JEDDAH: Bringing together a combination of light and color with stimulating artworks and live performances, Raibal Events and Silent Echo staged a “Luminarium” event in Jeddah over the past 10 days. Supported by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the event was held between Jan. 10-20 and attracted thousands of visitors.
The luminarium tour involved a spectacular walk through a monumental inflatable sculpture of color and light. Visitors removed their shoes before entering an airlock and explored the installation. The light and shimmering colors inside the inflatable sculpture created a sense of wonderment for explorers of all ages.
The luminarium was designed by Alan Parkinson in the early 1980s in Nottingham, UK, but the idea came into existence in 1992. Inspired by natural forms and geometric solids, the luminarium is a maze of winding paths and dome structures where the visitors lose themselves in sensory bliss.
Visitors were seen sitting and lying back while enjoying the ambience in the cocooning, pod-like structure. Bandr Al-Meeman, founder of Silent Echo, said: “The scale of the structure is impressive even before anyone steps through the airlock and, once inside, it will mesmerize them. A truly unmissable experience of light and color as it plays with the senses.”
Explaining more about the experience, he said that it was created to support the special needs community, especially those who have autism. He added that since 1992, it has been set up in five continents and more than 40 countries where more than three million guests visited the attraction.
Moreover, describing the structure, he added, “The luminarium’s pneumatic environment provides a utopian vessel to contain light’s radiant brilliance and through cavernous domes visitors move in a medium of saturated color, in a world apart from the normal and everyday routine.
“It took us two months to construct the 1000sqm luminarium dome-like structure that consists of three colors and one tree,” he said.
Nasser Al-Nasseri, executive projects director of Raibal Events, said: “It was a nice opportunity to work with Silent Echo, a Switzerland-based company, and spread the idea of luminarium that is light and color in the Saudi and Middle-Eastern culture. However, having the luminarium tour alone was not enough, so we decided to expand the event by adding four other activities to the main activity.”
“We brought more entertaining activities related to the event theme — that is light and color — while focusing on all ages, both kids and adults, who have a passion for arts and entertainment,” he added.
Four different zones consisting of a kids’ color experience, show and performances, art stations and a color adventure zone were added to the event.
“This unique event bears testament to Saudi Arabia’s engaging and creative evolution, presenting to audiences a diversity of entertaining activities and experiences that underpin the Kingdom’s position as an entertainment hub,” Al-Nasseri said.
Speaking to Arab News, he explained that the entire production was built in-house using recycled materials. LED lights were made with the help of empty boxes that were initially containers used in factories to store liquids and chemicals.
The creative juices really seemed to be flowing in every corner of the event. The art station that had different workshops, 3D-modeling and art works was enthralling. The color maze presented an innovative way for visitors to have fun while they threw color powder at each other while finding their way out of the maze.
The art station zone was organized by Ninetyd, a local creative platform. At the event, they brought together more than 14 creative individuals — artists, designers, 3D artists, digital artists and animators — to present their work.
Mona Balhemar, CEO of Ninetyd, said, “Ninetyd basically runs a creative project called Passionures. The main theme of this project is to make creativity a living and bring opportunity for creatives and artists. The main aim for us to take part in luminarium was as it’s all about colors and arts, we decided to do interactive booths with the help of artists registered in our platform and help them display their work.”
Hazzan Felemban and Wijdan Al-Ghalbi, both pottery makers, displayed their products. As did Amal Abdullah who specializes in digital-art coffee mugs and cups and is founder of the Miss Coffee brand. “It was a unique experience to do live art on mugs and cups. People had a chance to understand and appreciate this kind of art,” Abdullah told Arab News.
Hind Bataweel, founder of Colorfly, said “Our space at luminarium was more like a healing space. People came to vent and express themselves freely with paints. Expression varies from one person to another, so it’s more likely a free self-expression. Our participation in luminarium was more about adult adventure so they could express themselves with color using their hands and feet. However, kids came along too to express themselves, paint without brushes, splash colors on the walls, which expressed freedom.
“The concept of painting and getting creative while expressing their feelings turned out to be one of the main attractions during the event as people sometimes want to feel creative because it is such healing process,” Bataweel added.
Visitors came in groups of friends, with colleagues, as couples and some people even came by themselves to make new friends. Live performances by musical bands and a live radio station organized by Mixed FM made it an exciting few days to remember.
Luminarium event captivates Jeddah audiences with light and color
Luminarium event captivates Jeddah audiences with light and color
Focus on AI rise in creative industries at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: Industry leaders gathered at the 7th Culture Summit Abu Dhabi on Monday to discuss the rise of artificial intelligence in creative industries — and what it means for the future.
Panelists at the event, held at Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al-Saadiyat, included Riyad Joucka, founder and principal architect at the Middle East Architecture Network, a practice based in Dubai.
Others included Stephen King, senior lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai; Imad Mesdoua, director of government affairs for the Middle East and Africa at Spotify; and Dr. Patrick Noack, executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation.
The panel examined AI’s impact across multiple creative fields, exploring the opportunities AI presents as well as the challenges that arise when employing machine intelligence.
Joucka was keen to emphasize the importance of using AI as a tool to “extend human creativity,” rather than replace it.
“I see technology as an important tool to extend human creativity and knowledge, and not necessarily as a substitute for the human touch in design,” he said, adding that human-AI collaboration was the ideal creative journey from ideation to finished product.
Mesdoua echoed the importance of the human touch at Spotify, saying “there are two ingredients to the Spotify secret sauce, one is personalization … and the other one is discovery.
“Personalization is to a large extent driven by AI and technologies and algorithmic advances … it makes sure that your app fits you like a glove. The other ingredient to the secret sauce is what we call discoverability.
“And what that means is every now and then on your Spotify app, you will get a suggestion for a song or an artist or genre that you might not have typically listened to, and that’s largely the work, not solely, but largely the work of human editors.”
(AN Photo by Mohamed Fawzy)
That is “very important, particularly for diversity,” Mesdoua noted, adding “a big part of the work that the editors are doing to make sure that up-and-coming genres are being spotlighted and playlisted to global audiences in a unique way.
“So AI can reflect the user, but editors can help recommend new things to users.”
While human curators are key to promoting international music to global audiences, Mesdoua did note the importance of AI in the music industry, saying one of the most important positives is lowering the barriers to entry.
“If you think back to 70 years ago or 80 years ago, becoming a really established musician required you overcoming a ton of barriers and hurdles, particularly on the infrastructure side of things.
“You had to have an expensive studio at your disposal … now you can be all by yourself in your room with amazing AI software and amplify whatever creative spark you have in your mind and really go from ideation to production super-fast.”
It is something Noack was more cautious about, though, with the executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation saying “a barrier to entry is not necessarily a bad thing.”
“I think a lot of people come into space that is not necessarily their calling or (they do not have a) high level of skill and suddenly they know how to do something and they’re the expert in this space.”
A litmus test for good AI, he added, is “whether it can be switched off or rolled back.”
Taking into account differences between various creative fields, the panelists took a nuanced approach and discussed whether AI’s influence was similar across sectors.
There was one warning repeated across various creative fields — including architecture, marketing, education and music — panelists warned that practitioners need to “know when to stop and when to bring the human element back into creativity,” as per Joucka.
Running until April 29 and organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the three-day summit includes policymakers, artists, scholars, and innovators.
The theme is “Culture for Humanity and Beyond,” focusing on the intersection of culture, technology and global governance.
Role of culture in governance highlighted at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: World leaders discussed how culture can transform global challenges at the seventh edition of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi.
The summit — which opened on Sunday in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s culture district at the Manarat Al-Saadiyat — is hosting a range of panels and discussions exploring the theme “Culture for Humanity and Beyond.”
One of the panels featured former world leaders discussing the role of culture within global governance.
Former Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova set the tone at the “Bridging the Cultural Gap: The Role of Culture in Shaping Global Governance” panel, saying that “400 years ago, there were 800 million people on the planet. Today, it’s 8 billion, divided into 195 states and 6,000 different community groups with their own languages and cultures.”
New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley emphasized the importance of inclusive leadership, sharing her country’s successful model of integrating Maori cultural heritage into national governance.
She noted that leadership must be “intentional” about diversity. “I always start with the ‘I’,” she explained, “because if you’re not a committed, inclusive leader, you will not get to the destination of equity.”
Former President of Mauritius Cassam Uteem illustrated how cultural diplomacy works in practice, sharing how his small island nation has played a major role in international cultural politics. He highlighted Mauritius’ participation in UNESCO, bringing perspectives of small, developing island states into global discussions.
The panelists unanimously agreed that traditional international institutions are ill-equipped to handle today’s complex cultural landscape. They called for more innovative approaches that place culture at the center of global governance, rather than treating it as a peripheral concern.
“Culture is the mirror of human existence and the producer of new dreams, and without dreams, we lose our human dignity,” said Radicova.
A recurring theme was the need to combat misinformation and protect cultural authenticity in an era of tech moguls ruling the roost and advancements in artificial intelligence.
“If you would like to build social cohesion and solidarity around the world, you have to fight for the truth, and openly, without dancing around, with courage and really verified arguments,” said Radicova.
Hazem Harb explores displacement and memory in new Dubai exhibition
DUBAI: In his new exhibition, “Not There, Yet Felt,” at Tabari Artspace in Dubai, the Palestinian artist Hazem Harb is making things personal, both literally and figuratively, exploring the theme of displacement.
“It’s an out-of-body experience. I’m here and I’m not here,” he told Arab News. Harb is feeling torn; while his life and studio are physically based in Dubai, his heart and mind are emotionally attached to his birthplace of Gaza.
The show, on view until May 27, is lined with a series of aluminium self-portraits, based on silhouettes of the artist’s head and upper chest. Instead of seeing detailed facial features, the silhouettes are black, filled with images of colorful walls of Harb’s family home, which was destroyed as a result of the continuing Israeli assault. Such details of the walls, which were photographed by Harb’s nephew and a photojournalist in Gaza, took him by surprise. “I had no idea we had shades of blue, pink and yellow in the house,” he said. “There are so many layers and memories in that house.”
Above this series of self-portraits, a central neon artwork reads “Hope Is Power,” yet ‘power’ is flickering, indicating uncertainty and a loss of normalcy in daily life. Another instance of disturbance can be sensed in a large self-portrait, printed on paper and hanging on the wall, where the end parts of the paper are intensely crumpled. Exploring the multi-layered idea of peeling, there is also a group of calming, hand-made collage works, where wall peelings resemble figurative shapes.
Unlike his solo exhibition last year, in which there was a heady showcase of violently passionate work, entering Harb’s new show has a lighter, romantic feel, thanks to the gentle and romantic hues and language used. “Your Skin Is My Homeland,” a wall text reads. In the back room of the gallery, Harb is also presenting figurative paintings he made 20 years ago, resembling the flowing forms he experimented with for his new exhibition.
Despite the uncertainty felt by the artist, there is a glimmer of hope. One piece that shows this is a large work, where a body (made of medical gauze) stands still, carrying emotional wounds yet rising from the ashes. “The show is a statement. I felt a responsibility,” he said. “The whole world, not just Palestine, is in a very critical time, and I was thinking about the role of art in a sensitive, genocidal time. Art is a way to say something and is a part of history, an archive for the future.”
UAE lands starring role in Hollywood film ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’
- Third installment of popular franchise will be released in November
DUBAI: The UAE has landed a starring role in the upcoming Hollywood film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” with scenes filmed in the capital city Abu Dhabi.
The production, which will be released in November, wrapped up a 13-day shoot at several of the capital’s landmark locations, according to the Creative Media Authority on Thursday.
The film, which is packed with high-stakes heist scenes, was shot at destinations including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, the Liwa Desert, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, CLYMB, Yas Marina Circuit, W Abu Dhabi — Yas Island, and various city streets.
The third installment of the popular franchise, directed by US filmmaker Ruben Fleischer, brings back Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman in their previous roles, joined by an ensemble cast that includes Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Rosamund Pike.
Saudi historical highlights on display at Abu Dhabi Book Fair
- Selections from London-based rare-book dealer Peter Harrington’s offering at the UAE fair, April 26 to May 5
‘The Holy Mosque at Makkah’
With a foreword by former Saudi Minister of Finance Sheikh Mohammed Abalkhail and images by the award-winning African photojournalist Mohamed Amin, this “sumptuous production” tracks the quarter century of restoration of the Sacred Mosque and Holy Kaaba in Makkah in the mid-20th century. “The text contains a historical description of the Holy Kaaba, Masjid al-Haram, a summary of recent construction in the Saudi era, and architectural notes, with the rest of the volume dedicated to Amin’s photographs, presenting detailed views of the diverse and extensive developments,” the book dealer’s notes state. Amin was “the first photographer to be given access to document the Hajj and among the first to photograph sections of the Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah. Over three years during the 1970s, he travelled by camel, helicopter, car and on foot to Madinah, Arafat, and Makkah.”
Confidential reports from the First and Third Arab Petroleum congresses
The historical global significance of the first Arab Petroleum Congress in 1959 cannot be understated. It was here that the idea of an oil-producing organization (an idea that eventually turned into OPEC) was introduced. “During proceedings, the influential oil journalist Wanda Jablonski introduced Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Tariki to Venezuela’s Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, both of whom were upset by recent price cuts. They rallied delegates to sign the secret Maadi Pact, suggesting a Petroleum Consultation Commission to coordinate producer responses. This laid the groundwork for the 1960 Baghdad Conference, at which OPEC was officially formed,” the book dealer’s notes state. This grouping of documents contains in-house reports from Aramco on that congress, and the Third Arab Petroleum Congress in Dec. 1961, as well as other Aramco-produced materials from 1956-1961.
Photographic archive and reports from the recommissioning of the Hejaz Railway
The book dealer describes this collection as “a unique archive relating to the earliest post-war attempt to reconstruct the Hejaz railway and link Damascus with Madinah.” The last train to travel the full length of the railway was reportedly in 1925, after which “the line south of Mudawwara was washed away, and the conflicts that led to the creation of Saudi Arabia in 1932 dampened collective efforts at reconstruction.” The archive includes previously unpublished photos and original reports issued by the International Resources Engineering and Exploration Group, which was awarded to contract to design the project in 1956. “Coverage is particularly detailed for central and northern Saudi Arabia, especially the area around Mada’in Salih and Khur Himar,” the dealer states, and includes images of the party meeting with local officials including the rulers of AlUla and Tabuk.
A collection of magic lantern slides by Harry St John Bridger Philby & Alec Horace Edward Litton Holt
The British intelligence officer Philby — who served as an advisor to Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud — and the engineer and explorer Holt travelled 600 miles together in 1922 through the desert via Al-Jawf province in Saudi Arabia “at the height of increasing tensions between Ibn Saud and the Hashemites.” These 23 slides were, the book dealer believes, likely used to illustrate the presentation the pair gave about their journey before the Royal Geographic Society in the UK on Feb. 12, 1923. “The collection shows Holt and Philby in Arab dress; Ford cars and aeroplanes at Jidd, desert scenes, a Ford condenser, and ploughing for landing fields, among others.”
Aramco educational PR pack
In an attempt to attract US students and graduates in the Sixties and Seventies, Aramco produced several collections of promotional material that included posters much like this one, which it distributed to schools and universities in the States. “The lively posters explore the history of Saudi Arabia and the company’s operations, each illustrated with photographs of historical figures (including T. E. Lawrence), company personnel and oil wells, and Saudi architecture,” the book dealer states.
