Henri-Edmond Cross, The Evening Air displayed in the Post Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Henri-Edmond Cross, The Evening Air displayed in the Post Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Henri-Edmond Cross, The Evening Air displayed in the Post Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Henri-Edmond Cross, The Evening Air displayed in the Post Impressionism: Beyond Appearances exhibition at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide, from Post-Impressionist masters to a retelling of a classic Egyptian play


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

As we enter a new year, galleries across the UAE are preparing a new season of exhibitions and events. As such, many important shows will soon be ending.

From the masterpieces of the Post-Impressionists to a retelling of Ali Salem’s renowned play Madrasat Al-Moshaghbeen (The School of Mischief) here are exhibitions and events to catch this weekend before it is too late.

All Their Singularities at 1x1 Art Gallery

All Their Singularities applies cartographic means to conjure narratives of memory, identity and movement. Photo: 1X1 Art Gallery
All Their Singularities applies cartographic means to conjure narratives of memory, identity and movement. Photo: 1X1 Art Gallery

The group show takes cues from Gilles Deleuze’s analysis of how children map out their environments. The French philosopher defied traditional psychoanalytical tropes to instead insist that children were much more dynamic in how they navigate and reflect upon their everyday experiences, transposing these in artworks of trajectories, lines and loops.

All Their Singularities examines these modes of mapping and tracing. The exhibiting artists apply these cartographic reflections to conjure narratives of memory, identity and movement. “Each piece in the show becomes a node in a larger, evolving map, revealing connections and disjunctions, pathways and detours, and ultimately, singular journeys that defy simple categorisation,” 1x1 Art Gallery says of the exhibition.

Monday to Saturday, 10am-7pm; until January 9; 1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai

A Writer on Honeymoon at Sharjah Art Foundation

Ali Salem’s renowned play Madrasat Al-Moshaghbeen is reimagined by Egyptian theatre director Ahmed El Attar in A Writer on Honeymoon and stars Sayed Ragab. It is the concluding show of Perform Sharjah.

It tells the story of a star writer who, while on a honeymoon with his wife, descends into paranoia, fearing that he is being surveilled by an intelligence agency. This weekend is the only chance to catch the show.

Saturday and Sunday, 8.30pm-9.15pm; Africa Hall, Al Manakh, Sharjah

Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances at Louvre Abu Dhabi

Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances is now in its final month. The exhibition, which includes 99 pieces, brings together a collection of masterpieces that offers an insight into one of history's most affecting artistic eras. The pieces include three paintings by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh, as well as works by Paul Gaugin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Cezanne.

The exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi also aims to show how the legacy of the Post-Impressionists extended to the Middle East. It includes two works by the French-Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh, who studied figures from the post-Impressionist group Les Nabis, including Paul Serusier and Felix Vallotton.

Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-6.30pm; until February 9; Louvre Abu Dhabi

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.

The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

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THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

The five pillars of Islam

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2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Updated: January 03, 2025, 2:58 AM`