NUR, Light Installation, at Heal Café, Dubai

In the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, automobile giant Audi in collaboration with artist Uzair Merchant recently unveiled a symbolic metallic installation – NUR: Born of Light at Heal Cafe in Jumeirah, Dubai. Celebrating light, design and spiritual reflection, the illuminated piece in front of a special Ramadan majlis, at the café stands 2.5 metres tall on a three-metre circular base.

At its center, the word ‘NUR’ appears in calligraphy, symbolizing how the sculpture itself emerges from light — a visual expression of the belief that light is both origin and essence for humankind. Merchant is an award-winning Dubai-based filmmaker, designer and visionary storyteller with Indian roots and a global career spanning 17 years across film, television, architecture and immersive experiences. With several international awards to his credit, he is the founder of bKREATIV Productions and The Kreativ Lab.

This Ramadan installation, he says, is inspired by the belief that human beings at the core are souls of light, and is designed to invite a moment of stillness and reflection within the rhythm of the city. “NUR is about the idea that light exist not only around us but within us,” said Merchant, “the sculpture represents a journey of the soul — an evolution from darkness into clarity. Working with Audi allowed us to merge precession, innovation and cultural storytelling into a single form.”