The Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi’s three new exhibitions, launched simultaneously, are a captivating exploration of the future, diversity and legacy of the region's art world.
Among the trio is Life is a Circus — the Foundation’s first NFT art exhibition, which is an immersive and playful collection of work connecting the UAE’s contemporary artistic heritage with its digital future. Building on the foundation laid by Emirati artist Jalal Luqman, who produced the foundation's first digital art exhibition in 1996, Life is a Circus invited 22 digital artists living in the UAE to produce work specifically for the show.
Exploring the evolution of digital art, the images tackle the fickle nature of the online world and the highly visual language of contemporary life. As the Foundation’s first NFT art exhibition, these artworks are also available to purchase online.
The second exhibition, Lullabies: A Journey Through Song, is an expansive and engaging curation of sleep tunes from various regions, including the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Highlighting the historical context and nature of each lullaby through different mediums, the exhibition offers an insight into the shared values they hold across generations and cultures — as one of the first forms of communication, bridging music and storytelling.
However, the foundation’s flagship exhibition is Fahrelnissa and the Institutes: Towards a Sky — a monumental, compelling exhibition, featuring includes a selection of abstract works by four pioneering internationally acclaimed female artists from Jordan — Fahrelnissa Zeid, Wijdan, Hind Nasser and Ufemia Rizk.
The exhibition is a tangible reminder of the progressive prowess and nuance of contemporary female Arab artists and their continued influence on art, mentorship and community in the region.
Zeid, who was born in Turkey and later settled in Jordan, in particular is a powerhouse of great influence. While framed in the exhibition as one of Jordan's quintessential artists, her work demonstrates an outward-looking, international focus — ahead of her time in her approach, execution and quality of work.
Reem Fadda, the director of The Cultural Foundation, tells The National it is time "to talk about the influence of Fahrelnissa Zeid".
“I've long been invested in telling the stories of our region, our thinkers, intellectuals and artists. And these women are it. These are the ones that shouldered progressive thinking for our societies. And the fact that they're all women is not lost on me, or on anyone.”
During her expansive career, Zeid established The Royal National Jordanian Institute Fahrelnissa Zeid of Fine Arts at her home in Amman, where women were challenged and pushed to further their artistic limits.
Wijdan, another influential driving force, also established educational frameworks in Amman that taught and nurtured artists. Nasser and Rizk, who are Zeid's former students, have created their own profound and exploratory bodies of work, while contributing to community building in the art world.
Each of the artists’ work is given its own section, starting with Zeid. Her dynamic style is instantly captivating not only for her manipulation of light and colour, but also by the skill she possesses as an artist to command large canvases.
“We are not trying to overemphasise that she is the embodiment of globalisation,” says Fadda.
“She is from the Middle East and knows how to carry that culture into a universal language completely. She also takes cues from her western influences and puts them into her own unique vocabulary. She's unmatched in terms of the scale of her paintings and abstracted style.”
Zeid’s work speaks for itself. She infuses many elements of life and culture, from the tangible and intangible, into a highly sophisticated visual language that is both transcultural and timeless.
Aside from the individual abstract voices of these artists, the incredible large-scale paintings, thoughtfully curated in the space, highlights that link of mentorship, education and community between artists and women.
Nasser’s entrancing works clearly display that lineage of mentorship between women, so intrinsically fundamental to the exhibition.
“Unconsciously, women in our part of the world want to prove themselves to themselves, before proving themselves to others. And this was my journey with things,” she says.
Nasser, whose work is brilliantly overwhelming, yet balanced in her understanding of colour combinations and her command of painterly gestures, emphasises the importance of understanding that creative work comes from continuous work, cultural exposure and mentorship — much like what she experienced under the guidance of Zeid.
“These histories should have been told and celebrated from the start,” says Fadda.
“I think we're at least 40 years late to showcase them. It's unfortunate that we're always playing catch up to our own histories and our own legacies.”
All three exhibitions are running at the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, until February 2.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
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Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
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Investment raised: $4 million
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
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Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
