Zadie Xa's Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes includes a chandelier-like piece made of more than 1,000 brass bells. Ahmed Ramzan for The National
Zadie Xa's Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes includes a chandelier-like piece made of more than 1,000 brass bells. Ahmed Ramzan for The National
Zadie Xa's Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes includes a chandelier-like piece made of more than 1,000 brass bells. Ahmed Ramzan for The National
Zadie Xa's Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes includes a chandelier-like piece made of more than 1,000 brass bells. Ahmed Ramzan for The National

Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide: Masterpieces at Christie's and a Turner-nominated work in Sharjah


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

Art Dubai may have concluded, but the local scene is maintaining the momentum.

A Christie’s exhibition of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern masterpieces and a solo exhibition by Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi are among the highlights in the city. There is also lots to see in other emirates, including a solo show by Saudi artist Abdullah Al Othman and a presentation at the Sharjah Biennial that is in the running for the Turner Prize.

Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at Christie's

Mohammed Al Saleem's Desert Plants (1973). Photo: Christie's
Mohammed Al Saleem's Desert Plants (1973). Photo: Christie's

The Christie’s auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art has returned with an all-star selection.

The sale is a potent representation of the diverse practices shaping the region's contemporary art. There are works that represent Nadia Saikali’s gestural abstraction, the kaleidoscopic dynamism of Samia Halaby, the rippling portraits of Marwan, the calligraphic experimentations of Mohamed Melehi, Malika Agueznay and Dia Azzawi, as well as paintings by Helen Khal that show her figurative beginnings, and the ethereal canvases she is particularly known for.

Other notable figures featured in the auction include Inji Efflatoun, Kamal Boullata, Etel Adnan, Aref El Rayess, Laila Shawa, Paul Guiragossian, Nabil Anani, Fateh Moudarres and Yvette Achkar.

Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-5pm; until May 8, Christie’s Dubai

Unraveling: Huda Lutfi at The Third Line

Huda Lutfi, Missing Shoe (2018). Photo: The Third Line
Huda Lutfi, Missing Shoe (2018). Photo: The Third Line

Lutfi is known for her cross-disciplinary practice that draws from historical research as well as feminist critique.

Her fourth solo exhibition at The Third Line brings together works from three recent series. These include When Dreams Call for Silence (2019), which presents human figures in surreal domestic scenes. In Our Black Thread (2020–2021), Lutfi explores how creating is an act of healing. The series began as Lutfi casually wove threads from used teabags and car filters. The minimalist compositions, with their restrained monochromatic palette, “amplify the introspective meditation that fuelled their making”, the exhibition guide states, “but also evoke the historical association of craftsmanship as feminine labour and its complex relationship to art”.

This approach is sustained in her continuing series Healing Devices, which feature organic and geometric paper cutouts set against gold and silver backdrops. The series draws from the illustrations in The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, a 1206 work by the Arab polymath Ismail Al-Jazari.

Monday to Sunday, 11am-7pm; until May 27, The Third Line, Dubai

Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, and Earth Remembers Everything at Sharjah Biennial

Zadie Xa's presentation in Al Hamriyah Studios at Sharjah Biennial is nominated for the Turner Prize. Ahmed Ramzan for The National
Zadie Xa's presentation in Al Hamriyah Studios at Sharjah Biennial is nominated for the Turner Prize. Ahmed Ramzan for The National

This presentation from the 2025 Sharjah Biennial has been nominated for the Turner Prize. The work was created by Korean-Canadian artist Zadie Xa, in collaboration with Spanish artist Benito Mayor Vallejo.

It features several disparate elements, which take cues from Korean shamanic traditions. These include paintings and a chandelier-like piece comprising more than 1,000 brass bells arranged in the shape of a conch shell.

Saturday to Thursday, 9am-9pm; Friday 4pm-9pm; until June 15; Al Hamriyah Studios, Sharjah

Abdullah Al Othman: Structural Syntax at Iris Projects

Anticipation (2025) by Abdullah Al Othman. Photo: Iris Projects
Anticipation (2025) by Abdullah Al Othman. Photo: Iris Projects

Al Othman’s work is greatly informed by the visual language of the region’s cities. The Saudi artist is known to wander around Riyadh, collecting materials and images from its architecture and linguistic history that he then incorporates into his work.

Structural Syntax is his first solo show in the UAE. The exhibition is designed to steep visitors in Al Othman’s unique perception of urban landscapes and prompt questions about the way we navigate our surroundings.

Works include Anticipation, which makes use of neon lights, a material with which Al Othman has become synonymous. His Untitled (Coca Cola) playfully appropriates the brand in an installation featuring a sign in Arabic, industrial materials, metal and paint.

Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm; until June 27; Iris Projects, Abu Dhabi

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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

 

Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

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Leaderboard

63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)

64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)

66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

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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 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

Company%20Profile
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THE APPRENTICE

Director: Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 3/5

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Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

SPECS

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Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
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Brief scores:

Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37

South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62

Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59

Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
RESULT

Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay:
 Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')

Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)

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

Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania ​​​​​​​
Verdict: 4 Stars

Updated: May 01, 2025, 10:02 AM`