Artist Gary Yong Sand Bags Dubai Beach

New Zealand-born street artist Gary Yong has been in Dubai participating in the UAE Innovation Week, which saw him place 1600 bags of sand along Jumeirah Beach Residence’s open beach for a piece he calls “Sand In The Waves”.

Though passers-by may mistake the weathered sand bags for a momentary resting place to park their weary legs, this installation is a symbol of time – both past and present.

It tells the story of what the UAE was, is and will continue to become over time.

As the UAE sets course for a post-oil world through investing in the development of its people, its goal is to build a vibrant knowledge economy, with a core focus on innovation.

“When people think of innovation, they think of technology. With ‘Sand In The Waves’, we have gone primitive,” Yong explained. “Sand is infinite, here, it tells past memories of the UAE and creates new experiences.”

“The sand is a symbol of time and infinite possibility which is impossible to grasp in any permanent way. We need to work with it,” he said.

The installation is a tribute to the relationship between sand and the ocean and has been laid out as a space of relaxation and happiness on the beach.

Yong, aka Enforce One, is one of the founding members of Auckland’s Cut Collective, who specialise in curating exhibitions, interior murals and large-scale public work.

In 2014, Yong was one of the many artists who took part in breaking the Guinness World Record of the longest graffiti scroll in the world.

Original article by Kelly Clarke, Khaleej Times, November 23, 2015.

Photo by Leslie Pablio.