Deliberate Pauses
Alserkal Arts Foundation, in partnership with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, presents Deliberate Pauses, the largest site-specific art intervention in Dubai, created by Shaikha Almazrou. Known for her sculptural investigations of materiality and form, Almazrou’s latest work is set against the striking landscape of Leem Lake in Hatta, marking a significant moment for public art in the region.
Deliberate Pauses consists of five reflective metallic sculptures, strategically placed along Hatta’s scenic hiking trails. These gleaming cylindrical forms—whether standing tall or lying still—are embedded seamlessly within the rugged Hajar Mountains. The sculptures serve as both beacons and portals, encouraging visitors to pause, reflect, and connect with the natural environment surrounding them.
Curated by architect and academic Faysal Tabbarah, the installation integrates bold aesthetic impact with a deep respect for the environment. By inviting hikers to engage with the overlooked narratives of Hatta—embedded in its rocky terrains, cultural artifacts, and oral histories—Deliberate Pauses fosters a dialogue between the past and present.
About Shaikha Almazrou
Shaikha Al Mazrou is an artist whose work investigates form and reflects a fascination with material
experimentation. Born in the United Arab Emirates, Al Mazrou creates minimalist sculptures and installations
exploring structure, tension, and space. Drawing inspiration from modernist principles and industrial
aesthetics, her works bridge the physical and conceptual, using materials like steel, aluminum, and vibrant
industrial coatings to challenge perceptions of weight, balance, and composition. Her approach synthesizes
contemporary artistic movements, integrating aspects of color theory and geometric abstraction and manipulating
industrial materials to challenge and expand traditional sculptural boundaries. She is an Assistant Professor
of Arts Practice at New York University Abu Dhabi. She earned her MFA in 2014 from Chelsea College of Fine Art,
University of the Arts London, where she was awarded the prestigious MFA Student Prize. Prior to that, she studied
at the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah.
About Faysal Tabbara
Faysal Tabbarah is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the
American University of Sharjah (AUS) and Carleton University, and co-founder of the experimental architecture and
design studio, Architecture + Other Things (A+OT), which is based in Sharjah. He was the Curator for the National
Pavilion United Arab Emirates exhibition in the 18th International Architecture Exhibition 2023, La Biennale di
Venezia. Tabbarah's work across teaching, research, and practice explores the relationships between regional
environmental and architectural imaginaries to develop alternative building practices that are rooted in their
surrounding material and cultural environments.
