The desert has always been a place of stillness. A space where silence holds meaning and time stretches wide. This year, the Tanweer Festival returns to Mleiha in Sharjah with a new edition that transforms this stillness into an open conversation between art, nature, and memory.
Set against the copper dunes of Mleiha, the 2025 edition carries the theme “What You Seek Is Seeking You.” Inspired by the poetry of Rumi, it gathers eleven artists from the UAE and around the world. Each artist brings a distinct perspective, yet together they form one shared story about connection, reflection, and the beauty of seeking meaning in a changing world.
This year’s Tanweer Festival brings together a remarkable lineup of artists whose works span continents and disciplines. Los Angeles-based duo HYBYCOZO present Nexus, a glowing geometric structure shaped by light and shadow. South Korean sculptor Seo Young Deok contributes Meditation 1554, a head formed from rusted chains. Dutch fiber artist Milla Novo unveils Ancestral Whispers, a field of suspended macramé panels.
Emirati artist Juma Alhaj explores thought and truth through Whispers of Truth, while design trio One Third Studio—Amna Bin Bishr, Duna Ajlan, and Dania Ajlan—create Reflections, a mirrored cave inspired by Mleiha’s landscape. Emirati visual artist Rawdha Al Ketbi captures time and memory with The Sediment of Time. Pakistani artist Shabir Mir turns Arabic calligraphy into sculpture in Word Garden.
Indian ceramicist Pranoti Karajgi revisits trade and heritage with Threading Time – A Journey Through Beads. Syrian designer Ranim Orouk builds Knots of Poetry: Sitting with Rumi, an installation on renewal. Emirati-based artist Talin Hazbar examines history through Radii, and Iranian architect Neda Salmanpour brings dune-inspired light to life with Nadd. Together, their works form a collective reflection on heritage, identity, and the enduring dialogue between art and nature.
The installations unfold like chapters of a story written across the desert. From sculptures that echo the motion of ancient seas to luminous structures that seem to float in the dusk, each work draws from the land while adding to its mystery. Visitors are invited to walk through, touch, and reflect, blurring the line between artwork and environment.
The festival’s setting amplifies its spirit. Mleiha, with its fossilized mountains and deep archaeological roots, serves as both subject and stage. Here, creativity is not confined by walls or galleries but shaped by wind, light, and time. The desert becomes a gallery of memory, where the past meets the present and imagination feels infinite.
Tanweer Festival continues to strengthen Sharjah’s growing reputation as a cultural hub that honors both heritage and experimentation. It offers a rare kind of encounter where art is not just observed but felt, where visitors move through ideas rather than simply around them.
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