner country, where they have been paired with mentors to help them develop their craft.
Furthermore, the program allowed the participants to discover new creative processes, conduct in-depth research on a variety of techniques, and study the history of their craft and the ecosystem of the host country.
In addition, the program features three Emirati artists and three French artists, who were chosen through a selection committee. The residency exchange saw Emirati artists Ms. Alia Al Mazrooei, Mr. Mohamed Al Suwaidi, and Ms. Sarah Al Nuaimi spend a month in France while their French counterparts, Mr. Jeremy Plisson, Mr. Joseph Dhedin, and Ms. Domitille Lusinchi, spent their time in the UAE.
Mr. Hugo Henry-Ceylan, Head of the Cooperation Department of the French Embassy and Director of the Institut Français UAE, commented on the program that “we are delighted to launch such a successful program. France and the UAE have a long heritage of craftsmanship, and this is a real opportunity to connect the two ecosystems and open up new opportunities for professionals, universities, craftsmen, and designers. We are proud to associate great institutions of excellence with this project, such as the National Institute of Arts and Crafts, Mobilier National, Boulle and Duperré universities, Manufacture de Sèvres, CRAFT Limoges, and ARCA Ebénisterie, with the support of the Institut Français Paris.”