Can art really cut through the turmoil?

In a special episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews host the show from Art Dubai, the city's annual art fair that is taking place this week.

They share some of their recommendations for what not to miss at the event this year – including regional, international and digital art.

The hosts speak to Mirjam Varadinis, the curator of the Bawwaba section at Art Dubai, about her vision for the exhibit to imagine new forms of coexistence amid an era of turmoil. Between political upheaval and the impact of climate change, artists from all around the world bring their artistic commentary to the section. Mirjam talks about their use of different materials and textures in their works and how they reflect the ability of cultures to transcend borders.

Renowned Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem tells the hosts about the inspiration behind his installation, a new immersive work titled Directions (Merging). The piece features GPS co-ordinates from around the world, against a backdrop of digital waves in motion, with Dubai at the centre point of convergence. He speaks about his relationship to water and how its features in his work as a metaphor for fluidity and challenging fixed borders.

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The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 575bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh554,000

On sale: now

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

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

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'Gold'

Director:Anthony Hayes

Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes

Rating:3/5

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.