About Event
Le concours artportchallenge reviens pour une 2e édition sur le thème de la photo
Sep 15, 2022United Arab Emirates
Artportchallenge – Congratulations to the 6 winners!
Abu Dhabi is Stage for Public Display of Best Photos Taken Linked with ‘City of Music”
This year, the ArtportChallenge contest invited participants to capture the intensity of a musical moment through photography. The competition offered six talented UAE-based photographers, both amateur and professional, the opportunity to exhibit their best photographs on more than 140 outdoor billboards, transforming the capital’s streets and Abu Dhabi International Airport into an open-air gallery starting from September 15, 2022. The winners were divided into two categories: over 15 and under 15-years-old.
The winners were selected by a jury comprising H.E. Mr Xavier Chatel, Ambassador of France to the United Arab Emirates, Mr Martin Sabbagh, CEO of JCDecaux Middle East and Africa and Jad Khoury, CEO of Print Works. The selection board also included qualified photographers and music personalities.
By organizing this annual contest, the four partners aim to increase the local population’s engagement in cultural events and widen access to culture for everyone. The theme of music will undoubtedly shed light on the different musical practices and traditions around the world, with the pictures selected by the jury illustrating the unifying power and universality of music.
STORIES BEHIND THE PHOTOS
Beat of the drums par Christopher Comeso – 1st place adult category
“A very happy day for a friend on his wedding day, I was invited by my Emirati friend and colleague to attend the celebration of his big wedding day. during the celebration there are different traditions and rituals that show their beautiful culture. I captured the image of a group of local people who sang to the accompaniment of drumming on their traditional drums. i made the image to black and white to emphasize the dynamic and make the image more dramatic. i am lucky to have that opportunity and I got a unique image that usually only happens in large Emirati gatherings.”
Rhythm of heritage by Nishar Nambiathayil Mohammed – 2nd place adult category
“This image was captured at the Sharjah heritage festival which shows
a Beduin drummer who was performing at the festival. Here I tried to give a dramatic lighting to get the importance of the subject.”
Feel the music, feel the breeze par Patricia Cotellessa – 3rd place adult category
“The idea with this picture is to convey that music follows us at various stages of our life. And its beauty is present in our daily lives even if we are not in front of a famous singer or musician. This photo was taken while my kids were playing on the beach, on a hot summer afternoon, with a wind blowing in from the sea, during an unmissable sunset in Abu Dhabi. As in other arts, we just need to feel the music to enjoy it.”
Salem’s mother Cello – 1st place teenager Category
“We were on holiday and took a tour in the road and after that we saw an open stage it was very crowded in front of stage and we turned back to listen for music and Salem took that photo by sonny camera”
To be found anywhere by Jana – 3rd place teenager category
“When I first heard about the theme of this year’s ArtPort challenge, I knew immediately that I wanted to capture music naturally rather than try to intentionally create a musical moment, as I felt that this defeated the purpose of music at its core. So I spent a few days walking around London and taking photographs of street musicians doing what they love and was able to capture the beauty of music and the beauty of its ability to be anywhere and everywhere “
