The Abu Dhabi pavilion has been named one of three winners at the London Design Biennale, taking the title as the most inspiring interpretation of the event's theme of global collaboration.
Formation of Soof, the immersive installation by House of Artisans, highlights the relationship between Emirati crafts and architecture. Among those featured are the Emirati Bedouin weaving technique sadu, inscribed in 2011 on Unesco's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
House of Artisans also explores the materials and tools used in sadu – shedding light on the soof (wool), maghzal (spinner) and ghazal (spindle), to show how women in the UAE produce their wares. Highlighting the relationship between culture, heritage and creativity, the installation will also draw on the transmission of crafts from one generation to the next.
Building on this, the pavilion explores the flow of movement involved in transforming the soft raw material used in sadu, which was fundamental to the construction of traditional tent structures. It won the Theme Medal at the event, which tasked design teams to create projects under the idea of The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations.
Salama Al Shamsi, director of cultural sites at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and House of Artisans curator Azza Alsharif accepted the award.
They helped lead the two teams that designed the project and were in London when the winners were announced.
Others awarded include Poland for the installation Poetics of Necessity, which won for the most outstanding overall contribution, and Taiwan’s Visible Show for the most exception design. The Netherlands also received special mention for its pavilion Out of Joint.
Three medals were awarded on Thursday, selected by the international jury and one medal will be awarded on June 21, voted for by the public.
The fourth London Design Biennale runs until June 25. It is artistically directed by the Nieuwe Instituut – the Dutch national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture. Taking over Somerset House, including the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, it is the biggest iteration of the biennale to date with more than 40 pavilions from five continents taking part.
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.
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.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
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Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
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Company%20Profile
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
