"I think this is partly what the prize is about," said the German-Iranian artist Timo Nasseri when the five winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, of whom he was one, were announced in October last year, "to allow you to do something you couldn't usually afford."
It brought with it a certain level of expectation when the works were unveiled at Art Dubai on Tuesday; particularly given that it is the world's most generous art award, with each artist being given $120,000 (Dh440,000) and the best part of five months to produce their work. Anything less than a diamond-encrusted skull was going to leave us underwhelmed.
Talk to the artists, though, all of whom come from the Menasa region (a condition of the prize) and the impressive scale of their projects becomes clear. One, by the Pakistani-Indian artist Shezad Dawood, involved building a "dream machine" and staging a concert in Tangiers by a band who have been in existence, in one form or another, for 4,000 years. Another, by the Iraqi artist Jananne Al-Ani, required the use of a reconnaissance plane to photograph hundred of miles of Jordanian landscape from the air. And a third, by the Tunisian-Russian artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke, saw her living alongside Venice's illegal immigrants for a week while she painstakingly measured the scores of carpets on which they sold their wares to tourists.
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Thankfully, a book by the curator of the prize this year, Sharmini Pereira, records the blood, sweat and tears that went into producing their uniformly ambitious works. Footnote to a Project will be launched at Art Dubai on Saturday.
Three of the five works are housed in darkened booths. Al-Ani's film, Shadow Sites II shows a series of monochrome images of aerial landscapes in which crop circles and ancient archaeological sites and settlements only become clear when the sun is at its lowest.
"Shadow sites is a branch of archaeology that emerged after the First and Second World Wars," Al-Ani explains, "when much of the war was fought in the air. For me, it was about the metaphor of the relationship between photographic images and memory; about how the landscape itself can act as a photo image in which the image itself is latent."
Accompanied by the low drone of an aircraft engine and ominous creaking sounds, the landscapes seem almost lunar in their simplicity. The beauty is in the detail: the perfectly-groomed rows of crops, the hinted forms of earlier civilisations.
The mixed-media Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas's Woman in Black, is, in contrast, a dazzling wall of colour. The stained-glass window depicting a fictitious heroine to whom men are merely workers in hard hats is a clever use of traditional technique to portray a modern image. "The interplay of light and dark serve as metaphors for good and evil," reads the blurb (Abbas was absent, apparently due to give birth any day).
Shezad Dawood, perhaps the best established of the group (he has a whole section of the London gallery Paradise Row's stand to himself at the fair), has presented one of the most complex pieces. In two parts, New Dream Machine Project consists of a light sculpture and an accompanying film that pays tribute to the British-Canadian painter, Brian Gysin.
"I was always really interested in Gysin," says Dawood, "who invented the Dream Machine. It came a lot out of his interest in Sufism and Islamic calligraphy."
The Dream Machine itself, a spinning cylinder of coloured light encased in a latticed metal shell, is designed to stimulate the alpha waves in the brain, which in turn can induce a state of unconsciousness. Seen on its own, it's all rather Doctor Who. Step inside the nearby booth, though, and a film of the concert he staged at the Cinematèque in Tangiers provides an intriguing context.
"The audience sat all around the Dream Machine," says Dawood, "so the performers were performing with the machine." The Bedouin Master Musicians of Jajouka used to be the house band at Gysin's 1,001 Nights Café in Tangiers in the 1960s. Dawood flew in the British guitarist Duke Garwood to play the part of Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, who performed with them in the 1960s having been introduced by Gysin.
"There are all these interconnections that I was trying to play to," says Dawood. "I wanted to break down this idea of linear time and play with the circularity of it and that of the machine."
More immediately gratifying are Nasseri and Kaabi-Linke's works. A gleaming lattice made up of scores of steel rods, Nasseri's Gon was inspired by geometrical diagrams as well as shapes common in Islamic ornaments and architecture. The overall effect is an elegant illusion of curves. "But all the lines are straight," he says.
Finally, there is Kaabi-Linke's majestic aluminium sculpture, Flying Carpets, which presides over the entrance hall. A nest of rectangular frames hang at varying levels from hundreds of shivering metal wires. It is easily the show-stopper and one that is perhaps not shown to its best advantage in the ornate interior of the Madinat.
"It's an exact replica of il Ponte del Sepolcro in Venice," she explains, "and a homage to illegal immigration in Europe."
She refers to the largely south Asian and east African immigrants who sell their wares to tourists in the Italian city. Each has a carpet, "so that they can pack up and run away easily from the police".
Kaabi-Linke spent a week in their company, measuring the exact dimensions of the bridge and their carpets, which are replicated precisely in the sculpture's metal frames. "The idea of borders is a modern phenomenon, and not natural," she says. "We exist today only because humans adapted and moved from one place to another. Maybe I see it this way because I am an immigrant."
Savita Apte, the prize's chairwoman, feels the award's expansion to five winners instead of the three of previous years has increased the opportunities for regional artists. The reduced prize money (when split five ways) is also an improvement. "They all felt slightly intimidated by $200,000" she says.
It must have done the trick. This year's winners appear to be anything but.
The Abraaj Capital Art Prize works will be exhibited at Art Dubai until Saturday.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
More on animal trafficking
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Mobile phone packages comparison
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
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
Results
2pm Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,800m
Winner AF Al Baher, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner Alla Mahlak, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
3pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner Davy Lamp, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner Ode To Autumn, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner Arch Gold, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
4.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,800m
Winner Meqdam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
5pm Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner Native Appeal, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner Amani Pico, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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