A row has opened up between the Contemporary Arts Centre in Cincinnati and the artists and curator of its exhibition celebrating the legacy of Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.
The museum in Ohio declined to publish a letter of solidarity with Palestine written by the artists and curator. They allege that the centre has not followed through on its promises to develop programming around the subject.
The exhibition, A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure: A Rehearsal on Legacy with Zaha Hadid, opened on October 22, with commissions by Hadid, as well as Rand Abdul Jabbar, Khyam Allami, Emii Alrai, Hera Buyuktasciyan, Andrea Canepa, Dima Srouji and Civil Architecture Studio's Hamed Bukhamseen and Ali Ismail Karimi.
The show celebrates Hadid’s work as part of the 20th anniversary of the art centre’s building. It is called the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art and was Hadid’s first museum commission.
On November 6, artist and curator Maite Borjabad Lopez-Pastor sent a letter to the director, Christina Vassallo, asking the centre “to uphold its institutional values by demanding an immediate ceasefire and vocalising its solidarity with the Palestinian anticolonial struggle for freedom and liberation from occupation and apartheid".
Artist Tai Shani, who has a concurrent solo show at the institution, also signed. They requested that the letter be circulated among staff, on the centre’s social media outlets and at the exhibition. They gave the museum a five-day deadline in which to do so.
In an email chain seen by The National, Vassallo responded by saying the letter did not capture the different views held by staff and the wider community. She said they could not publish it in the institution’s name.
“We embrace diverse perspectives, believing that their exchange benefits everyone,” Vassallo told The National. “Any statement we could craft, once released, would become static and unchanging during a complex geopolitical situation.”
She added that the Contemporary Arts Centre is organising programming that will “bring forward a number of valuable perspectives through our mission and expertise, which is art”.
However, the programming, which the Contemporary Arts Centre also referred to in its November exchange with the artists and curators, has yet to emerge. The exhibition closes on January 28.
The larger issue at stake is the extent of the reforms towards greater diversity that US institutions took on after the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
At the CAC, many of the artists explicitly responded to Hadid as an Iraqi architect. They understood the show’s premise and their inclusion to be part of the centre’s stated desire to work with artists of different backgrounds. However, the artists and curators felt they had been used as examples of diversity without being given the opportunity to speak out.
“It is not only complicit to remain silent but also hypocritical,” says Borjabad Lopez-Pastor, previously of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Guggenheim Bilbao.
The artists also claim the centre has done little to promote the show since it opened. The Contemporary Arts Centre disputes this.
Borjabad Lopez-Pastor's letter was eventually released by the publishing house Verso.
A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure
Borjabad Lopez-Pastor took the show’s title from a line from Etel Adnan, who wrote that Hadid-designed buildings as if she were always on the verge of leaving home for somewhere else. For the Spanish curator, the insight allowed her to expand Hadid’s legacy beyond that of a monographic show and towards a project of collaboration with artists, many of whom explore Hadid's biography as an architect from the Middle East.
The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art has a part to play in this story, as it was awarded to Hadid directly after she lost a competition for an opera house in Cardiff for reasons she later suggested were due to her background.
“For me, the elephant in the room is how can we discuss her as an Iraqi woman?” says Borjabad Lopez-Pastor. “That’s something I cannot claim or bring from her because she was very confined about how she would talk about herself.
“I cannot project things that she hasn't said, but I can invite the right people to use her legacy and bring it to be discussed within a different perspective, because the circles that she managed to conquer and occupy professionally were canonical male Western areas.”
Many of the works foreground site-specificity or bring back the artists' own childhood memories in works inspired by Hadid's biography.
Abdul Jabbar, who was raised in Abu Dhabi in an Iraqi family, looks at techniques of building collectively with earth in her Tekton (after Zaha, after Malevich) (2023). She used the geometric shapes that Hadid referred to as “tectonics” in her painting Malevich’s Tektonik (1977), part of her graduation project at the Architecture Association in London, and rendered these as sculptures.
Abdul Jabbar first experimented in Al Ain to build the shapes out of mud brick according to traditional Gulf methods, which are also used across Iraq. She then applied the same principle to the sculptures in Cincinnati, using the process of rammed earth to build the shapes of local soil and clay in the exhibition space with Ohio university students. Where Hadid’s buildings, made of glass and steel, could be anywhere, these artworks are literally made of their surroundings.
For Like an Avalanche Started by a Gentle Push (2023), Buyuktasciyan began with a photograph of Hadid as a child standing in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. She connected the fountain's cascade of water to the central feature of the CAC itself – its curving concrete ramp that Hadid called the building’s “urban carpet”. Hadid brought this typically horizontal element into the building, sweeping it upwards to stretch through the museum’s five floors.
In response, Buyuktasciyan created a two-storey carpet, woven out of beige, black, and tan, rendering Hadid’s concrete feature in the softer handiwork of textiles that she is known for. But as she was planning the work, she realised the carpet was too tall for her studio in Istanbul, and she borrowed a friend’s place on the outskirts of the city.
It happened to be in the Armenian neighbourhood of Tatavia where Buyuktasciyan herself had grown up. The work began incorporating homages to that diasporic enclave. She wove patterns inspired by Tatavia's architecture and topography into the carpet and in a separate series of collages, mixed textile cut outs with images of the neighbourhood.
The Contemporary Arts Centre building itself is another key motif. Peruvian artist Canepa hangs lightweight voile fabrics that enfold the building in new geometric patterns. Working with the quirks of the space that's devoid of parallel or perpendicular lines in the centre, she created three-dimensional paintings that hang and jostle from above.
Allami, an artist born in Damascus, created a sound composition drawing on mathematical measurements of the building’s facades and volumes. Installed in small speakers throughout the show, A Relational Music (rehearsal) (2023) then uses the building as its sound system, amplifying and carrying the sound across the rooms.
Alrai's architectural installation, A Ceremony of Spectres (2023), toys with how bodies move through space. The work's lumpy structures look archaeological, like history in the present, with lilies in vases that wilt and moulder through the course of the exhibition.
Other works peer into Hadid's background. Civil Architecture put together a mini exhibition of Hadid's work with that of Rifat Chadirji and Mohammed Makiya, the important Baghdad architects of the Modernist era, proposing a trio of Iraqi architects who had never before been considered as such.
And Srouji’s video installation, Dithyramb (2023), combines footage of Baghdad and Beirut from when Hadid lived there, in what the architect later said were some of her best times. In her “ode” to Hadid, the Palestinian artist overlays her video with sculptures based on the architect’s paintings, asking the audience to see through these elements to find images of happiness in the footage.
“Western media portrays those cities as places of destruction, but Dima sourced and sampled archival footage to represent these cities as places of life and joy,” says Borjabad Lopez-Pastor.
“There are ceremonies of graduation, daily life in the market, women in domestic situations – and then these moments are interrupted by footage of destruction. It becomes shocking, because you realise how much life existed before, and it resists the normalisation of images of destruction. For Dima, as a Palestinian, it became very personal in how she managed the narrative of joy and life while showing images of destruction.”
The context of the siege in Gaza has brought the exhibition into a more explicitly political dimension, and highlights, at the very least, the competing interests and goals at play in the process of decolonisation.
At the same time, the exhibition’s bitter aftermath also returns the show to its central subject. It gestures towards the challenges Hadid must have navigated, working in the West during the Gulf and Iraq Wars, and underscores the complexity of these negotiations – both politically as well as emotionally.
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
more from Janine di Giovanni
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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The specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Company%C2%A0profile
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Six things you need to know about UAE Women’s Special Olympics football team
Several girls started playing football at age four
They describe sport as their passion
The girls don’t dwell on their condition
They just say they may need to work a little harder than others
When not in training, they play football with their brothers and sisters
The girls want to inspire others to join the UAE Special Olympics teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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