Since the Assad regime fell after more than 50 years in power, the extent of Syria’s cultural isolation is becoming clear. Over the past two decades, as the art market engaged in earnest with Arab modernism, works by Syrian modern artists have become increasingly under-represented.
Of the major Middle East modern and contemporary auctions in the past two years at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, for example, only 3 per cent of the artworks sold – 23 lots out of 706 – were by Syrian artists and eight of those were by one, the Berlin-based Marwan.
Contemporary exhibitions focus on themes of conflict and migration, obscuring the image of a prosperous and connected Syria in which major modern artists such as Louay Kayyali, Fateh Moudarres and Mahmoud Hammad emerged.
In academic conferences and publications, work on Syria is often absent.
“The impact of the Baath party has been incredible in terms of isolating Syria on every level – culturally, artistically, economically, politically, even socially,” says Shireen Atassi, who runs the Atassi Foundation. Based in Dubai since 2012, the Atassi Foundation is the major collection and repository of Syrian art and artistic archives. They commission scholarship and exhibitions, contesting the growing sense that Syrian art is separate to the rest of the region.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Syrian art was at the forefront of pan-Arabism, and Syrian artists showed and collaborated with Lebanese, Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts. The first First Arab Conference of Fine Arts was held in Damascus in 1971 and it was artists from Iraq, Syria and Lebanon who founded the Union of Arab Plastic Artists that same year. Painters such as Mahmoud Hammad developed calligraphic works known as hurufiyya, alongside similar experiments in Lebanon and Iraq. Moudarres used his work after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War to support the Palestinian cause and called Beirut his second home.
“There would be no Lebanese modernism without Syrian modernism,” says the curator and researcher Maymanah Farhat. “In the modern Lebanese history that's being written and documented in books and exhibitions, there isn't enough attention paid to the symbiotic relationship that Damascus and Beirut had in the 1950s and '60s. You had someone like Fateh Moudarres, who's so important to Damascus, but also to Beirut. Or someone like Marwan, who is absolutely crucial to the development of art in Lebanon, as much as he is at the development of art in Damascus. Historians right now are blindsided by these borders.”
After Hafez Al Assad took power in 1971, he began a project of retrenchment that slowly drew Syrian artists away from international collaboration. Starting in the 1980s, Syrians required a permit merely to travel abroad and the number of foreign exhibitions plummeted. While there was a brief opening of restrictions in the 2000s – which coincided with the internet making information more freely available to artists – since the civil war started, Syria’s seclusion became only more entrenched.
The contemporary art scene suffered and most artists moved abroad. But modern artists, many of whom were older or who lived on through their archives, were less mobile. For reasons no one can pinpoint, each individually surmountable but adding up to a blockade, Syrian modernism receded from view.
There was little institutional support in Syria during its modern heyday, compared to countries such as Iraq or Egypt. Artists’ works entered private collections but there was no public repository responsible for supporting the cultural scene. While there was a prolific amount of writing on art from within Syria, it was generally in Arabic – and many current art historians, even of Arab art, do not read the language.
Archives became difficult to access, making it hard to research artists or to establish the provenance of a painting. As a result, fakes frequently circulated, spooking potential collectors and driving prices down. While works by Kayyali and Marwan led sales in the first wave of market interest in Middle Eastern art, particularly at the Christie’s auctions in Dubai in the 2000s, today their numbers have dwindled.
The decline at market had a ripple effect. It is an open secret in the art world that the market drives scholarship, as auction houses need to verify the provenance and veracity of the artworks they sell. They regularly consult academics and can be some of the first to commission research on a subject.
In the worst-case scenario, artworks can enter a doom spiral, where museums worry about the authenticity of a certain set of paintings, keeping them out of major narratives and therefore further reducing the amount of scholarship and public knowledge about them.
And modern Syrian art has had no vocal international champion nor major show. Atassi highlights the transformative power of an exhibition such as Art et Liberte, organised by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath in 2016 and 2017, which brought international attention to the previously little-known movement of Surrealism in Egypt.
“These are all little things,” she says. “But they all come together.”
What’s next?
The recession of Syria from Arab art history is not total. The scholar Anneka Lenssen, who teaches at UC-Berkeley, published an acclaimed study of Syrian modernism in 2020 called Beautiful Agitation. The Syrian artist and scholar Nagham Hodaifa, who wrote her doctorate on Syrian art, says she is increasingly receiving inquiries from potential students. But it is an important reminder of the effects of war and conflict on the supposedly objective histories laid out in museums.
It is too much to say that with the regime change in Syria, its art history will begin to be reconsidered – most notably because no one knows what the government of Ahmad Al Shara will bring.
And much is already being done. In the period since the revolution, a shadow civil society has developed in the diaspora, with many individual-led projects taking responsibility for the country’s history – from Mnemonic, which records human rights abuse, to the Syrian Cassette Archive, which documents a period of popular music.
Late last year, the Atassi Foundation launched the Modern Art of Syria Archive, an online, searchable archive of thousands that will be entirely publicly available. They comprise the records of the Atassi Gallery, which Shireen’s mother Mona ran from the 1980s to 2010 in Homs and later Damascus. They contain, among other gems, recorded discussions between Moudarres and the poet Adonis at the Galerie Atassi, for which the lines stretched around the block. The archive also includes the records of Hammad and Leila Nseir, and they are hoping to set up a digital preservation studio in Damascus.
Increased access to material will, ideally, allow for further research into the full breadth of Syrian art history.
It’s not going to be a sharp change, Atassi points out. “It's just going to be a curve and there's going to be more traffic coming in," she says. "But we need multiple voices. History needs different perspectives.”
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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PRISCILLA
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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UFC%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi
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Specs%20
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
AL%20BOOM
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Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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