When it first launched in 2016, Misk Art Week was a home-grown affair, with events and exhibitions oriented to a local crowd. This year’s event, taking place from December 1 to 5, brings in more international names, including French writer and curator Simon Njami and British curator Sacha Craddock, alongside regional ones, and builds on programmes that the Saudi art foundation has implemented over the past few years.
“The evolution of Misk Art Week over the past five years reflects the overall growth of the art scene in Saudi Arabia,” said Reem Al Sultan, chief executive of Misk Art Institute. “We are proud to play a key role in this development, by nurturing local talent and unlocking opportunities for the creative community.”
Three major exhibition strands will show at Misk’s Prince Faisal bin Fahd Fine Arts Hall in Riyadh, two of them generated by support programmes that the Saudi foundation has put into place.
Its new residency, Masaha, shows an exhibition of work produced during the three-month programme for Saudi and international artists.
A second exhibition includes works made throughout the course of the Misk Art Grant. The award scheme this year opened up to Arab artists after premiering in 2019 as Saudi-only, and included artists such as Afra Al Dhaheri and Latifa Saeed from the UAE, Basmah Felemban from Saudi Arabia, and Zoulikha Bouabdellah from Algeria. The 10 recipients shared the 1 million Saudi riyals ($270,000) prize, an amount that has already doubled in its short lifespan.
A significant theme throughout the art week in 2021 is that of identity in the face of rapid change. This year’s Misk Art Grant, for example, asked its cohort to respond to the idea of “Under Construction”, while Masaha invited artists to explore the question of belonging. The week’s flagship curated exhibition, also shown at the hall, looks at memory.
Craddock has put together this show, titled Here, Now, with an emphasis towards established makers, a notable contrast not just to Misk’s other programmes that support emerging artists, but also to Saudi Arabia’s broadly youthful art scene. Artists here include Manal Al Dowayan, a Saudi artist who has long tracked the status of women in the country; Ayman Yousri Daydban, a Palestinian artist based in Jeddah who considers how images and idioms move across the Arab world; and Salah Elmur, whose paintings summon memories of his childhood in Sudan. Textiles and tactile material also take centre stage, as in the woven work of the US artist Sheila Hicks, or the diaphanous creations of Filwa Nazer, from Saudi Arabia.
Running alongside these exhibitions is Misk’s international talks programme, which has now gone hybrid, with online talks as well as in-person discussion.
As with Misk Art Week overall, the ambition of this programme is growing: participants include Njami, one of this year’s curators for Abu Dhabi Art; architect Wael Al Awar, whose presentation at the Venice Bienniale won the Golden Lion for the UAE this year; and Saudi artist Moath Alofi, whose videos and photographs track development in his native country.
Even as it reflects on change, this year’s Misk Art Week also opens amid a maelstrom of it. In the crowded month of December, there is the anticipated Art Jameel outpost Hayy opening in Jeddah; the next Noor Riyadh, the public-art programme of the capital; and lastly, the Ad-Diriyah Biennale, a major venture headed by the Ministry of Culture on the outskirts of Riyadh, in the launch of the first biennial in Saudi Arabia.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Company%20Profile
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Company Fact Box
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Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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