Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2024 winners announced

Sara Farha and Khaled Shalkha's winning submission, Datecrete Bee Hotel, explores bees' relationship with their environment using a new material

Artist duo Sara Farha and Khaled Shalkha have won the 12th Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award with their work Datecrete Bee Hotel. Photo: NYUAD

Artists Sara Farha and Khaled Shalkha have won this year’s Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award.

Under the guidance of Christianna Bonin, assistant professor at the American University of Sharjah's college of architecture, art and design, the pair's winning submission Datecrete Bee Hotel integrates materials science with ecological awareness.

The innovative element of the work is in the use of a new building material called Datecrete, which is made from date seeds and is free of concrete or resin. The artists are in the process of patenting the material.

The structure will remain in one place for three months to attract solitary bees and this interaction will be documented on film. The final artwork may combine the sculpture and the film to showcase the relationship between bees and their environment.

This is the 12th year of the award, which runs in partnership with Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (Admaf), produced in collaboration with the NYUAD Art Gallery.

Admaf founder Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo congratulated the winners for their "outstanding project".

“Utilising date pits, the winners have created an innovative and sustainable building material – the first eco-friendly cement of its kind," she said.

"By promoting environmental awareness and preserving natural resources and the local environment, the work epitomises the award's 2023–2024 vision, which is dedicated to the Year of Sustainability."

Farha is an architectural engineer and urban planner who is passionate about creating work that addresses needs, sensibilities and the environment.

Shalkha is a chemical engineer whose focus has been on culture, economy and policy. He is also a rapper with the stage name Kafv and released his first album Akshun in 2019.

The pair founded Datecrete Studio to focus on merging materials science, which refers to the composition of substances, with design.

Farha and Shalkha have been awarded $10,000 to complete their installation project over the next eight months and will be supported by the NYUAD Art Gallery team and their mentor Ms Bonin.

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award, which has been held annually since 2013, serves as a launch pad for artists across the UAE. It is open to UAE students and recent graduates.