This week, we’re highlighting three artists whose practices span the grid, the city and the gesture.
From the meditative geometry of Nima Nabavi to the urban excavations of Abdullah Al Othman and the raw, expressive gestures of Nadia Saikali – the featured exhibitions are dissimilar in form but they share a common impulse. They slow us down, prompt us to look closer and question what we take for granted.
Sunrise at the Vortex at The Third Line
In Sunrise at the Vortex, Nima Nabavi continues his exploration of geometry as both discipline and meditation. The centrepiece of the show is a monumental, hand-drawn work that was meticulously composed over the course of a year. The work showcases Nabavi’s dedication to precision and scale. Its complex patterning feels almost architectural while also alluding to the tenets and forms of sacred geometry.
The smaller works in the exhibition crafted using a plotter offer a contrasting sense of mechanical control, yet still bear Nabavi’s distinctive aesthetic logic. Together, the pieces speak to the tension between the human-hand and machine, intention and repetition.
Monday to Sunday, 11am-7pm; until July 27, The Third Line, Dubai
Structural Syntax at Iris Projects
Structural Syntax is Abdullah Al Othman’s first solo exhibition in the UAE, and it shows his penchant for revealing the hidden language of cities. The Saudi artist beckons towards billboards, signages and architectural elements to highlight the cultural and political residues that are easily overlooked.
In Anticipation, he strips a billboard of its message, leaving only structure and light. Geometric Quotation revisits the construction of Al Maktoum Bridge as a moment of vision and becoming. From Riyadh to Dubai and beyond, his works decode the city not as backdrop, but as a living archive.
Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm; until June 27; Iris Projects, Abu Dhabi
Nadia Saikali and Her Contemporaries at Maraya Art Centre
A pioneering figure of abstract art in the region, Nadia Saikali’s spotlight is perhaps long overdue. The Lebanese artist’s work ranges across a variety of mediums and styles, despite them often veering towards abstraction.
From her early gestural work to the line-based paintings and sprawling landscape canvases in the later stages of her career, Saikali’s work is at the heart of the show at Sharjah’s Maraya Art Centre, which is now in its final month. Yet, the exhibition – co-organised with the Barjeel Art Foundation – opens up to feature works by her contemporaries, all of whom are women.
The artists come from across the Arab world, but they all spent time producing work in Beirut during the 1960s and 1970s. As such, Beirut becomes the star of the exhibition, showing how the city was a regional hub for artists.
Saturday to Thursday, 10am-7pm; Friday, 4pm-7pm; until July 13; Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
