Ten galleries from India and Dubai have come together to launch a website for online exhibitions. The digital platform, named In Touch, was developed amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused the closure of museums, galleries and cultural institutions around the world.
For the website, which launches on Friday, April 24 at 10.30am (GST), galleries have put together exhibitions of artists from their rosters, with some themed and others more eclectic.
Viewers and potential buyers can then make direct inquiries to each gallery, three of which are located in Dubai, while the rest are from different cities in India. The first iteration of In Touch will run until Friday, July 24, with artist talks scheduled to take place online.
This type of online collaboration is unfamiliar territory for many galleries, as most rely on building networks with collectors on their own or through art fairs. It could prove to be an effective step in alleviating the impact of the coronavirus on these businesses as closures in both countries – India has been in a nationwide lockdown since late March, while the UAE introduced its social-distancing measures last month – remain in place indefinitely.
“These are strange times that we have entered. Uncertain and restless. But we keep on moving towards the light, to nurture hope and to share creative thinking,” Grey Noise directors Hetal Pawani and Umer Butt said in a joint statement.
The Dubai gallery, known for its thought-provoking shows of conceptual art, presents the work of Pakistani artist Fahd Burki in the exhibition Stations. His minimalist works on paper are considered and contemplative, displaying the artist’s technical skills.
Another Dubai gallery, The Third Line, has included the works of Nima Nabavi and Rana Begum on the platform. Nabavi’s repeating geometric shapes are a nod to traditional Iranian art and produce a meditative effect on the viewer. “This initiative is not only important because it expands our collective reach within the South Asian region, but also because it allows us to further explore the possibilities of online avenues for reaching new collectors," gallerist Sunny Rahbar said.
For its section, Green Art Gallery showcases Lebanese artist Chaouki Choukini’s wooden sculptures, as well as new works by Iranian artist Kamrooz Aram and Hera Buyuktasciyan from Turkey. Meanwhile, Chemould Prescott Road from Mumbai presents two new works made by artists during lockdown in India: a circular painting mapping the cosmos by Desmond Lazaro and a series of fluid abstract works by Aditi Singh.
Kolkata’s Experimenter shows Prabhakar Pachpute’s unusual human/animal hybrid figures that reflect on conditions for farmers and mining workers, while Gallery Escape from New Delhi has included a bold and bright painting by Chitra Ganesh that bears her characteristic themes of feminist mythology with futurist overtones.
Reflecting on quietude, New Delhi's PHOTOINK presents a dreamlike print by Dhruv Malhotra and a monochrome by Madan Mahatta. Nature Morte's exhibition, titled To Balm and Cajole, includes artists such as Bharti Kher, Dayanita Singh, Raqs Media Collective and Tanya Goel. Kher's The Distance of Separate Things 8 is a collage of overlapping maps and features the motif of the bindi, a decorative mark worn on the forehead and found in South Asian culture, which represents ideas of religious identity, womanhood and beauty.
Vadehra Art Gallery’s exhibition No Man Is An Island looks at interconnectedness, with works by Juul Kraijer, Arpita Singh and Ranbir Kaleka.
GALLERYSKE, which has locations in New Delhi and Bangalore, is showing new work by Sunil Padwal titled Things exactly as they are, a series of delicate drawings using isograph pen on paper. The title of the exhibition, What Kind of Times Are These, is inspired by a ruminative poem by Adrienne Rich that asks us to listen and reflect on the world we live in.
In a statement, gallery director Sunitha Kumar Emmar voiced her appreciation for the collaboration during a “daunting and unsettling time”, adding “to look at art, have conversations with artists and put this presentation together has been the high point of the last few days. Thank you all who still, look, listen and engage.”
The first iteration of In Touch runs until Friday, July 24. Details are available at artintouch.in
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
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
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
Wales v South Africa (Sunday, 1pm)
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
Ireland v Denmark: The last two years
Denmark 1-1 Ireland
7/06/19, Euro 2020 qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
19/11/2018, Nations League
Ireland 0-0 Denmark
13/10/2018, Nations League
Ireland 1 Denmark 5
14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
11/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
