Abu Dhabi Art will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art
Abu Dhabi Art will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art
Abu Dhabi Art will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art
Abu Dhabi Art will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art

More than 100 art galleries to showcase work at Abu Dhabi Art this year


Maan Jalal
  • English
  • Arabic

This year’s Abu Dhabi Art will have more than 100 local, regional and international galleries displaying works.

Surpassing the number of galleries that were showcased last year, the art fair, set to run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24, will feature 102 regional and international galleries from 31 countries. Last year, 92 galleries joined the event.

“This year marks our biggest edition to date,” Abu Dhabi Art director Dyala Nusseibeh tells The National. “We are starting to see some very interesting developments in our local and regional art market, a reassessment of the importance of modern and contemporary artists from our part of the world, who have a vital role to play in shaping narratives about our past, present and future.”

Across seven sections, which will cover various facets of modern and contemporary art, three are new. The first, Something Bold, Something New, will focus on modern artists from the region. The second, the Collectors Salon, will be a space where galleries can showcase artefacts, historical objects, manuscripts and artworks. The third, Silk Road: Drifting Identities, will highlight galleries and artists from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Les Cueilleuses de Dattes (The Date Pickers) by the Egyptian painter and activist Inji Aflatoun. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art
Les Cueilleuses de Dattes (The Date Pickers) by the Egyptian painter and activist Inji Aflatoun. Photo: Abu Dhabi Art

Something Bold, Something New is curated by arts consultant Myrna Ayad. It will consider seminal artists who have played a significant role in the evolution of styles and art practices in the region. They include Palestinian artists Emily Fanous Azar and Nabila Hilmi; Egyptian painter and activist Inji Aflatoun; Lebanese artist Halim Jurdak; Saudi artist Sami Al Marzoogi; and Tunisian painters Aly Ben Salem and Rafik El Kamel.

“Arab artists always feature prominently in our fair – being a fair rooted in the Middle East how could this be otherwise?” Nusseibeh says. She adds that there will be a plethora of Arab artists contributing to the fair this year.

Pioneering Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem is creating the visual identity for the fair. Nusseibeh says that through design, Kazem aims to remind visitors that “we are interconnected, through our geographies and in our networks with each other, through the sea and through trade”.

Nusseibeh also highlights the installation by Lebanese visual artist Raed Yassin titled City Mirage, which is comprised of 130 vintage Beirut shop sign letters, a work that “is a haunting recollection of the devastations the city has endured”.

The fair will also focus on the ties and synergies between the Arab world and other cultures and countries through art. In the Gateway exhibition this year, Nusseibeh says curators have been invited to consider the long-standing cultural ties between the Arab world and South America, an area that is both “under-researched and fascinating”.

A mother and son look at an artwork by the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui at Abu Dhabi Art last year. Victor Besa / The National
A mother and son look at an artwork by the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui at Abu Dhabi Art last year. Victor Besa / The National

“I think of Abu Dhabi Art as a useful platform for knowledge production and sharing in the field of art. It shapes the exhibition programmes and selection of galleries participating,” she says.

“Another exhibition will consider the historical presence of Arab artists in Paris. In our commercial gallery presentations, with works for sale, we are introducing a section dedicated to art, manuscripts and artefacts that span centuries including a rare seventh-century leaf from a Quran and an Ottoman ceremonial saddlery.”

Given the tumultuous and violent events, and resulting unsettlement, in the region over the past year, Nusseibeh highlights that art acts as a means to understand and explain our collective feelings, issues and trauma that are often difficult to express in any other way.

“We are in a time of existential crisis and of deep trauma for the region,” she says. “There are things that can’t be expressed or found in ordinary conversations among us. Visual poetry and art can somehow fill these voids that we are all facing and can form bridges across the seemingly incomprehensible. We may not find reconciliation in such events, but we can make sense of more, perhaps, because of them.”

Abu Dhabi Art also revealed this year’s community partners, who will be coming together in an exhibition that pays homage to crafts.

House of Artisans, the Abu Dhabi centre dedicated to preserving Emirati traditions and handicrafts, will be leading the exhibition. Titled Crafts as a Language, the show will highlight how crafts make use of natural resources to produce objects that, while serving a particular function, are also a means of creative expression.

Others include Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, 81 Designs, Kalimat Foundation, Zayed University’s College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, MFA in Art and Media department at NYU Abu Dhabi and 1971 Design.

The fair’s Art and Tech programme will also be returning to connect art and technology students with visual artists. The initiative, which launched in 2017, aims to foster collaborations between the country’s art and tech sectors. Students from eight universities across the UAE will be taking part in this year’s programme. They will be working with artists Afra Al Suwaidi and Marina Fedorova. Al Suwaidi has guided students in creating an installation that will be revealed at the fair. Fedorova, meanwhile, worked with students to produce an artwork that makes use of augmented reality.

“This programme not only merges cutting-edge technology with contemporary art, but also offers a unique space for innovation and expression,” Al Suwaidi said. “I am grateful to have shared this opportunity with passionate students, who have displayed unimaginable talent and eagerness to showcase their creativity.”

Art Abu Dhabi will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Scores in brief:

Day 1

New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38

Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)

The lowdown

Rating: 4/5

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

'Munich: The Edge of War'

Director: Christian Schwochow

Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons

Rating: 3/5

Essentials

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours. 

The package

Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.

if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes. 

The hotels 

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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

Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.

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
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Updated: November 08, 2024, 10:43 AM`