KARACHI: It was Friday, July 6, 2012. Ali, a chirographer, was enjoying morning tea on the balcony of his apartment when he spotted a group of men loading a truck with boxes.
This was not an unusual sight since he lived near a warehouse where this was a routine activity. However, Ali realized that something was not right when a worker dropped a box and it broke open: The men were moving ancient artifacts, and the accident had caused a degree of panic among them.
Ali quickly called a friend at Sindh Government’s Culture Department who instructed him to immediately inform the police. The truck had left by the time the police arrived but they managed to chase it down and seize the valuables, which had been illegally transported.
More than five years after the incident, Ali recounted the experience to Arab News. He also recalled how the police had arrested the driver and the owner of the warehouse. However, the area’s current Station House Officer (SHO), Nasir Mahmood, says he does not have any details of the case. An official of the Culture Department told Arab News on condition of anonymity that the warehouse belonged to a former inspector general of police and the consignment was booked by a well-known Lahore-based business figure.
In 2012, the former SHO of the area, Javed Brohi, had told the media that the artifacts were stolen from the historically rich Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and were transported to Sialkot. He said that his department had received a tip-off from intelligence agencies, presumably to protect the identity of his real source. But his account had also raised a question: Why were the artifacts brought to Karachi if their real destination was Sialkot, an urban center in the province of Punjab that is relatively closer to KP?
National Museum of Pakistan Director Muhammad Shah Bukhari says that the smugglers might have wanted to transport the relics to Europe via Dubai.
“It is possible that they found it difficult to get clearance at the Karachi port,” he said. “Sialkot has its own dry port, and they might have found someone to help them over there.”
According to an official document obtained by Arab News and authenticated by Dr. Ghani-ur- Rahman, director of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, the number of the relics seized was 319. The museum authorities believed that many of them were excavated from the archaeological sites of Gandhara. Most of these artifacts contained images of Buddhist eschatology. Despite being at the National Museum of Pakistan for more than five years, however, these historical objects are yet to be displayed to the public.
“We are expanding our building,” Bukhari said. “Once it is done, we will dedicate two galleries to KP’s heritage.”
Asked why these relics should not be returned to the province of their origin, he said that the National Museum had the authority to display the heritage of any federating unit.
“Apart from that,” he added, “no one from KP has officially contacted us for them. Once they do that, we will respond with our claim over these artifacts, relics and sculptures.”
When Arab News contacted KP’s Director of Archaeology Dr. Abdul Samad, he claimed that the relics were fake.
“They are not original,” he said. “There is no need for us to fight over fake objects that were made in a Karachi factory. Why should we bring them to KP?”
Samad said that people of Sindh rarely visit the Peshawar Museum. “This will give them a glimpse into our province’s rich heritage,” he said. “Ultimately, our province will get some promotion.”
KP’s former minister for sports, tourism and culture, Aqil Shah, had held a news conference shortly after the relics were seized in Karachi, demanding that Sindh hand back the riches of Pakhtunkhwa to his administration.
“The artifacts belong to KP,” he said while talking to Arab News on telephone, “but the current administration of the province is not willing to do much about it.”
However, Dr. Samad criticized Shah for making such claims. He said that Shah had held the news conference without making verifications.
“Do you think the KP government would have remained silent if these objects were original,” he asked. “Do you think that the museum in Karachi would have kept them out in the open if they were genuine items?”
While the National Museum of Pakistan has displayed some of the seized objects in its lawn, Shah insists that his successor should take up the issue with Sindh’s provincial administration.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ghani-ur-Rehman, an expert in the field, has weighed in with Dr. Samad over the issue.
“Majority of these sculptural pieces seems to be fake,” he said. “The only ones that may be original or copies of originals are the broken ones.”
When Arab News asked the director of Pakistan National Museum why he was interested in displaying counterfeit objects at his facility, he said: “Our experts have confirmed that 161 items are genuine, though a majority of sculptures are not original.”
He added: “The museum wants to display both original and counterfeit objects along with other confiscated artifacts in its galleries. However, we have a system and can never declare a counterfeit object as a genuine relic.”
Real or fake: National Museum of Pakistan plans to display Pakhtunkhwa’s cultural riches
Real or fake: National Museum of Pakistan plans to display Pakhtunkhwa’s cultural riches
Clinique La Prairie CEO talks ‘personalization’ of luxury healthcare ahead of Saudi opening
DUBAI: Switzerland-based luxury healthcare resort Clinique La Prairie is set to open in Saudi Arabia’s Amaala wellness retreat next year, with CEO Simone Gibertoni telling Arab News “personalization is fundamental.”
With just 50 rooms, the healthcare resort will offer guests a holistic approach to health and wellness, combining evidence-based medicine with unique well-being, nutrition and movement plans, according to its website.
and movement plans, according to its website. (Supplied)
“If you want to be really personalized, you need to cater (for) a very small number of clients,” Gibertoni explained, adding: “Another very important point for me is always to underline the fact that our role is not just to give information, but to change people … intervention must be focused and must be very personalized.”
While the Swiss flagship boasts picturesque views and state of the art facilities, he insists: “The view of the lake is not enough, the nice food is not enough … there must be this idea that you feel better, you feel (like) a kind of new person and that’s why people are coming back.”
The Red Sea resort is not the first outside Switzerland; Clinique La Prairie Anji, on a tea plantation 180km west of Shanghai, China, opened its doors in 2024. Meanwhile, Dubai’s One & Only One Za’abeel hotel is home to a Clinique La Prairie Longevity Hub, billed as a day center rather than a resort-style experience.
When it comes to why the brand selected Saudi Arabia for such an investment, Gibertoni pointed to an alignment in healthcare philosophies.
“For such a big investment in Saudi, we are going to have only 50 rooms. In China, it’s another huge investment and we have only 29 rooms. It’s not easy to find the developer which is able to accept our philosophy and this is happening in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The CEO also referred to long-term clients from the Gulf who have travelled to the European clinic for decades. The lure of a hub a little closer to home could be another reason for the brand’s latest venture.
Located on Saudi Arabia’s north-western coast, the Amaala resort will feature 30 brands, with Clinique La Prairie billed as one of the anchor offerings.
Last week, Gibertoni was in Dubai to announce the Longevity Fund, an endeavor to identify companies that “revolutionize the landscape of aging, health, and wellbeing.”
The fund will focus on driving science-based advancements in longevity under four banners — medical care, nutrition, movement and well-being.
Gibertoni explained: “Whenever there is a company with an innovation which is on the way to be ready for the market, this company always approaches us. So our question was ‘how can we be more impactful and not only introduce this technology to Clinique La Prairie … but can we also help this company to grow?”
Exploring innovation at ‘Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft’ exhibition in Saudi Arabia
- Step backstage to experience the creative processes of 10 renowned design studios, where failure fuels creativity
DHAHRAN: As a part of the annual Tanween conference at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the “Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft” exhibition stands out as a captivating exploration of creativity, resilience and innovation in the world of design.
The exhibition, aligned with the Tanween 2024 theme “Fail Forward,” invites visitors to embrace the beauty of setbacks as vital stepping stones in the creative process.
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)
Curated and designed in collaboration with Isola Studio, the exhibition showcases the works of 10 internationally acclaimed studios specializing in crafts, circular design and material research, and is on until Nov. 6.
“The idea of staging the exhibition led us to the name ‘Behind the Curtains’ because we want to show what’s behind what you see, through a theater approach,” Gabriele Cavallaro, co-founder of Isola Studio, told Arab News.
“We asked studios to display their latest projects, not just the final results, but also the process, including failures, trials, and broken pieces. This highlights that reaching successful design involves going through mistakes and challenges.”
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)
Each studio provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their artistic processes, sharing inspirations, prototypes, and materials that did not make the final cut. This transparency highlighted the essential nature of experimentation in design.
At the heart of the exhibition lies an interactive workshop area, where visitors can partake in hands-on activities including sketching, molding, and experimenting with various materials, allowing them to experience the creative process firsthand.
This interactive component emphasizes that creativity is often a non-linear journey filled with exploration and discovery.
The “Fail Forward” theme runs throughout the exhibition, encouraging visitors to see failures as essential learning experiences. By sharing their struggles and lessons, the design studios inspire visitors to embrace their own creative challenges.
Cavallaro expressed his hopes for visitors, stating: “I want them to understand the importance of taking risks in life to achieve success.”
Lucy Liu shines in Zuhair Murad on Berlin red carpet
DUBAI: Actress Lucy Liu cut a striking figure at the Berlin premiere of her film “Red One,” wearing a head-turning gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.
Liu dazzled in a black velvet dress from Murad’s fall/winter couture collection, which featured a crystal-encrusted bodice adorned with looped net detailing.
She completed the look with Tamara Mellon heels and Roxanne Assoulin jewelry. Her hair was styled in a sleek chignon with delicate floral details.
Liu walked the red carpet alongside her fellow cast members, including Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, J.K. Simmons, and director Jake Kasdan.
“Red One” is an action-comedy film which sees Santa Claus (Simmons) go missing in mysterious circumstances. Tasked with saving Christmas, the North Pole’s head of security (Johnson) teams up with the world’s most notorious bounty hunter (Evans). Together, they embark on a globe-trotting adventure to locate and rescue Santa.
The film is set to premiere in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 7.
The unveiling of Murad’s fall/winter collection at Paris Fashion Week in June drew notable guests including Avril Lavigne and Ellie Goulding.
The designs emphasize his signature craftsmanship with luxurious fabrics like velvet, silk and lace, with pieces featuring intricate beadwork, sequins and embroidery.
With a color palette of bold blacks, deep reds, and metallic tones, accented by warm shades of bronze and copper, they exude a sense of sophistication and drama.
Silhouettes range from voluminous, sweeping gowns to sleek, form-fitting dresses, incorporating daring cutouts and striking necklines. One highlight on the runway was a shoulder-baring gown in powder red, with sequins on the bodice transforming into cascading feathers on the skirt.
Murad has dressed an impressive roster of A-list celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Zendaya and Katy Perry.
Earlier this week, at the premiere of Netflix’s “Time Cut,” US actress and singer Madison Bailey wore a black off-the-shoulder sequined long-sleeved midi dress with cut-out detail from the designer’s ready-to-wear Fall 2024 collection.
‘Manzar’ exhibition in Qatar showcases Pakistani art and architecture through the ages
- Exhibition features over 200 paintings, videos, sculptures and installations by Pakistanis from the 1940s to the present
- Exhibit has been organized by an Art Mill Museum team and will run at the National Museum of Qatar until Jan. 31, 2025
DOHA: A three-month-long art and architecture exhibition in Doha featuring the works of renowned Pakistanis from the 1940s to the present highlights the South Asian nation’s diverse art scene and brings unique insights on the evolution of art and architecture in the region to a global audience.
Titled “Manzar,” which can be translated in Urdu to mean scene, view, landscape or perspective, the exhibition showcases over 200 paintings, drawings, photographs, videos, sculptures, installations, tapestries and miniatures from celebrated Pakistani artists. It has been organized by an Art Mill Museum team and will run at the National Museum of Qatar until January 31, 2025.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani and his sister, Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani, inaugurated the exhibition in Doha last week.
“Pakistan’s art scene is less well known in the world compared to other art scenes and for us art historians it is absolutely fascinating to be able to share it with the world,” Caroline Hancock, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Mill Museum, told Arab News.
“We wanted to recount an expansive notion of this place, not limited by drawn and imposed borders, but true to the porosity and transnational interconnections of cultural expressions [in Pakistan].”
Zarmeene Shah, Director of Graduate Studies at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) in Karachi, the co-curator for Manzar, described the exhibition as “exceptionally significant.”
“Because we never see such a body of noteworthy work come together in a single space, as most of these artworks live in private collections, inaccessible to the public, which is why Manzar offers an incomparable opportunity for audiences to engage with these masterpieces, and to explore how art and architecture have responded to, and reshaped, the nation’s social and political narratives,” Shah told Arab News.
“Our aim is to start a conversation and not provide a definitive showcase.”
The exhibition, designed by eminent Pakistani architect Raza Ali Dada, a managing partner at the leading Pakistani firm Nayyar Ali Dada & Associates, integrates architecture and art to chart the thought processes, resistance struggles and achievements of the artistic and architectural community of the South Asian nation.
The exhibit runs thematically and opens with works by pioneering artists such as Abdur Rahman Chughtai and Zainul Abedin, who produced stellar works of art during British colonial rule from 1858-1947 and continued after Pakistan was born as a separate nation out of united India.
Indeed, the partition of 1947 is a significant theme for many Pakistani artists at the exhibition, including Anna Molka Ahmed, Zarina, and Bani Abidi. The exhibition also showcases the aesthetic experiments of artists such as Shakir Ali, Zubeida Agha, Murtaja Baseer, and Sadequain, whose deeply personal modes of expression are rooted in the vibrant urban centers of Karachi, Lahore, Dhaka, and the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, which embody diverse artistic responses to historical and cultural shifts in the region.
Zahoor ul Akhlaq, Imran Mir, and Rasheed Araeen — known for their multidisciplinary approaches, involvement in educational initiatives, and theoretical writings challenging Western art history and traditions at home and internationally — are also featured, as are influential figures of different generations such as Salima Hashmi, Quddus Mirza, Lala Rukh, Aisha Khalid and Durriya Kazi.
Important diaspora artists whose work is part of the exhibition include Naiza Khan in London, Ruby Chishti, Huma Bhabha, Iftikhar and Elizabeth Dadi and Salman Toor in New York, Bani Abidi in Berlin, Basir Mahmood in Amsterdam, Seher Shah in Barcelona and Khadim Ali in Sydney.
The exhibition also sheds light on significant contributions by foreign architects who reshaped Pakistan’s landscape and articulated the ambitions of its institutions through landmark projects. These include French artist Michel Ecochard, who designed the first university in the southern city of Karachi, and Greek artist Konstantínos Doxiádis, the lead architect who planned Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
Manzar also explores Pakistan’s engagement with the debate on regionalism in architecture through the works of influential architects like Nayyar Ali Dada and Kamil Khan Mumtaz from Lahore, alongside Yasmeen Lari, Habib Fida Ali, and Arif Hasan from Karachi.
The exhibition extends to the courtyard of the Palace of Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani with a range of outdoor and indoor installations, along with a film and video program.
Renowned architect Yasmeen Lari, who works in the intersection of architecture and social justice, has exhibited bamboo shelters designed as emergency open-source housing for flood victims, in collaboration with the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan.
Additionally, the art collective Karachi LaJamia is showcasing a project addressing the environmental crisis in the province of Sindh. Many of these contemporary projects emphasize the themes of sustainability and ecology, reflecting a growing urgency to address environmental issues through art and architecture.
“Manzar is an exhibition that truly reflects how everyone from the discourse of art and architecture seem in constant conversation, in dialogue about the environment, either the political environment or the ecological environment,” Karachi-based architect Marvi Mazhar said during a panel discussion, saying Manzar had brought into the spotlight the political and ecological changes the region has undergone through the decades.
“We have always faced heartbreaks, be it the partition, or the formation of East Pakistan [present day Bangladesh] or other movements such as the politics of land and water. Yet historically we collectively ride the tide, through forging diverse practices and sensitivity to their connection to the wider history of modern and contemporary art.”
The exhibit also includes works from the neo-miniature painting movement that emerged at Lahore’s prestigious National College of Arts (NCA) at the start of the 1990s, that revisited traditional techniques and subjects and is showcased through important works by artists like Shahzia Sikander, Imran Qureshi, Hamra Abbas and Rashid Rana.
Bruna Biancardi, Yara Al-Namlah spotted at Hia Hub closing day in Riyadh
RIYADH: Brazilian model Bruna Biancardi and Saudi influencer Yara Al-Namlah brought the fourth edition of lifestyle conference Hia Hub to a close late on Sunday night in Riyadh.
Biancardi, who is the partner of footballer icon Neymar, made a guest appearance at the event in JAX district and posed for photos with attendees in a fitted dark blue dress.
attendees in a fitted dark blue dress. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
Diving into the world of wellness, Al-Namlah, an influencer and the founder of Saudi skincare brand Treat, engaged in a discussion titled “Generational Beauty: Inheriting Skincare Wisdom.”
The entrepreneur took to the stage with her mother, Amani Al-Ayed, and during the talk the mother-daughter duo engaged in a heartfelt discussion about the importance of self-love and self-care.
"You must love yourself in all the ways. Perfection is being with your own flaws. If you get a pimple, don't feel that it is the worst thing in the world, It is completely okay. Just take care of how you treat your skin by removing your makeup, sleeping with clean well-prepped skin, and waking up using your routine,” Al-Namlah said.
Al-Ayed highlighted the benefits of a simple skincare routine, saying: “I used to apply many products, that consisted of a lot of steps. What I learned from Yara, especially after Treat, is that she reduced the routine to three products.”
The birth of Treat in June 2023 came years after Al-Namlah’s rise to stardom — she was a makeup artist before becoming an influencer and business owner.
Al-Namlah’s skincare line includes a brightening rice powder cleanser, a product whose development was inspired by her and her mother’s ritual of using rice powder to create a mask.
“The cleanser has natural rice powder, which exfoliates and cleans the skin, and it’s one of the products that was inspired by our routine,” she explained on stage.
The session came after five days of beauty and skincare-related panels, workshops and masterclasses at Hia Hub, with industry leaders discussing the evolving skincare market in the Middle East.
Panellists and speakers at the event included the likes of Patrick Chalhoub, group president of the Chalhoub Group; Franck Marilly, chairman of Shiseido EMEA; Hasmik Panossian, regional general manager of Sephora Middle East; Laurent Duffier, managing director of L’Oreal Middle East; and Henk van der Mark, vice president of retail, commercial and business development at Estee Lauder Companies EMEA.
