Beirut’s largest and oldest independent cultural institution, the Sursock Museum, sustained enormous damage to its premises and collections during the blast. Entire parts of the 19th-century townhouse were reduced to rubble and 30 artworks that were on display at the time were damaged.
Today, as the museum begins to partially reopen, it faces questions about its role as a cultural institution in times of crisis. “We have an important role to play as a museum, and we have always tackled important topics. But the past two years have forced us to rethink our programme,” says director Zeina Arida, referring to the combined effects of Lebanon’s economic crisis, the pandemic and the port explosion.
Listen to the latest podcast on the Beirut blast here.
“We have to make sure our programme stays relevant to the current situation,” she says. “We don’t want to project the image that the art sector is in la-la land.”
Yet taking a new direction remains a sensitive issue. “There are so many things to take into consideration. First, the changes happening to our society in Lebanon, and then the global changes issued by the pandemic. Social divisions have increased in Lebanon and globally. And our financial possibilities as a museum have been reduced.”
Nevertheless the museum has made steady progress with its recovery. The first stage of reconstruction, paid for by the international heritage fund Aliph Foundation and the French Ministry of Culture, is nearing completion. Most of the damaged graphic works on paper have been restored, and the storage rooms have been cleared of dust deposits from the blast. “The dusting alone took three months,” Arida says.
She is preparing to send three damaged artworks to the Centre Pompidou in Paris for restoration. Among these is a portrait of the museum’s founder, Nicolas Sursock, by Dutch-French artist Kees van Dongen.
Activities have resumed on the esplanade. In May, the museum collaborated with performing arts festival Bipod to live-stream a series of acts, including Alexandre Paulikevitch and his A’alehom, an experimental dance focused on the current crisis. In July, Unesco’s three-day Terdad festival included several film screenings, workshops and performances at the museum.
Arida hopes Sursock can fully reopen next spring, and an exhibition in collaboration with the Dalloul Art Foundation is in the pipeline.
But simply reopening is not enough, she says. A change of direction is also incoming. “We need to include less visible communities and minorities – like refugees or migrant workers – in our programming, by working with a specific community or non-profit to design a programme and project.”
Another challenge will be growing the museum’s audience. “We always say that the museum is open to everyone, but of course not all of the Lebanese come,” she says. “Some people find it awkward to be in an art museum, and we need to adapt to them.”
We have an important role to play as a museum, and we have always tackled important topics. But the past two years have forced us to rethink our programme
Zeina Arida,
director of Sursock Museum
While it tries to appeal to a wider audience, Sursock will continue to serve as a platform for Beirut’s artistic community to discuss the current crisis and possible steps forward. “The museum has always been a platform for collaborations with artists and the local community, but we need to do it even more than before."
The departure of the city’s typical museum-goer adds urgency to this task. “Our sector is a small representation of the country and its state. So many people have left, including intellectuals, artists, writers, collectors."
For Arida, maintaining a lively cultural sector is essential to Beirut’s identity. “It’s a cosmopolitan city where a lot of people from Europe and the Middle East come and meet. Artists and intellectuals from other Arab countries sought the freedom of expression that was available in Lebanon,” she says. “This mix of people, the artists, our history, created the energy that’s in the city.”
Its contemporary artistic identity, she says, flourished from an earlier crisis: the Lebanese Civil War. “The post-war period was so important for Beirut, artistically. There was a whole generation of artists and writers working on similar recent history. Lebanese artists became more visible in important museums around the world.”
But today, this climate of artistic exchange and openness is at stake. “It will depend on what happens politically – will we still be able to have freedom of expression? And it depends on the opportunities for artists in Lebanon.”
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GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Sanchez's club career
2005-2006: Cobreloa
2006-2011 Udinese
2006-2007 Colo-Colo (on loan)
2007-2008 River Plate (on loan)
2011-2014 Barcelona
2014–Present Arsenal
The five pillars of Islam
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
