The National (UAE) RAKART 2024 - February 2024
Spirited Ras Al Khaimah Art brings life back to Al Jazeera Al Hamra ghost village.
Contemporary pieces, NFTs and vibrant installations re-energise abandoned pearling town
Ras Al Khaimah Art is returning to Al Jazeera Al Hamra, revitalising the abandoned pearling village and its coral structures with installations, artworks, live performances and a souq.
The festival will run until February 29, with its outdoor exhibitions continuing until the end of March.
The annual event has been steadily expanding since its inauguration in 2013. Formerly known as the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival, it has rebranded this year and is promising to host its most extensive programme. More than 130 artists from 36 countries are participating, displaying their works at historical sites in the town, which is often referred to as the emirate's "ghost village", and responding to the festival’s theme: In Motion.
The works, and how they respond to the concept of motion, are open to interpretation. But the nature of the event itself – a festival dedicated to contemporary art in its many forms, from film to sculpture, painting and even NFTs taking place in a 17th-century village – underlines the theme with metaphysical glee.
The village itself has gone through a series of changes. While many of its original structures are untouched, some of its more prominent elements have been restored.
The full splendour of the village, as well as the festival, can be observed from a new viewing deck that has been raised near the entrance. It is perhaps the finest view of the village there has yet been, rivalling even those of its now-ancient watchtowers.
“The name of Al Jazeera Al Hamra translated to the red island, after the rich colour of the sand here,” Aaesha Al Dhuhoori, a tour guide specialist at Ras Al Khaimah’s Department of Antiquities and Museums, says. “It was established in the 16th to the 17th century. The village was well known for its pearl diving, fishing and also boat making. It has another name, Jazeerat Al Zaab, after the tribe that was living here.”
The village was abandoned in the mid-20th century when oil was discovered in the UAE and, at about the same time, artificial pearls were gaining traction in the market, causing the pearling industry to falter rapidly. As many as 2,500 people left and Al Jazeera Al Hamra gained a rather mystical reputation, with plenty of jinn stories associated with its name.
Walking along the village’s alleys today, it is difficult to sense the eeriness that once stalked its shadows. Its solitary walls, empty doorways and windows overlooking the wreckage of coral stones and beach rocks have been turned into ad hoc galleries. Artworks are displayed among the ruins, their colours made vibrant against the beige and grey of the old houses.
Among the village’s most splendid structures is the one that belonged to Abdulkarim Julphar, a prominent merchant who owned the largest housing complex in the village. The complex is impressive even by today’s standards, featuring an office, a majlis, as well as several rooms, verandas and courtyards. Designated as Bayt 16 and 17, the complex has been turned into a gallery displaying paintings and photographs in its various nooks. Exploring the premises, like much of the island, will be a rewarding process.