- Masarratfatima Sulaimani stages Rooted Memories residency at Hotel Indigo Dubai.
- Open studio sessions run daily from October 1 to October 8 mornings.
- Rooted Memories exhibition opens October 9 and remains on view through October 30.
- Hands-on bookmark workshop on October 11 costs AED 150 per person, ages 12 plus.
Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown turns into a live studio this October, hosting award-winning paper artist Masarratfatima Sulaimani for an immersive residency. Open studio sessions run daily from October 1 to October 8 mornings, culminating in the Rooted Memories exhibition that opens October 9 and remains on view through October 30. The programme includes an artist talk and a hands-on bookmark workshop on October 11.
Kinara-style hotel hospitality meets art practice in a residency that invites guests to watch process as well as product. Across the residency week, Sulaimani will work publicly at Open Sesame, offering a rare window into her paper cutting, folding and layering techniques that explore memory, migration and materiality. Her practice, which uses botanical papers and recycled pulp, has been shown internationally and recognised with recent awards that include a Hotel Indigo Artist-in-Residence prize.
What to expect?
- Open studio sessions: October 1–8, daily 9:30–11:30 AM at Open Sesame.
- Exhibition opening: Rooted Memories, October 9 at 6:30 PM, artist talk to follow.
- DIY Bookmark Workshop: October 11, 3:00–5:00 PM, AED 150, ages 12 plus; light refreshments included.
- Exhibition on view through October 30, giving guests multiple chances to visit.
This residency matters because it puts making at the centre of the guest experience. Visitors can move from observation to participation, picking up a technique in a short workshop, or lingering over the exhibition to read the stories embedded in each paper layer. For local creatives and curious travellers alike, the programme invites small acts of learning that ripple into longer practice, a bookmarked memory, a new habit, a conversation sparked over tea.
Rooted Memories and its companion events are arranged so the hotel functions as a cultural platform, not just a backdrop. Bookings for the workshop and exhibition events are available through Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown’s reservations channels. Join an open studio, attend the opening talk, or reserve a spot for the DIY bookmark workshop and take home a crafted keepsake.
For more information, visit hotelindigodubai.com or their Instagram page.
