House 196 At Sikka: Anatomy Of Vulnerability

by Alexandra Mansilla

House 196 At Sikka: Anatomy Of Vulnerability

31 Jan 2025

Are you ready for Sikka? The festival kicks off on January 31 and runs until February 9, turning Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood into a vibrant hub of creativity — murals, public art, workshops, live performances, theatre, talks, and homegrown F&B.

Among the 19 concept-driven houses, we’re spotlighting House 196 — The Urban House, curated by Ahmad Makary, the creative force behind Workshop Dxb.

What is House 196 about?

"The Anatomy of Vulnerability" explores the raw and complex spectrum of human emotions through a multidisciplinary, community-driven art project. Artists from different backgrounds will transform the house’s rooms into immersive experiences, each embodying a different emotional state.

In a world increasingly shaped by digital interaction and disconnection, this project invites visitors into spaces of raw, unfiltered emotion. Each room is a portal into experiences of fear, reclusiveness, apologies, ego, resilience, and more, encouraging visitors to map their own emotional journeys.

Ahmad Makary: In the House, everyone comes from different parts of the world — some are newcomers, some have been here longer — but they all bring unique perspectives. For me, it is essential to confront these differences. As an Arab, expressing emotions, feelings, or vulnerabilities isn’t always seen as "normal," especially for men. Showing weakness is often discouraged, but I don’t agree with that mindset. I think it is crucial to be aware of these emotions, share them, and navigate the chaos that comes with vulnerability.

Through this project, I wanted to bring my personal experience into the House while learning from the artists I am collaborating with. How does someone from Canada deal with vulnerability? How does someone from New Zealand or Spain approach it? By bringing these perspectives together, we can confront these questions and push forward together.

Inside House 196: The rooms & concepts

Each of the five rooms embodies a different theme related to vulnerability. Here’s a glimpse inside:

Room 1: Anxiety by Gerard Rechdan

A chaotic, immersive sound installation where everyday objects generate noise — mirroring the overstimulation of social anxiety in public spaces. Visitors interact with the objects, contributing to the noise and making them part of the experience.

Ahmad Makary: The Anxiety Room is designed to help you feel comfortable with anxiety. The concept is to take elements from our daily lives that often trigger anxiety and turn them into something playful and interactive. Instead of resisting or fearing anxiety, the room invites you to accept it, engage with it, and normalise it. That is the core of Gerard’s vision: transforming anxiety into something creative and embraced rather than overwhelming.

Room 2: Authenticity by Noah Perelini

A reflection on identity and belonging as a third-culture kid. Using layered screen prints on plexiglass, Perelini constructs a visual narrative of fragmented roots, shifting perspectives, and the ever-evolving concept of home.

Authenticity by Noah Perelini

Room 3: Hope & Devastation by FATSPATROL

In this space, artist FATSPATROL — who describes herself as “an award-winning artist of Indian origin, raised in Dubai, and holding a Canadian passport; a true third-culture kid” — presents a deeply personal drawing installation that grapples with the tension between hope and devastation. It reflects personal experiences and global turmoil, showing the tension of holding these extremes simultaneously.

Hope & Devastation by FATSPATROL

Room 4: Contentment by Workshop Dxb

Artists from all over the world are coming together here to create limited-edition prints. Sounds unique and impressive, right? Even better — all the prints will be available at affordable prices for festival visitors.

Room 5: The Apology Room

No, no — no one’s forcing you to apologise to your ex here. This space is about exploring the act of apologising as a deeply vulnerable human experience. Through design and print workshops, visitors can dissect the anatomy of an apology, reflecting on themes of accountability, empathy, and what makes a truly sincere "I’m sorry."

Also, one of the courtyards will be dedicated to Habit, curated by Nightjar Coffee. The installation, Bitter Sweet, explores addiction as a quiet vulnerability — something hidden in plain sight. Through subtle details, it invites visitors to reflect on the fine line between habit and dependency.

Stunning installations: web of strings and skate ramp

Out on the terrace, in the Resilience area, Iranian artist Kaveh Ahangar — known for his striking geometric murals and intricate string installations — presents "Don’t Pull My Strings." This immersive piece is woven from countless threads, each one representing the complexities of our inner worlds. Loops and knots mirror our habits, thoughts, and emotions, intertwining in patterns that reflect the interconnectedness of human experience. But just as important as the threads themselves are the spaces between them — the pauses, the gaps, the quiet moments where stillness settles in. These spaces invite reflection, honouring the unspoken and revealing how even absence can shape meaning.

String art by Kaveh Ahangar

In the centre of the house there will be a courtyard — Intimidation area — will be a big skate ramp. It is an installation too called "Veiled Tension" by Ahmad Makary. Blending craft, street culture, and raw physicality, it takes on the theme of passive-aggressiveness in a way that’s impossible to ignore. The surface is covered in hand-painted Arabic calligraphy, filled with phrases that hold layered meanings — expressions that can be polite or cutting, depending on context and tone. But here’s the twist: as skateboarders ride (Nawstique will be among them!), their movements slowly erase the words, turning what was once passive and fixed into something fleeting and dynamic. It’s a metaphor in motion — breaking down unspoken barriers, pushing past indirect communication, and replacing it with something real, raw, and unapologetically direct.

Ahmad Makary: My own piece, the skate ramp “Veiled Tension”, focuses on language and its layered meanings. In Arabic, certain words, like Habibi, can carry very different connotations depending on tone or context. While Habibi is generally a positive word, it can also reflect something entirely different depending on how it is used. I wanted to take these words with double meanings and overexpose them to highlight issues like toxicity in the region. It is about encouraging authenticity — owning what you truly think and feel, rather than defaulting to phrases like Habibi without real meaning.

Panel Talk: The future of indie platforms in Dubai

Save the Date: February 1, 6 PM at Sikka

Independent platforms are changing the game in Dubai’s creative scene — filling gaps left by traditional outlets, forging deeper connections with audiences, and redefining what it means to be seen.

In this panel, Faizal Razak (founder of THE KARAK), Anna Seaman (art writer, editor, curator, and co-founder of MORROW Collective), and Sophie She (Business Development Director at The Sandy Times) will discuss how these platforms are shaping the city’s cultural conversation. Expect insights on balancing authenticity with digital pressures, the evolving role of indie media, and how artists can use these spaces to amplify their work.

Instagram: @karama_arts_club

Music is everywhere

Here’s the story: The Sandy Times teamed up with The Workshop DXB to figure out who from the music industry could pull off a surprise performance in the UAE. The criteria? Someone well-known, yet someone who had never played here before. The decision was made: Long Arm — the Russian electronic and experimental hip-hop producer famous for his jazzy, soulful beats and intricate sampling techniques. His sound is a fusion of hip-hop, jazz, and downtempo, often layered with live instrumentation and deep, cinematic textures.

His debut album, The Branches, was released on the Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle and landed on some of the most influential radio shows — Mary Anne Hobbs (XFM), Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music), and even Gilles Peterson’s “All Winners” show on BBC Radio 1, where it was listed among his favourite records of 2011.

In 2014, Long Arm performed at Boiler Room in St. Petersburg, delivering an intimate and immersive set that showcased his signature atmospheric soundscapes and textured beats.

So, what’s he bringing to the stage? Expect a mix of his early works, plus a whole lot of new material — soon to drop via the Chinese label Space Circle. His upcoming music takes things further, blending ethnic influences, IDM, trip-hop, and even touches of rock into something fresh and unexpected.

Save the date: Long Arm takes the stage on February 8 at 10 PM.

But that’s not all — House 196 will be filled with music, seemingly playing non-stop. The Workshop DXB and Sawt Systems have teamed up to bring an incredible lineup of DJs and live acts, all coming together in one space to dive deep into sound. Everything you hear in House 196 will also be recorded and broadcast on STR! Here’s the lineup.

by Alexandra Mansilla