Al Khazzzan Park, 2013
Shot on Fuji Velvia 35mm, Cross Processed
Dimensions variable

“My photography is predominately about documenting Dubai because being from here and living here all my life, I have seen it go through a lot of changes. Any long-timer in Dubai will agree that the city has changed drastically in a short span and with that, a lot of what made Dubai quirky and charming has disappeared or is hidden behind the gloss and glamour that Dubai likes to position itself.

This water tank in what used to be known as Al Khazzan Park on Safa Road is one of my favourite landmarks in Dubai. Who designed it, when was it built, what it looks like on the inside are still unanswered questions for me. The park disappeared early 2000s (I don’t know the exact date) and the area was blocked off for the longest time. But the water tower was always visible from the road and it has grown more beautiful over time, in my eyes anyway. The saying “out with the old in with the new” has never been more pertinent in Dubai. But when does old get old in Dubai?

The water tank images recently made me rethink my relationship to the city. I’ve always had a hard time dealing with the constant changes happening in Dubai – where places that hold personal memories no longer exist, where the downtown of Dubai is being redefined, names of streets and places are being renamed. I am coming to terms with the changes happening in Dubai and want to move away from nostalgia and look at the present, which itself will soon become the past. And again, looking at when does old get old in Dubai. I still want to continue documenting the old parts and landmarks of Dubai before they disappear. But to also link my photographs to information that will make the viewer look at the work in a historical context.

I want to look at the city with fresh eyes, to appreciate the old along with the new. A look at Dubai-isms of the past, the present and even the future.” Hind Mezaina

Text from Turning Point exhibition catalogue.