It was only inaugurated last year but Art Dubai’s Modern section is already a firm favourite with me. I really enjoy the fact that there is a dedicated section to historically important artists whose work spans the period from the 1940s-1980s. Not only it is a wonderful chance to see these works, which are not normally exhibited in the region but for people like me, who are trying to learn about the history of art in the region, it is an invaluable chance to get educated.
The Art Dubai team work hard with the selection process and this year there are 15 galleries showing single or two person booths. This gives a chance to learn about the practice of each artist and to delve deeper into their stories.
Highlights of this year’s section are numerous.
Firstly, I discovered the work of Shahid Sajjad, a self taught Pakistani artist who fascinatingly fell in love with a Paul Gaugin sculpture in the Louvre in his 1920s and decided to pursue art. His sculptures, like the one pictured here are poetic and beautiful and the gallery, Artchowk from Karachi are also showing a selection of prints and drawings never before seen outside of Pakistan.
Another discovery for me was the Nigerian artist Dr Bruce Onobrakpreya. He was part of the Zaria art movement, who made a conscious decision at the time of Nigeria’s independence in the 1960s to fuse their traditional past with a modern future and create a new artistic style. His many panelled plasto-cast works tell his personal story as well as the story of this movement.
In Le Violon Bleu, a Tunisian gallery, some incredible works of dye on skin from the Moroccan master Farid Belkahia are on show including a commissioned work by King Hassan II.
Interestingly too, the Lebanese great Shafic Abboud is showing at two of the 15 spaces. Agial Art Gallery from Beirut is showing a solo of his stunning abstract works and Galerie Claude Lemand put his works in conversation with that of Algerian artist Abdellah Benanteur.
Two of Dubai’s best galleries are representing in this section – Green Art Gallery with a wonderful solo of Mahmoud Hammad and Meem Gallery with pieces by Marwan and Dia Azzawi.
For those of you planning to visit the fair over the next few days I urge you to take some time out for the Modern section. The thick carpets and the muted wall colour will encourage you to slow your thinking down after the buzz of the contemporary halls and most importantly, you will come away enriched by the experience.
**BREAKING NEWS**
Mashreq Private Banking, the sponsors of the Art Dubai Modern programme, announced this afternoon that they will be starting a corporate collection of modern art. With the help of curators, they start the collection with four pieces from Shafic Abboud and Jamil Molaeb. I will tell you more about this in future blog posts.
* Art Dubai is open tomorrow from 4-9.30pm by invite only and then the public opening hours are Thurs March 19, 4pm-9.30pm, Fri March 20 from 2pm-9.30pm and Sat March 21 from 12pm-6.30pm
* For more info visit www.artdubai.ae
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
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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
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
