"Welcome to Nepenthe Valley. You came here to forget. Don’t you remember?"
These are opening lines of a poem for Nepenthe Valley, a virtual world and NFT project created by the artist Lawrence Lek.
Scattered across the valley’s misty and mountainous landscape are various structures, including a lodge and a treehouse, that possess classical elements such as columns and arches, as well as futuristic neon lines that run across the facades.
It is a liminal world, both familiar and strange. The scenes themselves are tranquil, evoking the rugged mountains of the Alpine region, though architectural ruins hint at a cyber, post-human world.
The first of three chapters of this virtual world has recently been launched at Art Dubai, which takes place until Sunday.
On view at the fair’s inaugural digital art section, Nepenthe Valley is presented by Horizons, a collaboration between media collective So-Far from Singapore and virtual gallery Aora.
Glimpses of the valley, including video animations on screens, prints and 3D-printed architecture models, can be seen at the Horizons booth in the halls of Jumeirah Mina A'Salam. Each looping video is accompanied by a unique soundscape that adds to the valley’s serene settings.
A multimedia artist who works with architecture, gaming, CGI, sound and fiction, Lek is known for building worlds and universes (which he has called “Sinofuturist”) that touch on ideas of the future, technology and politics.
While there are speculations and worries around the psychological effects of the metaverse, Lek’s project considers the possibilities of virtual reality as a remedy or at least a space for respite.
“I’ve been interested in the link between media art and psychological states for a long time,” he says, tracing it back to his 2017 narrative CGI film Geomancer. The film follows a satellite AI who comes to Earth in hopes of becoming an artist.
“In the film, the main AI character has a built-in self-help programme called Guanyin, named after the Buddhist goddess of compassion. So, like there have been a lot of mindfulness apps for phones in recent years, I imagined how a future AI would also require a similar sort of built-in healing programme to help them make sense of the world,” Lek says.
“With Nepenthe Valley, it’s taking a similar idea but reflecting current conditions of the world, but making these ideas embedded in the virtual landscape rather than a textual narrative.”
His plan for the project is detailed and expansive. After its launch at Art Dubai, Nepenthe Valley will continue to exist online and will run until Singapore Art Week in January 2023.
The first chapter of the project, The Source, reveals the first four locations in the valley, which include The Spring, The Lodge, The Shrine and The Treehouse.
The other resting locations — there are a total of nine — will unfold in the second chapter named The Journey.
Finally, the project culminates with The Point, where the entire landscape of Nepenthe Valley can be seen and explored.
So far, a total of eight NFTs, each with 111 versions, have been minted on the Solana blockchain and are available on the So-Far NFT marketplace.
In The Spring is a temple-like building that sits on top of a cascading waterfall and houses a reflecting pool and a fire altar.
Meanwhile, The Treehouse shows a structure built around a tree. Stairs lead up to the top of the tree’s branches, and it is easy to imagine virtual visitors circling it as a form of meditation.
Lek points to two main references for the work. The first is sublime landscape paintings by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich. In particular, Lek explains that he sought to discover how the German Romantic painter “would embed ideas about life and death within trees and mountains, sunsets and architecture.”
The second resource is fantasy video games. “I wanted to create places that were timeless, drawn from fantasy video games like The Legend of Zelda or Skyrim,” he says, imagining places that would evoke an “alternate world, but also mysterious and eternal.”
As the project continues, the ultimate shape for Nepenthe Valley will exist as an open-world video game where players can walk through and explore the environment with game controllers.
“For this first iteration, I wanted to evoke a sense of healing and regeneration, so I focused on creating virtual architecture and images of the landscape and music that could enable that,” he says.
Born in Germany and of Malaysian-Chinese descent, Lek studied architecture at the University of Cambridge. In addition to producing films and digital works, he is a doctoral candidate in machine learning in London.
As an artist who has exhibited worldwide and whose works have been collected by prestigious institutions, Lek sees the crypto art world as an opportunity for artists to receive support more directly from patrons. “It’s not only crypto,” he says, “but other forms of patronage such as Patreon or subscribers.”
“From an economic or social point of view, artists are basically freelance self-employed producers who are extremely vulnerable to changing economic conditions. Very rarely is there any real kind of safety net, especially for artists who predominantly use digital tools or make time-based or performance-based work,” he says. The challenge for creatives, he says, is to learn new tools and to manage the promotion of their works in the nascent digital marketplace.
One of the highlights of Art Dubai’s digital art section, Nepenthe Valley exemplifies a type of digital art that is conceptually astute and produced with sharp creative vision and execution.
The wave of digital art and NFTs has already washed over us. The metaverse is already here. At the same, the "real world" rages on with wars, a pandemic and climate change. Through Lek’s cinematic universes, we can explore the implications and complexities of all these and perhaps imagine new ways of rest and healing.
‘Nepenthe Valley’ is on view at the Horizons booth at Art Dubai until March 13. It can be viewed online on the So-Far website
Scroll through the gallery on the bottom to see more of Art Dubai.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Oppenheimer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Nolan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Blunt%2C%20Robert%20Downey%20Jr%2C%20Florence%20Pugh%2C%20Matt%20Damon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
