A work by Tagreed Darghouth from her upcoming Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll exhibition at Tabari Artspace. Courtesy the artist and Tabari Artspace
A work by Tagreed Darghouth from her upcoming Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll exhibition at Tabari Artspace. Courtesy the artist and Tabari Artspace
A work by Tagreed Darghouth from her upcoming Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll exhibition at Tabari Artspace. Courtesy the artist and Tabari Artspace
A work by Tagreed Darghouth from her upcoming Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll exhibition at Tabari Artspace. Courtesy the artist and Tabari Artspace

6 new art exhibitions to see in Dubai this autumn: from unseen Mohamed Melehi works to reflections on Indian history


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

For better or for worse, we’ve made it to September. The UAE’s art scene has endured a difficult few months with closures and cancellations affecting the incomes of artists and gallery owners alike.

Over the summer, museums and galleries have gradually reopened their doors, inviting art lovers back into their spaces, albeit with limited capacity. Despite Dubai's biggest art moment being cancelled in March because of the pandemic , the industry is eager to bounce back as a new season begins.

While a number of shows have been extended well into the rest of the year, there are a few new ones to add to your calendar. Here's what to see.

Every Soiled Page

Ishara Art Foundation, an institution dedicated to South Asian art that launched in March 2019, will present a group show that explores art's role in shaping our collective memory. The show's title, Every Soiled Page, is taken from a poem by Pakistani author Faiz Ahmad Faiz, written during his time as a political prisoner in the 1950s.

Praneet Soi 'Olive Tree IV' (2020). Courtesy Ishara Art Foundation
Praneet Soi 'Olive Tree IV' (2020). Courtesy Ishara Art Foundation

The exhibition considers how art can serve as a record of resistance. Curated by Sabih Ahmed, Every Soiled Page includes works by Anju Dodiya, Astha Butail, Neha Choksi, Praneet Soi and Sunil Padwal, as well as a newly commissioned performance installation by Inder Salim.

Saturday, September 19 to Saturday, December 19; Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; ishara.org

New Waves: Mohamed Melehi and the Casablanca Art School

This major show on the Casablanca Art School was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed to September because of the pandemic.

From 1964 to 1974, Mohamed Melehi and a group of artists spearheaded a radical movement that influenced arts education in Morocco, encouraging students to look beyond western art history and focus on local production. New Waves tells the story of the Casablanca Art School, the group's moniker, and traces Melehi's career through paintings and archival photography. It will reveal the artist's crucial role in developing postcolonial Moroccan art and Arab Modernist art.

A work by Mohamed Melehi. Courtesy Alserkal
A work by Mohamed Melehi. Courtesy Alserkal

Curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet, the show will present previously unseen works by Melehi, including a collection of his documentary photography from 30 years of travel. Works by Farid Belkahia, Mohamed Chaba and Hossein Miloudi will also be on display.

Saturday, 19 September, to Saturday, October 10; Concrete, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; alserkalavenue.ae

Memory Drum

Emirati artist Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim's second solo exhibition at Lawrie Shabibi will feature a series of paintings and sculptures created since March. The conceptual artist is a pioneering figure in the UAE art scene, having worked alongside Abdullah Al Saadi, Hussain Sharif, Mohammed Kazem and Hassan Sharif, in the 1980s.

Born in Khor Fakkan, Ibrahim has long been influenced by the landscape of the Hajar Mountains and his work demonstrates his connection to the natural land. His latest paintings bear his signature circle motifs, which are influenced by ancient markings found on the mountainside.

From Saturday, September 19, Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; lawrieshabibi.com

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, 'Blue Boulevard' (2020). Courtesy the artist and Lawrie Shabibi
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, 'Blue Boulevard' (2020). Courtesy the artist and Lawrie Shabibi

On Stones and Palimpsests

For her new solo show at Green Art Gallery, Hera Buyukstaciyan investigates how history can be erased territorially and culturally, taking the Partition of India in 1947 as one example. In her work Infinite Nectar, produced for the Lahore Biennial 2020, she studies Sikh heritage buildings that were abandoned during the Partition, seeing them as spaces that bear the histories and urban transformations of that period.

The Turkish artist's Reveries of an Underground Forest will also be on view. The sculptural installation looks at the forest and riverbeds of Canada's indigenous peoples that were destroyed as the city of Toronto was being built in the 1800s.

Saturday, September 19 to Wednesday, November 7; Green Art Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; gagallery.com

Video still from 'Infinite Nectar' by Hera Buyukstaciyan, in curatorial collaboration with Haajra Haider Karrar. Courtesy the artist and Green Art Gallery Dubai
Video still from 'Infinite Nectar' by Hera Buyukstaciyan, in curatorial collaboration with Haajra Haider Karrar. Courtesy the artist and Green Art Gallery Dubai

The Last Days of Soft Machine

Austrian artist Philip Mueller continues to expand the universe around his 2017 Black Flamingo Sad Boys series, which features characters that made their way from the Alps to the Italian island of Santo Stefano. In 2019, Mueller presented Beach Resort Tiberio, which imagined these characters now living in wild abandon on the island.

In The Last Days of Soft Machine the latest and last iteration of the resort series, the artist shows the undoing of these figures in a final celebration of excess. In one painting, Dogdays at Santo Stefano, the characters live out their last days of revelry in vandalised and neglected structures.

Monday, September 28, to Wednesday, November 4; Carbon 12, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; carbon12dubai.com

Philip Mueller, 'Dogdays at Santo Stefano' (2020). Courtesy the artist and Carbon 12, Dubai
Philip Mueller, 'Dogdays at Santo Stefano' (2020). Courtesy the artist and Carbon 12, Dubai

Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll

Lebanese artist Tagreed Darghouth's works in this new solo exhibition at Tabari Artspace were completed in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion, which damaged her studio in Mar Mikhael. Her new paintings centre on the notion of feminine beauty and the male gaze, drawing from references in Greek mythology and modern-day representations of women.

In this body of work, Darghouth, who has often addressed social issues in her practice, reflects on her own experiences as a woman and considers gender dynamics present in everyday life, both online and offline.

Tabari Artspace will donate 10 per cent of the proceeds from sales to the Lebanese Red Cross.

From Tuesday, October 20; Tabari Artspace, DIFC, Dubai; tabariartspace.com

WITHIN%20SAND
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:

​​​​​​Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field

​Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55

Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out

Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

War and the virus
NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

EA Sports FC 25
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

The%20Letter%20Writer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Layla%20Kaylif%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eslam%20Al%20Kawarit%2C%20Rosy%20McEwen%2C%20Muhammad%20Amir%20Nawaz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia on October 10

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

Recipe

Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.

Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.

Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking,  remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.

Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.

 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGold%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMagomedomar%20Magomedomarov%20%E2%80%93%20Judo%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20%2B100kg%0D%3Cbr%3EKhaled%20Al%20Shehi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-62kg%0D%3Cbr%3EFaisal%20Al%20Ketbi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-85kg%0D%3Cbr%3EAsma%20Al%20Hosani%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20-52kg%0D%3Cbr%3EShamma%20Al%20Kalbani%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20-63kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESilver%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EOmar%20Al%20Marzooqi%20%E2%80%93%20Equestrian%20%E2%80%93%20Individual%20showjumping%0D%3Cbr%3EBishrelt%20Khorloodoi%20%E2%80%93%20Judo%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20-52kg%0D%3Cbr%3EKhalid%20Al%20Blooshi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-62kg%0D%3Cbr%3EMohamed%20Al%20Suwaidi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-69kg%0D%3Cbr%3EBalqees%20Abdulla%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20-48kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBronze%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EHawraa%20Alajmi%20%E2%80%93%20Karate%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20kumite%20-50kg%0D%3Cbr%3EAhmed%20Al%20Mansoori%20%E2%80%93%20Cycling%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20omnium%0D%3Cbr%3EAbdullah%20Al%20Marri%20%E2%80%93%20Equestrian%20%E2%80%93%20Individual%20showjumping%0D%3Cbr%3ETeam%20UAE%20%E2%80%93%20Equestrian%20%E2%80%93%20Team%20showjumping%0D%3Cbr%3EDzhafar%20Kostoev%20%E2%80%93%20Judo%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-100kg%0D%3Cbr%3ENarmandakh%20Bayanmunkh%20%E2%80%93%20Judo%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-66kg%0D%3Cbr%3EGrigorian%20Aram%20%E2%80%93%20Judo%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-90kg%0D%3Cbr%3EMahdi%20Al%20Awlaqi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-77kg%0D%3Cbr%3ESaeed%20Al%20Kubaisi%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Men%E2%80%99s%20-85kg%0D%3Cbr%3EShamsa%20Al%20Ameri%20%E2%80%93%20Jiu-jitsu%20%E2%80%93%20Women%E2%80%99s%20-57kg%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4

Price, base: Dh145,000

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km