From Spark to Spirit, the new exhibition taking place in Riyadh's Jax District, is a tribute to light and all of its hypnotic, illuminating and deceptive potential.
It brings together works by 30 artists from Saudi Arabia and the world, segmented into three themed spaces — Technologies of Light, Architectonics of Light and Consciousness of Light.
The show opened at Jax 03 art studio on Thursday as part of Noor Riyadh and will run until February. It's title is a nod to the progression of themes, beginning with the technological fabrication of light and moving towards its more ineffable and symbolic properties, says Gaida AlMogren, who curated the show with art critic Neville Wakefield.
“We had this idea of a journey across these three zones,” AlMogren says. “Some of the artists fit perfectly with that concept right from the beginning. We wanted to have established and emerging artists as well, to have a dialogue between the generations, as well as the international and the local.”
The exhibition begins with a pair of artworks that juxtapose the analog and digital elements of light. US-Puerto Rican artist Gisela Colon's Rectanguloid encapsulates in acrylic the harmonisation of light and colour — responding to how lightning affects the environment and the vantage point of the viewer. Soft Encounters, meanwhile, by Malaysian artist Jason Ting, is a regenerative NFT piece that draws inspiration from the waters along the Californian coast where the artist grew up.
Elsewhere, Saudi artist Moath Alofi presents a sprawling installation that depicts one of Saudi Arabia’s 2,000 dormant volcanoes, while contemplating light as energy. The work, entitled Thnan, is named after one of the oldest lava fields in the kingdom.
“It’s almost five million years old,” Alofi says. “Sometimes light and hope come from different sources and volcanoes can be one inspiration.”
Light Into Idea, a collection of 15 abstract glass pieces on a steel surface by Saudi artist Lina Gazzaz, touches upon light's fleeting nature. The concept of the installation also incorporates elements of quantum physics, whereby the observer and the system being viewed are inexplicably intertwined.
“The idea is inspired by a verse in the Quran that describes physical light and inner light," Gazzaz says. "It is also related to the study of the properties of light according to quantum physics, as well as its behaviour.
“According to visual mechanics, the brain sees things a little bit later, and according to quantum physics, there is an invisible layer of the universe that doesn’t reveal itself and that is what I was trying to capture.”
British artist Haroon Mirza’s installation Energy for the Sake of Power (Solar Symphony 16) is an artistic manifestation of a Dyson Sphere, a theoretical photovoltaic megastructure that encompasses a star. Solar panels surround a set of halogen lights to illuminate shrubs of Syrian rue and promote its growth and photosynthesis.
The Architectonics of Light section opens with a set of five surreal, animated sculptures that spin under strobe lights, such as with the piece Blooms by US artist John Edmark.
“He’s a Stanford research scientist,” curator Wakefield says of the artist. “The sculptures are 3D-printed forms that are rotating at about 2,500rpm with a strobe above them. What the strobe does is transform this high-speed movement into these patterns that you’ll find in nature. Within these movements, you’ll observe these Fibonacci sequences as well as other mathematical moments.”
Larry Bell, an artist belonging to the 1960s Los Angeles Light and Space art movement, is also featured at the exhibition with his installation The Blue Gate. The artwork is part of his Deconstructed Cube series and presents two cubes, one within the other, that leaves a wedge-shaped opening on the outer structure to induce an interplay of light and shadow. The work is juxtaposed with two others by artists from the same movement — Phillip K Smith III and Jim Campbell.
The inclusion of the three artists within the exhibition is meant to draw parallels between how artists were engaging with technology to create work in California in the latter part of the 20th century, with the same creative bloom currently sweeping the Gulf.
“They were interacting with the technology at the time, which was mainly aerospace technology,” Wakefield says. “Here and now, we have young artists in the Middle East who are responding to different forms of technology, mainly digital technology. At that time in the late 1960s and early 1970s, California was also undergoing a great social change. There are many parallels.”
The works in the final section fall under the theme Consciousness of Light, inspiring visitors to contemplate themselves and the world in new ways.
The opening piece is Theories of Imagination by Bahraini artists Noor Alwan and Abdulla Buhijji. It features large rotating light boxes, each of which dim to reveal a mirror when people are standing on either side of it.
“The work looks into the essence of empathy and collaboration between two people,” Alwan says. “There are different layers of the installation. You can experience it on your own, where you can curate your own journey along the different sides.
"The ultimate experience, however, is when two people collaborate and stand opposite each other. The light boxes turn to mirrors. The agency of such a personal act as looking at yourself in the mirror is taken away and can only be achieved by collaboration.”
Polish-German artist Alicja Kwade’s Heavy Light, meanwhile, prompts existential thoughts through its imposing overhead dance between a suspended lightbulb and 100-kilogram stone, which rotate opposite each other in perfect sync.
“It is a simple but complicated work,” Wakefield says. “It opens up conversations between fragility and weight. It makes us think about our place in the world and how we exist.”
The final artwork in the exhibition is The River by US artist Doug Aitken. It's a sculpture featuring three resin figures standing on a desertscape and leaning forward with their foreheads in contact. Soft light circulates the figures until it lights up all three of them.
“Light is life and it’s an interesting depiction of how ideas connect and change the world,” Wakefield says. “There’s this question whether the digital world really brings us together or separates us. Aitken has created this tableau of figures that are connected physically and also by these pulses of light.”
From Spark to Spirit is on display in Riyadh until February. More information is available at www.riyadhart.sa
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
WORLD CUP SQUAD
Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The view from The National
