Last Days of Disco, 2018
Hind Mezaina and Tulip Hazbar
Mixed media, Dimensions variable
Hind Mezaina and Tulip Hazbar’s research-based multimedia installation Last Days of Disco pays tribute to the 1970–1980s music and entertainment scene in the United Arab Emirates, with a focus on Sharjah in the early to mid-1980s.
Inspired by the Dunes Beats Disco, a mobile disco launched by the Dubai-based magazine What's On that travelled across different emirates, Last Days of Disco takes the format of a dance floor set-up, playing sounds and mixes and featuring artefacts of the time, including an archive of promotional materials about music events, clubs and entertainment venues.
Examining the past influence of Western pop culture on the region and its impact on the present, the installation aims to trigger a conversation that contributes to our collective cultural memory.
This installation is an ode to the party people of Sharjah and the rest of the Emirates as well as clubs like Peaches, Disco 21, La Belle Epoque, Marbella Disco and Coral Disco.
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation.
Images courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation.
