Artscrafts creates new Guinness World Record for 51st UAE National Day

Abu Dhabi Theatre witnessed one of the historical moments in the UAE art field as a Guinness Record was created on the occasion of the 51st UAE National Day. The two-day art festival organised by Artscrafts, Ehtifal Al Emarat was a treat to all art lovers in many respects. The event was inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir. He appreciated the team for the vision that led to the accomplishment of the event. The inaugural ceremony was graced by the presence of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdul Rahman Al Moalla as the chief guest. The star-studded opening event was a blend of poise and beauty.

Ehtifal Al Emarat also presented a unique art exhibition, exhibiting the artworks of 51 distinguished artists from different emirates in UAE. There were cultural programs and live paintings that added beauty to the event. Anil Kejriwal, founder and CEO of Artscrafts mentioned that the union of 65 nations to celebrate the National Day of UAE was nothing less than a dream come true. He thanked his team for the success of the event, who had worked hard for months, and mentioned the great support he received from all the sponsors, mainly First Abu Dhabi Bank.

The highlights of the art festival were the Guinness World Record Attempt and the 51-meter-long painting called Jumbo 51. It was Raisa Mariam Rajan’s concept that led to these two attractions that drew a large crowd to the Abu Dhabi theatre. “I always dreamt of creating something big. This was the perfect opportunity as Anil asked me to direct this event. We were blessed with the right time and place and my concept turned into a reality. It was a huge task to bring so many nationalities under a single roof. The success of this event is nothing but passion and sheer hard work.” Ahmed Baharoon, executive director of environment information, science outreach management sector at EAD, added: “Art is a language that can move us emotionally in indescribable ways. It is a powerful tool that allows people of all ages to express themselves in a liberating and inspiring manner. Sustainable art has become a popular form of expression, and in Abu Dhabi, there have been exhibitions to showcase art that is created from recycled materials. You can find statues made from plastic or robots composed of recycled metals. Such art pieces are aesthetically pleasing and preserve the environment at the same time. This theme is what we are celebrating here today.”

The Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in an art lesson had 65 participants from different nationalities. The record holders are Kejriwal, Rajan and Dr Devisree S. The art lesson was on creating the 3D effect of cloth on canvas using sustainable products. Ehtifal Al Emarat gave prime importance to sustainability and hence the 51-meter-long painting also followed the theme of sustainability. Dr Devisree, the event director and content creator of the event said: “To organise an event is not an easy task. One must be conscious of every single aspect behind it and carefully make use of the resources to bring the best out of it. It required a lot of planning, coordination, and hard work. But we were chasing our dream, and nothing could stop us. As someone passionate about teaching the best part for me was to teach 65 nationalities as part of the Guinness record.”

The panel talk moderated by Dr Mubeena Iqbal was a union of three experts who connected art, life and sustainability. Vandana Sudhir, the chief guest of the closing event on December 4 was also a panellist and talked about the need to build a sustainable mindset. Maitha Al Hameli who represented the environment agency in Abu Dhabi talked about the vital role played by the UAE government in implementing sustainable ways of living. Deb P Choudhury who is a professor and legal director at Gulf Oil and Gas LLC talked about the role corporates should play in creating a more sustainable way of living.

Sudheer Balakrishnan, the advisor of the event thanked the MNK group, Khushi Kejriwal and Sucheta Satheesh for their amazing contribution to Ehtifal Al Emarat. Performing art added charm to the event and these three were epitomes of perfection he said. Nilesh Bagore, technical head and Khushi played a key role in the success of the event and were honoured for their contributions. Ehtifal Al Emarat’s huge success marks the union of nations across the world, celebrating their relationship with UAE.

Kejriwal added that the two-day event was well structured to cover arts and performing arts with live artworks on a 51-meter-long cotton canvas which was specially procured and shipped from India for this special event. Firm Rova Consulting was specially requested to fix this long canvas outside Abu Dhabi Theater.

"A day before the Guinness attempt our Marketing Lead Khushi called every participant who registered for the event. It was devastating to know that only 44 confirmed their presence while six denied it and others did not respond at all. Our team then went on a frantic mission to connect with people from different nationalities. Ultimately during the registration process, Raisa ran and hugged every member screaming that we reached the magical number 51, and we are not going to stop with that," said Kejriwal.

• KT Network