QASR AL HOSN PLAYS HOST TO A CELEBRATION OF UAE CRAFTS AND HERITAGE
▶ Artisans and artists bring past, present and future to Abu Dhabi landmark, writes Razmig Bedirian
When visiting Al Hosn Festival, it is perhaps best to start at the gate opposite Falcon Tower – that is, if you’re planning a chronological journey.
The festival at Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi until December 4 is divided into three sections representing the past, present and future.
Enter from the north-western side and you will see a grid of stalls made of palm reeds that give the impression of an Emirati village.
There is the thud of the daf and Al-Ras drums in the air.
A line of Emirati men perform the Ayala, a stick dance that celebrates gallantry.
Camels pace and children dressed in traditional garb play impromptu games of chase.
The festival, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, celebrates the UAE’s 50th anniversary by teaching visitors to engage with Emirati heritage.
In the stalls, you’ll find plenty of traditional food, handicrafts and jewellery for sale.
Artisans demonstrate weaving techniques such as Al Sadu, which uses the wool of sheep, camels and goats.
There is also Khoos, which involves braiding palm fronds to form everyday objects such as the circular surood, on which food is placed, or the fan-like mahafa, used to cool oneself or fan a flame.
There are also some less wellknown crafts and artisans are more than willing to elaborate on their techniques and teach a few skills.
Rashid Al Antari is a blacksmith hobbyist who says he is one of the few sword makers in the UAE.
Sitting cross-legged in front of a miniature forge, he hammers steel into shape, unperturbed by sparks around him.
There are two main types of swords that were used in the UAE, he says.
“The qatarra is slightly curved and was a favourite in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai.
“In the Northern Emirates, such as Ras Al Khaimah, the more symmetrical saif is used.”
Al Antari has more than a decade of experience in making swords. It is his way of unwinding after a long day’s work, and he has spent a great deal of time perfecting his craft, learning to discern the quality of steel.
He has also devised a branding system, embossing the base of the blade with a circular emblem that reads Sakhr, or rock, and a tapered indentation in the centre of the sword.
Sitting across from him at the festival is an elderly man who is also keeping a neglected craft alive – he is hand-stitching sails.
Muhammed Al Marzoogi says while the factory-produced sails of today are preferred by race boats for their light weight, they are often made with synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon that are not very durable.
“These sails were vital to our livelihood,” he says. “While sails made in factory are lightweight and quick to produce, a small rip would quickly spread and leave you dead in the water.”
Al Marzoogi’s sails are instead made of natural materials such as cotton and are more resilient.
“Even if it rips, the sail will get you back home,” he says, piercing the canvas with a bodkin and running a thread along the hem in a neatly scalloped line.
As you step into the festival’s Makers Village, you’ll come across a series of commissioned works by Emirati artists that put an innovative spin on traditional handicrafts and techniques.
Shaikha Al Ali’s Thoub reinterprets traditional mukhawara dress through hand-pleating.
“[Al Ali] worked with a master pleater to create a technique that responded to maritime crafts,” says Zuhoor Al Sayegh, assistant curator at Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation.
While traditional pleating incorporates a vertical design, Ms Al Sayegh says Al Ali wanted to apply the technique in an oblique gridded pattern to allude to traditional fishing nets.
Elsewhere, Noura Al Serkal’s Value combines pure and plastic silver threads to put a novel touch on the shayla, the traditional Emirati women’s covering, highlighting the garment’s place at “the ever-evolving nexus of culture and fashion”, the work’s caption says.
A video is projected on to the installation to depict the process of metallic embroidering.
Ms Al Sayegh says sourcing the pure silver threads was a challenge, but that it was important for the work as its weave with silver plastic explores “the interchangeability between something so precious and expensive and something mass produced”.
Rawdha Al Ketbi’s installation, meanwhile, is inspired by the tarabeesh, the traditional garment worn by Emirati men, and exaggerates its braided form in size to form a wavelike effect.
Ayesha Hadhir’s Serenades takes on the traditional fishing net, known as the gargoor, in a playful, inflatable design.
Another work, A Prayer, by Maitha Hamdan, interlaces prayer veils in a box frame installation to depict the strength of unity and love for her Emirati roots.
“She’s creating these tensions talking about the systems of prayer and meditation,” Ms Al Sayegh says. “[Hamdan] is going to also lead a photography workshop for all ages that is about capturing fabric in emotion.”
A series of other workshops
ranging from natural dyes to calligraphy and coral sculptures are also to be held at the festival.
In addition, the Makers Village presents a collaboration between the House of Artisans and the Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative, which offers women employment in the weaving industry in Afghanistan.
The co-operation will result in a textured rug that incorporates different techniques to symbolise the collaborative spirit that exists between communities of the UAE and Afghanistan.
As you venture off to the festival’s final section, you’ll see several start-up companies and retail vendors that aim to take traditional aspects of Emirati culture into the future, such as Laggar, which presents a modern interpretation of the handcrafted sandals for men.
This section also features an open-air cinema, with screenings hosted by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the homegrown film and entertainment company.
An inflatable structure by French artist Cyril Lancelin is here. Called Pyramid Hexagon, it features repetitive shapes that echo the UAE’s sabkha (sandflat) formations.
The site will host performances by local musicians, including Arqam and DJ Karrouhat.
The festival runs until December 4 and shows off the many aspects of Emirati culture that have served generations