In his first solo show with his new gallery, Green Art, Dubai, Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz hones in on questions arising from his immigrant background, and the way that identity, migration, loss and history circle each other, like puzzle pieces that never quite slot into place.
Born in New York to a Jewish family that emigrated, on his mother's side, from Baghdad, Rakowitz's exhibition, The invisible enemy should not exist — in Dubai until November 23 — pays particular attention to coexistence between groups and faiths in the Middle East.
For Charita Baghdad, which premiered in Greece earlier this year and is now at Green Art, he reconstructs a 1936 Haggadah, or the set of instructions for the prayers and rituals of the Jewish Passover feast. This particular Haggadah, from 1936, was printed in Livorno, Italy for use in the Baghdadi Jewish community — the one Rakowitz’s maternal grandparents were from, and indeed the book is nearly identical to one in his grandfather’s possession.
Rakowitz scanned images of the pages, laying them out on a grid, side by side, contrasting the private, intimate aspect of the Haggadah, as a script for communal ritual, with the public display mode of the artwork.
The Hebrew instructions become icons to look at, complemented by splodges of wax and oil that tell the story of long-ago feasts and the tumult of enthusiastic or unsteady hands. Rakowitz’s own annotations and drawings embellish the pages, giving it, he says, a map-like form.
“When I started to annotate it, a literal cartography began to emerge — where there were two spills ... that I turned into the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers,” he says. “And from that I was able to create a map of Iraq.”
Borrowing this mode of objective portrayal, Rakowitz transforms the Jewish text into proof of the crossover among the populations of the Middle East: a map of a territory that encompassed Arabs, Jews, Assyrians, Armenians, Kurds, and Yazidis.
The language used in the Haggadah is a mix of Hebrew — for the prayers — and Arabised Hebrew, or Arabic transliterated into Hebrew script, for the instructions. For Rakowitz, it demonstrates how Iraqi Jews used everyday Arabic, being part of the mix of religions and ethnicities who co-existed in 19th and 20th-century Iraq.
“There is a very nationalist scenario that entails the invention of Judeo Arabic, as a corollary to Yiddish,” he says. When making the work, Rakowitz drew on the work of cultural theorist Ella Habiba Shohat, herself from a Baghdadi Jewish family. Rakowitz says Shohat “makes the point that [Judeo Arabic] creates this false dichotomy — that in order for Jewishness to exist, our Arabness needs to disappear”.
This is the second time Rakowitz has approached Jewish identity in the UAE — previously it was through the prism of food and collective eating, which allowed him to map the migration of people and behaviours that official histories missed.
In 2013, he transformed the Dubai gallery Traffic into the restaurant Dar Al Sulh, serving the cuisine of Iraqi Jews, many of whose recipes he found in eating establishments run by members of the Jewish community who left Iraq in the 1940s and made their way, through fits and starts, to Dubai.
As with Charita Baghdad, his intention was to challenge the idea of Jews as separate — as non-Arab — and he made the dinner he created into a new ritual, mourning the community’s loss but also celebrating its continued existence.
His show at Green Art, which began representing him last year, also contains a suite of panels from his best-known series, The Invisible enemy should not exist (2006–ongoing).
The works are reconstructions of historic monuments and artefacts from the ancient empires that covered the Middle East, remade in papier-mache from everyday materials — sweet wrappers, food packaging, and here old issues of Nineveh magazine, produced in modern Assyrian and English.
The high-meets-low transformation nods to the fragility of the past, but also revives the works, festooning in them in bright and cheerful colours, as if the past was sprinkled with glitter.
The wavy black locks and beards of the warriors are rendered in undulating strips of blacks, blues, and greens, with visible scraps of writing in English and the Syriac script used by the Assyrian language. One, his wings in soft pinks, holds not a weapon, but a bouquet of six flowers, each striped in chevrons of yellow and rose.
The works are bas-reliefs from the Northwest Palace of Kalhu, constructed by Assurnasirpal II on the Tigris in the 9th century BCE. Kalhu was then the centre of the Assyrian Empire, and its ruins — now known as Nimrud — were excavated in the 19th century.
History has not been kind since: most of the bas-reliefs were taken wholesale to the West, primarily to the British Museum but also to sleepy enclaves such as Bowdoin College in Maine. The bas-reliefs reproduced now in Alserkal Avenue fared worse: they were destroyed by ISIS in 2015, after having lasted almost 30 centuries underground.
One of Rakowitz’s strengths has been to show how such political issues are felt personally. And while The invisible enemy reflects on the waves of displaced Iraqis, Charita Baghdad goes even further towards addressing Rakowitz’s own family history.
“The book is a really beautiful [piece of] evidence,” he says. “This was one of the more personal works I've ever done. It was like a meditation on a lot of the pain that many of us go through when we resist ideologies and the construction of national myth.”
Michael Rakowitz's 'The invisible enemy should not exist (Northwest Palace of Kalhu, Room S, Western Entrance)' is on view at Green Art Gallery in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, until November 23, 2022.
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
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
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Sweet%20Tooth
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Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Company%C2%A0profile
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
