If the last two years are anything to go by, we know that event schedules should come with a caveat – subject to the number of Covid-19 cases around at the time.
For the moment, however, a number of art events, including major biennials and triennials, as well as must-see exhibitions around the world, are sticking to their opening dates and preparing to showcase art and culture to the world in 2022.
Venice Biennale
Two years later, the Venice Biennale 2020 will finally take place from April 23 to November 27. Last year, the major art event in Italy was postponed because of the pandemic.
The title and theme of the next event – The Milk of Dreams – was announced in June 2021. Curated by Cecilia Alemani, the title is borrowed from a book by Leonora Carrington and will consider the state of the world today, particularly in terms of the body and its relation to the earth, ecologies and our relationship to technology.
The UAE Pavilion for the 59th Venice Biennale will showcase the work of Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, who is known for his sculptures and paintings that draw inspiration from the natural landscape of his home town Khor Fakkan.
From April 23 to November 27. More information is at labiennale.org
Documenta fifteen
There is much excitement for documenta fifteen, a contemporary art exhibition that takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany.
This year's event has been curated by the Indonesian collective ruangrupa. The choice of artistic director for the 15th documenta marks a few firsts – the first collective to be at the helm of the event and the first Asians, too.
For the show, the collective has chosen the agricultural concept of “lumbung” (rice barn) as the starting point to consider various ideas about sustainability, collective and community-based practices, in particular artistic practices that depend on knowledge and dissemination.
documenta fifteen takes place from June 18 to September 25. More information is at documenta-fifteen.de
Desert X AlUla
Desert X AlUla in Saudi Arabia will return in 2022 with a new location in the kingdom’s historic AlUla region. This year, the site-specific artworks will be installed in the Al Mutadil valley, across the famous Elephant Rock.
The event also has a new curator at the helm, as organisers have tapped Reem Fadda, director of the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, to join Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield as part of the curatorial team.
Sarab, Desert X AlUla’s theme for 2022, explores the concepts of mirage and oasis, and considers the ideas linked to desert history and culture.
Desert X AlUla runs from February 11 to March 30. More information on livingmuseum.com
Kathmandu Triennale
Opening in February, the Kathmandu Triennale for 2022 is themed KT 2077 – and offers an ambitious and forward-looking programme that will incorporate the ideas of decolonisation, indigenous knowledge and displacement while looking beyond the Eurocentric canon.
The event, curated by artistic director Cosmin Costinas along with artists and cultural organisers Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Hit Man Gurung, will be held in three different venues across Nepal’s capital: Patan, Boudha, Kathmandu. More than 100 artists and collaborators from 40 countries are expected to exhibit their works.
From February 11 to March 11. More information is at kathmandutriennale.org
Faith Ringgold at the New Museum
The Harlem-born artist Faith Ringgold tells stories of the African-American experience in the US, excavating histories and truths about power and black identity through her rich paintings and quilts.
Opening at the New Museum in New York, Faith Ringgold: American People will present works from six decades, reflecting on significant moments in US history, from the Harlem Renaissance and the fight for civil rights.
From February 17 to June 5. More information is at newmuseum.org
Etel Adnan at the Van Gogh Museum
The renowned Lebanese poet and artist Etel Adnan, who died aged 96 in November 2021, was known for her colourful landscapes inspired by California.
This show at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will present the works of Adnan and Van Gogh side by side as a way to consider and compare their styles, particularly their explorations of colour and landscapes.
From May 20 to September 4. More information is at vangoghmuseum.nl
Donatello: The Renaissance
One of the masters of the Renaissance period, Florentine sculptor Donatello is being celebrated in a survey exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi and Musei del Bargello, both in Florence, in March, before an iteration will travel to Gemaldegalerie in Berlin in September.
In this, the first major exhibition dedicated to the sculptor in almost 40 years, visitors will be able to see Donatello’s important works in bronze and wood, including his most well-known David, made circa 1440.
A version of the show will be presented in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2023.
From March 19 to July 31 in Florence; from September 2 to January 8, 2023, in Berlin. More information is at palazzostrozzi.org
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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Prophets of Rage
(Fantasy Records)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
