Shimmering water creatures from the depths of the ocean ‘floated’ through the halls and aisles at the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), bringing the magic of the ocean to visitors at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Dressed in beautiful, colourful costumes and with bright glitter paint adorning their faces, the creatures on stilts stood tall above the audience as they glided through the SIBF 2021 venue, seemingly ridingnimble seahorses. This immersive performance titled “Underwater Drummers” was led by artists from Stelzen-Art, a creative group based in Germany.

Spectators gathered around the resplendent performers, attracted by the breathtaking spectacle of colours, to click selfies and pose for images. One of the performers held a massive fish flag and another played rhythmic beats on a couple of hand-held percussion instruments, which he switched around effortlessly to create a unique sound that reverberated across the halls of the book fair.