It is 125 square meters in size and weighs 500 kilograms
Giant mural unveiled at Expo 2020 Dubai
Mural "Large Letters".
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The curtain was officially unveiled at Expo 2020 Dubai on a giant mural, with an area of 125 square meters, and weighing about 500 kilograms, created by experienced designers from the UAE and the United States of America, as part of a collaborative project between the American University of Sharjah and the United States Mission to the country.
The painting combines typography in both Arabic and English, bearing the phrase “You and I seek to form a world without limits,” drafted by Emirati writer, graduate of the American University of Sharjah, Iman Al-Yousef. American graphic designer, Garrett Fuller, and graduate «American Sharjah», Emirati designer Nada Al Yafei.
The mural making process was supervised by faculty members: Reem Ibrahim, Hala Al Ani, architect Bishoy Gerges, and Polish designer Marian Misiak, who led the project as co-designers, mentors and coordinators of the 60-hour manufacturing and construction process in Al Dhaid, Sharjah.
The mural consists of 25 galvanized iron panels made from local sources, each panel weighing 20 kilograms, mounted on a supporting frame.
The mural "Big Letters", located in the "Opportunities" area, celebrates the principles of diversity, unity, coexistence and tolerance, and the unlimited opportunities shared by the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Students of visual communication and multimedia design created the visual identity of the mural, and published it in multiple channels, including a social media campaign and a marketing video, under the supervision and guidance of the faculty team and staff of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the university.
Dr. Susan Mam, Director of the American University of Sharjah, said that participating in a project of this size, in a major global event such as “Expo 2020 Dubai”, is an important achievement for the university community, and we are grateful to the United States mission to the country, for supporting the vision of our team from the beginning of the idea of work to its end, and to allow the American University of Sharjah to showcase the skills of its students, alumni, and faculty to the world in this way.
Reem Ibrahim, assistant professor of visual communication at the university, as the project leader, said that the biggest challenge was taking a two-dimensional text and translating it into a three-dimensional viewing experience, in a way that unifies the audience of both Arabic and English.
She added: “The text refers to the ambitious views of both the UAE and the United States, in order to achieve a future beyond our imagination, and the lenticular effect beautifully embodies this ambition, and provides a unique and dynamic viewing experience, as the shape of the artwork changes according to the angle from which the viewer looks, to To be able to read the entire sentence clearly and in both languages.
During the exhibition, the American University of Sharjah will coordinate a series of workshops to share its method of working on the mural and explain its design. University students will also edit a publication documenting the process of selecting and manufacturing the mural.
This artwork will continue even with the end of the exhibition, as it will be dismantled and divided into seven separate sections, so that each section is a mural in itself, representing each of the seven emirates, and it will become a monument that the UAE public will enjoy for years to come.
Visitors to "Expo Dubai 2020" can see a mural of "large letters" in the "Opportunity" area opposite the Egypt Pavilion, a five-minute walk from the United States Pavilion.
• The mural consists of 25 panels of galvanized iron, which are made from local sources.
• 60 hours of manufacturing and construction in Al Dhaid.