This book was presented in Dubai Futures exhibition on Monday, July 18, 2011.

This book attempts to encapsulate the spirit of Dubai while placing it firmly within its global context. It addresses the very nature of definitions of art and culture and discusses the limitations of centralised cultural policies. Most importantly, it focuses on the small but emergent artistic community that is taking root in an industrial area called Al Quoz. Pitching the planned architectural functions of a place against the meaning imbued into the space by its inhabitants, the work discusses how art asserts itself over time. In a similar way to other urban centres, Dubai’s alternative areas are developing on its outskirts.