In the UAE, portraits of the country's leaders can be seen in offices and storefronts, on buildings and car windows, and as paintings, 3D sculptures and light works.
Recently, however, an architecture and design studio from London unveiled something else quite unique – an image of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, made up of 29,000 reflective discs.
Spanning 15 metres, the large-scale installation is the work of Giles Miller Studio, which often explores the use of materials and light, as well as technology and handmade compositions through its projects.
There is inherent variation in the artwork depending on the surrounding light levels ... and even the time of day or night it is viewed
The portrait, which is located in the DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai M Square Hotel & Residences, exemplifies this method, as the metallic discs are carefully fixed on to a backing at different angles in order to control how the light reflects on the surface.
“The angle variation creates tonal differences in the image, and we use that effect to control and illustrate the image in question,” explains Giles Miller, the studio’s founder.
Dubai company Two Art Consultants was behind the commission, as well as the hotel's notable art collection, which has been listed as one of the top nine for the Hilton brand around the world. "We wanted to create something artistically innovative and contextually expressive for the lobby," says co-founder and creative director Sophie Kaila.
"This artwork is a visual testament to a man who dedicated his life to improving his country and humanity.”
Who is Giles Miller?
Miller, who studied at London’s Royal College of Art, launched his eponymous studio in 2010, building it up after working on a commission for the Stella McCartney brand.
Over the years, the studio has experimented with material and scale, producing site-specific designs and sculptural pieces.
"Despite the evolution of the studio and our work, the concept of manipulating material to control reflection has been a constant in our methodology," Miller says. "And we still maintain the same creative approach across projects of hugely varying scales, from jewellery to murals, and from sculpture to architecture."
For the Sheikh Zayed work, Miller says his team studied the way the light would change within the space and how visitors would move around the work. Assembling it took a team of eight people three weeks to complete.
The focus of the piece is not simply how the discs have been assembled, but the dimensions of colour that reveal themselves depending on the viewer’s perspective.
“By using reflection as a medium, there is inherent variation in the artwork depending on the surrounding light levels, the position of the viewer relative to the piece, and even the time of day or night it is viewed,” Miller says.
Giles Miller Studio's Sheikh Zayed portrait is only one of many installations the company has completed in the region. Other projects include designs for Etihad Airways airport lounges in Abu Dhabi, Colab in Dubai Design District and Level Shoes at The Dubai Mall.
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Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
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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
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
From Zero
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Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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