2020 has been a year when many of us were glued to our screens – working, Zooming, doomscrolling – as we saw a world changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with other industries, the art world turned to the online realm to keep things going. At the same time, artists and photographers also documented and reflected on the challenges of our time, providing comfort and bringing new ideas for many.
Here, we have rounded up six works that truly captured the ups and downs from the year.
eL Seed’s Zoom artwork
Before 2020, the video conferencing tool Zoom may have been of little use to most of us. This year, we were inundated with invites to work meetings, gatherings, classes and catch-ups.
In the midst of this, French-Tunisian artist eL Seed saw an opportunity to create art. With the help of 49 participants, he created a digital tapestry that formed one of his signature colourful calligraphic prints. The artist did this by giving each participant a section of the calligraphic work, then allowed them into the Zoom meeting one by one until they formed the complete image.
Lebanese Lady of Liberty rises from rubble
Less than three months after the devastating blast in Beirut, a figure had emerged from the debris as a statement of defiance and hope. Dubbed Bride of the Revolution, the glass and metal statue of a woman emerging from the rubble was made by Lebanese activists and unveiled in October.
The figure is made out of the debris from the explosion, with legs made of glass, a dress constructed out of sheet metal and hair of steel wires.
In an interview with The National, Hayat Nazer, the artist behind the sculpture said it was meant to show that "we [the Lebanese people] will not burn, we will not break, we will be victorious".
Making connections through art
Can you share a connection with a stranger through a phone call? Artist collective 600 Highwaymen presented an interactive theatre experience A Thousand Ways at NYU Abu Dhabi as a way to bring people together as social distancing became the norm in everyday life.
Participants called into a conference line and followed a series of prompts from a recorded voice. Callers were then asked questions that went beyond the usual small talk, aimed at evoking emotion, the instructions turned the callers into performers and asked them to imagine dramatic visualisations together.
600 Highwaymen described the work as exploring “the line between strangeness and kinship, distance and proximity, and how the most intimate assembly can become profoundly radical".
'Wake me up when this is over'
In April, a Florida mother gained worldwide recognition for her sidewalk chalk drawings depicting Disney characters dealing with the pandemic.
It started when Casey Drake drew a character from Frozen on the sidewalk for her daughter. Adding her own funny captions to the drawings, Drake was able to cheer up her neighbours, one of whom shared a photo of the work on Facebook that went viral.
Since then, the self-taught artist has been gaining followers and sharing more drawings online.
Drone shots of an empty Dubai
Bachir Moukarzel's haunting drone videos of Dubai's empty highways are unforgettable. It was April when the emirate's stay-at-home orders instructed the public to remain in their residences. Sheikh Zayed Road, the main artery of the city, became free of the usual rush of cars and the surrounding sidewalks were barren of pedestrians.
The videographer was able to produce the footage through a collaboration with Dubai Media Office, Dubai TV and Dubai Police. He filmed areas such as JBR and Downtown Dubai. "It was emotional somehow … I had goosebumps," he told The National in an interview.
Say their names: tributes to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
After the murder of George Floyd, 46, in May, protests filled the streets of American cities as the public demanded racial justice and a police reform. It marked the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which arose in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a man who shot and killed black teenager Trayvon Martin the year prior.
Soon, BLM slogans, as well as tributes to Floyd and other victims of police shootings, including Breonna Taylor, cropped up on public spaces, on buildings, sidewalks and even monuments.
Among the first was a mural of Floyd by community artists Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain and Xena Goldman in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The site became a memorial for Floyd, with visitors laying flowers and placards in front of it.
Over the summer, the BLM movement spread to cities around the world with some protests leading to clashes between marchers and authorities, captured by documentary photographers on the ground.
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
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
Read more about the coronavirus
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
