In some contemporary artwork, the intended message can be so opaque that viewers walk away unmoved, wondering why they visited the gallery or museum at all. However, a recent series called Talking Art at Gallery One in the Emirates Palace aims to remedy that.
Hosted by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, the series juxtaposed two British artists, Gary Hume and Louise Wilson, with two Emirati artists, Jalal Luqman and Ebtisam Abdul Aziz.
As the French sculptor Louise Bourgeois once said, "A work of art doesn't have to be explained. If you do not have any feeling about this, I cannot explain it to you." By presenting their work at the lecture, Wilson, Hume, Abdul Aziz and Luqman appear to disagree.
Artists who fear that talking about their work takes the mystery out of it have been known to use the time-tested escape clause, "it is whatever you want it to be". But even the worst artwork conveys messages, though they may be weak or uninteresting. Talking ably about one's own art is difficult, but dialogue helps to create a conspiratorial bond between the artist and the audience.
This was the last lecture in the Talking Art: The Royal Academy series, held in partnership with the Tourism Development and Investment Company and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.
The next round will be the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi series, beginning Saturday and featuring the artists Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor and Cai Guo Qiang, among others. All of the lectures are free and open to the public in order to encourage visitors and residents to engage in the wider artistic community.
It was in this spirit that the four artists presented their portfolios to the audience and ruminated on the nature of their inspirations. They also took part in a round-table discussion about finding a voice in a global art world.
Hume and Wilson garnered attention as part of the Young British Artists movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which included other contemporary art world stars such as Damien Hirst and Sam Taylor-Wood. Many of the artists associated with the movement attended Goldsmiths College in London.
Abdul Aziz is a Sharjah-based multimedia artist who incorporates installation and video into her work. Luqman, who makes digitally enhanced work inspired by science fiction, is also a co-owner of the Ghaf Gallery in Abu Dhabi. Abdul Aziz and Luqman are both exhibited in the Emirati Expressions art show at Gallery One.
Their efforts put to rest the stereotype of the enigmatic artist. Instead, the artists' dialogue promoted the message that one doesn't have to be an expert in order enjoy or understand art, and put the viewers at ease with challenging work.
The sheer banality of artistic inspiration is often shocking in itself. Revealing the source of the idea can shear off the layers of pretence that viewers and critics have lacquered on to it.
To introduce his work, Hume presented slides ranging from 2003's Back of a Snowman - which consists of two bulbous metal orbs stacked one on top of the other then covered in shiny white high gloss paint - through to his most recent paintings and sculptures.
"The equivalent here would be making a sandcastle and then casting it," he said of Back of a Snowman, while the crowd of around 100 chuckled. "Really, I am a picture maker and I very much love making beautiful paintings."
Hume first received attention for his life-size paintings of doors that were included in the now-famous Goldsmiths student show Freeze, which was curated by Hirst. Since the mid-1990s, Hume has veered more towards figural art. Babies and mothers, snowmen and cheerleaders form the body of Hume's subjects, but the artist also takes inspiration from the 19th-century visionaries William Blake and Caspar David Friedrich, whom he referenced drolly throughout his talk.
More recent works like the paintings and sculptures in the American Tan series are based on the images of cheerleaders but, in Hume's hands, morph into something more violent and abstract. The sculptures, with legs and arms jointed together in unnatural ways that are beautiful in shape and creepy in their implications, recall the German surrealist Hans Bellmer.
"I've taken my cheerleaders and made their arms into legs, which makes their heads subterraneous," he said. "And you have to give them pom-poms." Hearing Hume speak like this is akin to listening to a sleep-talker; we watch as he ambles about in his own mind.
Wilson, Abul Aziz and Luqman also explained their processes and the guiding ideas that lead them to create art.
Wilson works exclusively with her twin sister, Jane Wilson, to make startling, stark video art and video-based installations. The duo are known for their interest in places that once had political or social importance but that have now become obsolete. (They will be showing Spiteful Dream, a multi-screen installation filmed at abandoned factories and a refugee processing centre in England, at the upcoming ninth Sharjah Biennial beginning on March 23.)
Wilson presented her body of work since the late 1990s, focusing on a few large-scale pieces. The Wilsons' art is an example of how today's viewers can become intimidated by the work and how easy it is to overlook the art's underlying principles.
In Stasi City, a video installation that the Wilsons made while living in Berlin in the late 1990s, the picture seems to float through the former Stasi headquarters, where East Germany's secret police force worked. There are multiple views of empty interrogation chambers and prison facilities. Though the eerie mood is the overarching statement in Stasi City, hearing Wilson describing the locations' significance added a fresh potency to the video.
"We filmed in the interview rooms for the prisoners, who were political prisoners for ideological reasons," she said. "It was very important for us that the action happened within the limitations of the rooms."
Once explained, the random file cabinets became glaring examples of control and fear.
After their presentations, the four artists were asked how they find a voice in the international art world, something that is perhaps more of a problem for the Emirati artists since their contemporary art scene is still in its formative years.
All four had strong opinions about standing out in a worldwide marketplace. They discussed the ramifications of affiliating themselves with an artistic movement. They also debated the limitations of singling themselves out in today's globalised contemporary art scene.
"It's absolutely important to make a group," said Hume. "It's a nuisance as an artist, being put in a group, but it's a necessary nuisance because you become visible." Working in a group, he said, makes it easier to to gain the respect and trust of the art world.
Luqman and Abdul Aziz said that they didn't want to necessarily be classified as Emirati artists only, though both say they are proud of their heritage and are proud to be recognised as such. "Art is an international language," said Luqman. "But I want to make a point that I am Emirati, I am an artist."
Abdul Aziz was less rigid in her definitions. "It's not about the place but about the art," she said. "At the end of the day, we are all doing something related to art, and it's about the concept behind the work."
The discussion highlighted the similarities between contemporary art scenes all over the globe. The issues of trusting home-turf artists is always present: will the rest of the art world see the value in their creative output?
With the success of the Emirati Expressions show as well as recent interest in the art of the region, exemplified by the recent hit show Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East at London's Saatchi Gallery, the answer is a resounding yes.
"I know at this point people are saying, 'Well, we are worried about presenting Middle Eastern art, defining Middle Eastern art'," Wilson said. "The reality is that all these works have been made and I think groupings will happen anyway - Ebtisam and Jalal already know each other - they are already in contact; it's already happening, really."
The international art world will always have places for original voices, no matter the artist's nationality or in what medium they work. "It is just the art object that is important to me," Hume said. "It doesn't matter where it comes from."
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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"
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'Ashkal'
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The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
