Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou has transformed the mountainous shores of Leem Lake in Hatta into an open‑air artwork with her large‑scale installation Deliberate Pauses, now considered the largest site‑specific public art project in Dubai.
Curated by architect and academic Faysal Tabbarah and commissioned by Alserkal Arts Foundation in collaboration with Dubai Culture, the installation consists of five reflective red metallic discs embedded along Hatta’s hiking trails, some rising vertically and others lying flat on the ground. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Hajar Mountains and Leem Lake, these mirrored circles act as visual beacons and “portals”, catching the sky, water, and rocky slopes. They invite visitors to stop, look around, and tune into the landscape rather than simply pass through it.
For Al Mazrou, known for her experiments with materiality and sculptural form, the work grew out of repeated dawn hikes in Hatta, during which she carefully mapped exact points where the discs should sit so that they blend into the terrain while still offering a bold interruption of it. This choreography of circles creates a rhythm of intentional stops along the trail, turning a regular mountain walk into a sequence of “deliberate pauses” where visitors can experience stillness, reflection, or quiet contemplation in nature.
The project is part of the Dubai Public Art initiative, which aims to turn the emirate into a “global open‑air art gallery” by placing ambitious contemporary works in key locations such as Hatta, Al Shindagha Historic District, and Al Quoz Creative Zone, and by highlighting local histories and ecologies rather than only iconic skylines. In Hatta, this means that geology, oral histories, and the everyday experience of hiking become central to the narrative. Deliberate Pauses does not dominate the site but “converses” with it, amplifying the stories already inscribed in the rocks and water.
Cultural officials describe the installation as a milestone for public art in the UAE, underscoring its role in strengthening a sense of place, supporting Emirati artists, and anchoring tourism development in cultural and environmental awareness rather than spectacle alone. For visitors, the work offers a simple but powerful proposal: to move more slowly through the mountains, to notice subtle changes of light and reflection on the discs, and to allow a contemporary artwork to act as a gentle prompt to connect with Hatta’s landscape more attentively.
In addition, you might be interested in reading our article about Al Duroor by Mattar Bin Lahej and The Contingent Object, another public art installation created by Shaikha Al Mazrou.
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