The Dubai Kite Beach art installation everyone was talking about in April 2025 was a giant digital mosaic heart built entirely from the real faces of people who live and work in this city. Called "We Love Dubai," the display was interactive, completely free, and ran from April 5 to April 12. By the time it closed, more than 10,000 people from over 130 nationalities had become part of it.
What the Dubai Kite Beach Art Installation Actually Was
The Dubai Kite Beach art installation was a large LED screen set up directly on the beachfront, displaying a mosaic of faces arranged into the shape of an animated heart. Every face in that mosaic was a real person — a resident, a visitor, someone who walked past and chose to participate.
The screen was rendered in the colors of the UAE flag: red, green, white, and black. The heart did not sit still. It animated continuously, faces fading in and out as new selfies were added, creating the illusion of a beating, living heart on the sand.
The concept was entirely crowd-sourced. Visitors scanned a QR code at the installation, took a selfie, and watched their face appear on the screen in real time. No app download, no registration, no prior booking. You showed up, scanned, and became part of it.
The Team Behind It
The project was co-created by Dorothee Anjos and Marta Paniagua, both of Multilem, a creative technology company that specialises in large-scale interactive digital experiences. Dorothee Anjos, CEO of Multilem, joined The Agenda to talk through the idea and explain how the technology works in practice.
The installation was designed to be something anyone at Kite Beach could actually participate in — not just observe. Its central theme was unity and diversity, specifically celebrating the community that makes up Dubai. With one of the most internationally diverse populations anywhere in the world, Dubai had no shortage of faces worth putting in that heart. The final count: more than 10,000 entries from residents representing over 130 nationalities.
When, Where, and What to Expect
Location: Kite Beach, Dubai Ran: April 5–12, 2025 Hours: Monday–Friday 3pm–10pm; Saturday–Sunday 10am–10pm Cost: Free, no registration required
The installation was fully outdoors and accessible to anyone walking the beach. Visitors scanned a QR code, uploaded their selfie, and watched themselves appear on the animated heart in real time. The display was constantly changing as new faces were added. Participants could also download their image and take a sticker away with them.
Why This Was Worth Going Out of Your Way For
Kite Beach is already one of the most-visited spots in the city. "We Love Dubai" gave residents a specific, time-sensitive reason to go that week. Interactive art with a participation mechanic this frictionless is genuinely rare — most public installations are look-only. This one put you inside it.
For long-time Dubai residents and newcomers alike, it was a visually striking way to see the city's diversity represented in a single frame. And for Multilem, it became one of their most visible public-facing activations in the UAE to date.
Who Is Dorothee Anjos?
Dorothee Anjos is the CEO of Multilem, a creative technology company focused on digital media and public space. She co-created the "We Love Dubai" installation alongside Creative Director Marta Paniagua. Multilem's work centres on large-scale community-driven digital experiences, and this Kite Beach project is among their highest-profile UAE activations.
Final Word
"We Love Dubai" was one of the more genuinely well-executed public art ideas Dubai has seen in a while — a mosaic heart made of real people, in UAE flag colors, on one of the city's most iconic beaches, open to literally anyone who walked past. More than 10,000 people showed up. That says something.
