Prominent contemporary artists and emerging talents come together as 7th MOCAfest opens today in Dubai

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Prominent contemporary artists and emerging talents come together as 7th MOCAfest opens today in Dubai

The 7th MOCAfest (Marketplace of Creative Arts), the WIEF Foundations arts and culture festival, opens today in Dubai on the sidelines of the 10th World Islamic Economic Forum with the participation of some of the established talents from around the world. Organised in partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the event will help bring the creative and business world closer and give a platform for emerging creative artists to display their works on an international stage.

The three-day MOCAfest features thought-provoking dialogue and networking sessions, leadership workshops, art residencies, film screenings and artistic collaborations. A visual art exhibition and live installations as well as musical showcases from around the world will make the MOCAfest a lively event right from day one. The MOCAfest also includes a masterclass under the direction of expert trainers.

Speaking ahead of a panel discussion on fashion trends within the Muslim communities, Alia Khan, founder of Islamic Fashion Design Council, said: Dialogue on Islamic fashion, and the way in which it is artistically developing through societies across the world is interesting and speaks to the range of Muslims we have globally. We are seeing a new generation of Muslim fashionistas and stylists combining mainstream fashion with Islamic style, which makes this an interesting development from the traditional way it was.

Alia further stated: We expect that the MOCAfest panel discussion on the metamorphosis of Islamic fashion will highlight, among many things, two main issues - the challenges Islamic designers face today in successfully managing their businesses, and how Islamic fashion is expected to flourish while ensuring Islamic faith and values are not compromised. IFDC has produced this panel discussion on Islamic Fashion in order to encourage dialogue that is inclusive of all tastes, cultures, and opinions.

Other prominent names at the MOCAfest include visual artists Mohammed Langston Hues, renowned photographer from the US; graphic artist Peter Gould from Australia and visual artist Ruh Al Alam from the UK, both co-founders of Peter&Ruh; Iona-Fournier-Tombs, muralist from Canada; Beatiz Martinez Gomes, leather artisan from Spain; Saif Aldamen, founder and choreographer, SS Curls, UAE; Peter Sanders, international award-winning photographer from the UK; and Karim Jabbari, street calligrapher from Tunisia.

The 10th World Islamic Economic Forum is being organised by the WIEF Foundation in collaboration with Dubai Chamber, as part of its efforts to support the vision of the emirate to become the global capital of Islamic economy.