Introduction
اِقْرَبُّوا (pronounced iqrabbu) means “come closer” or “gather in,” a familiar Emirati invitation to move nearer, share the space, and be present. Our installation translates that invitation into light and sound: a ring of three seats, a fire pit, and a dallah become subtle instruments that respond to people arriving, sitting, and choosing together. In the quiet of the desert, the piece slowly “wakes up” as guests draw near turning an empty setting into a living majlis of warmth, hospitality, and story.
Concept Statement
In our installation, we aimed to create an interactive space situated in the desert within a traditional Emirati setting. The arrangement centers around a fire pit and a dallah (Arabic coffee pot), surrounded by three illuminated seats placed in a circle. Set against the stillness of the desert, these elements evoke the warmth, hospitality, and sense of gathering that are deeply rooted in Emirati culture.
Each seat blinks gently when unoccupied, signaling an open invitation for someone to join. Once a person sits, the light beneath them becomes steady, marking their presence. When the first participant takes a seat, the surrounding lights turn on, softly illuminating the area. As more people join, the environment gradually becomes more alive. When two or more are seated, the fire pit glows to life, and when all three seats are occupied, the experience reaches its most interactive point. The speaker turns on, and the group uses the dallah’s lid as a controller, turning it to select between listening to a traditional story or song.
We wanted to explore how interactive technology can bring people together in shared spaces while preserving the sense of intimacy found in traditional gatherings. The gradual activation of light and sound mirrors how human presence transforms the desert from an empty landscape into a space filled with warmth, rhythm, and storytelling.
Relationship to previous work
We found our inspiration in two different places, each bringing its own story and feeling to our idea. One of them is an image we saw on the NYUADIM.com website, an installation made up of chairs and a firepit, built from wood and laser-cut materials. There was something special about it like the warmth, the way it invited people to gather and connect, reminded us of the way Emiratis have always come together in the desert to share stories and songs around a fire. See Figure1.
Another big inspiration came from the Hekaya project on Desert.nyuadim.com, a storytelling installation that beautifully mixes modern design with deep Emirati roots. Hekaya showed us how stories can bridge the past and present and how art can keep traditions alive while giving them a new voice. See Figure2. With these inspirations in mind, our goal is to create an immersive experience that lets people feel what it’s like to be part of Emirati culture. We want visitors not just to hear our stories and songs, but sit, listen, and imagine what it’s like to gather under the stars in the desert, as generations of Emiratis have done.
Image:
Image generated by Midjourney
Planned technical implementation
Each seat will contain a weight pressure sensor and surrounding each seat is a NeoPixel LED strip. When the sensor does not detect any weight the LED strip will blink, when it does detect weight the strip will remain on.
The Dallah will be attached to a potentiometer. One way of doing this is to have the dallah on top of a small housing which will hide the potentiometer and the wires attached to it.
When only one person is seated the surrounding lights will turn on. When two people are seated the surrounding lights will remain on and then the firepit light will turn on. Lastly, once three people are seated the users will then be able to select either a story or song by turning the dallah to select an option which will be marked on the housing.
The firepit will have “flames” which will be laser cut using acrylic and can act as a light diffuser and underneath will be an LED. In the middle of the firepit will be the speaker and inside the firepit, hidden from sight, will be the Adafruit RP2040 PropMaker board.
The seats, the fireplace, the dallah will be placed on top of a traditional mat and all wires will be routed underneath the mat to maintain the inviting atmosphere of the space.
- NeoPixel LED strip for three seats
- Weight pressure sensors for the three seats
- Potentiometer for the Dallah
- LEDs for the firepit
