Dubai: Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), visited Zayed University in Dubai to view student artworks presented as part of the 31st International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA2026 Dubai).
Organised by Dubai Culture in partnership with Zayed University under the theme ‘ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity’, the symposium brings together artists, researchers, innovators and specialists from around the world to explore how art, science and technology can expand creative expression and shape contemporary artistic practice.
During the visit, Her Highness met four ISEA2026 curators: Nasser Abdullah, Dr Nada Altaher, Anna Seaman and Giuseppe Moscatella. She was also introduced to Seed’s Creativity Studio and its artwork, presented as a prototype within the Al Marmoom Public Art Initiative. Her Highness was briefed on the studio’s role in connecting Emirati talent with ISEA2026’s Artistic Programme and Online Academic Programme, encouraging wider community participation and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and lasting creative relationships.
Her Highness also toured the student exhibition at the university’s Innovation Centre, which featured 19 artworks, and received a briefing from Curator Nasser Abdullah.
Among the works was ‘Sleeping Archive’ by Adela Fong Miew Eng, winner of ‘The Connecting Futures International Digital Arts Student Competition’, ISEA’s first international student competition. The work interprets traditional Sarawak weaving as an early form of coding, inviting visitors to reveal and reconstruct its patterns as a digital system.
‘Najma in Ramadan’ by Sara Alhammadi is a 3D animated short exploring a young Emirati girl’s search for her mother’s attention during Ramadan. ‘Called to the Center’ by Esmaeel Mohammed Alteneiji uses the scale of architecture and the presence of a large clock to reflect on time and power.
Her Highness praised the creativity and promise evident in the students’ work and their engagement with developments in art and technology. She emphasised the importance of giving young artists opportunities to share their work with international practitioners, experts and institutions, helping them refine their skills and develop their artistic projects.
Her Highness said: “The future of our cultural and creative industries begins with the opportunities we give young people today. In these students’ work, we see how their experiences and sense of identity can inspire new approaches to art, and how technology gives them different ways to express what matters to them. We are proud of their creativity and the curiosity they bring to a field that continues to evolve; our role is to give them space to experiment, support to develop their ideas, and opportunities to learn from artists around the world. These encounters can help a young artist gain confidence in their own voice and see where their work might lead. This is how we build a lasting creative community in Dubai, rooted in our heritage and open to the ideas and experiences of others.”
Her Highness also recognised Zayed University’s contribution to the UAE’s cultural and artistic life through education and creative practice. She highlighted its role in preparing Emirati talent to contribute to the country’s future, noting that hosting ISEA2026 strengthens the connection between academic learning and the wider cultural sector. The symposium also creates opportunities for exchange with local and international artistic and scientific communities.
Her Highness was accompanied during the visit by Her Excellency Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture; Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture; Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, Director of the Emerging Arts Department at Dubai Culture; Prof. Janet Bellotto, Dean of the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University and Executive and Strategic Director of ISEA2026; Academic and Artistic Chairs of ISEA2026 Dubai Isaac Sullivan, Peter Chanthanakone and Dr Ioannis Papavasileiou; and Esra Ozkan, ISEA2026 Producer.
They were joined by members of the ISEA International Board: Erandy Vergara, Chair; Everardo Reyes, Secretary; Michel Van Dartel, Treasurer; Pat Badani; Ricardo Dal Farra; and Rewa Wright.
Running until 15 November, the symposium explores four principal themes: ‘Celestial Dialogues’, ‘Charting Constellations’, ‘Eco-Tech Futures’ and ‘Starlinked Worlds’. Sessions examine the connections between place, memory, identity and emerging technologies, alongside environmental responsibility and the future of human interaction in the digital world. They also consider how art can deepen understanding of technological change and its effects on societies and cultures.
ISEA2026 combines an in-person Artistic Programme featuring more than 100 artworks across multiple venues in Dubai with an Online Academic Programme open to audiences worldwide.
The Online Academic Programme includes 145 research papers, more than 50 artist and practitioner talks and more than 10 workshops. It also features more than 45 workshops, panel discussions and presentations across four Special Tracks, seven workshops in the Ecological Labs and more than 20 institutional presentations.