DUBAI // The passion and spirit of street football has been captured in a new exhibition featuring photographs taken in Dubai and other cities across the Middle East and Europe.
The "Inside Street Football" exhibition begins next week at the Gallery of Light at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (Ductac) in Mall of the Emirates.
The photographs were taken by a team of Getty Images photographers in 12 cities using mobile phones. Photos by two photographers from the Mena region are also featured.
"It was amazing to see Dubai in this way, and to be a part of such a diverse exhibition like 'Inside Street Football' which looks back to the grassroots of the game," said Farah Nosh, an Iraqi-Canadian photographer based in the UAE who has had her work featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Ali Almubarak, a photographer based in Dammam in Saudi Arabia, said: "This was an exciting assignment to undertake, and I know I am very satisfied with demonstrating what mobile photography can achieve."
The inspiration for the exhibition came from HTC's sponsorship of the Uefa Champions League and also aims to explore the urban space where many players first discovered and developed their love of the game.
"Football is a game that transcends all languages, all borders and all backgrounds so it was important for 'Inside Street Football' to go back to where it all started and capture the love people have for the game whatever the backdrop," said Neeraj Seth, senior brand communication manager, mobile phone maker HTC MEA.
"Most people carry a smartphone around with them every day and use it to capture and share content, so it made absolute sense to capture the places people genuinely enjoy kicking around a ball."
The display runs from Monday to Thursday at Ductac in Mall of the Emirates.
nhanif@thenational.ae