Art Dubai 2018 offers a tour through a cornucopia of creativity, variety… and concrete

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Art Dubai
Updated 21 March 2018
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Art Dubai 2018 offers a tour through a cornucopia of creativity, variety… and concrete

Fair director Myrna Ayad was not joking when she said this 12th edition of Art Dubai has a jam-packed program. It is the biggest in terms of sheer numbers, with 105 galleries from 48 countries participating. This ensures a truly global representation, with an impressive roster of galleries — established and emerging — from around the world. This year’s Art Dubai also marks the debut for four countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Iceland and Kazakhstan.

The diversity extends to the variety of art too, ranging from works by established masters dating back to the 1920s on display at Art Dubai Modern, to avant-garde installations in the contemporary section.

In fact, traditional canvases seemed to be the exception rather than the rule in this cornucopia of creativity, with a range of materials being used in unexpected ways to produce art — from reclaimed steel, acrylic, ceramic and brass inlay in concrete, to textile, polyamide, and of course digital media.

It is practically impossible to pick favorites from the numerous pieces, as everyone interprets and appreciates each one differently, but there is a distinct focus on art from Africa, South Asia, and of course the Middle East. Particularly worth checking out is the Hafez Gallery from Jeddah, which has brought noteworthy pieces from artists such as Abdulsattar Al-Mussa and Thuraya Al-Baqsami to the fair.

As artistic director Pablo del Val advises, start with the Modern section, then work your way through the contemporary gallery halls, but most importantly, come with an open mind. “Leave any prejudgment out and follow your heart and brain. That’s when it will really come alive,” he said.

Having built up a reputation as a fair for discovery, where many new and emerging artists are given a platform, this year Art Dubai has introduced a Residents program that invited 11 artists from around the world to spend a few weeks in the UAE, in collaboration with three art spaces — Tashkeel, in5 and Warehouse 421 — to create a body of work inspired by their time in the country.

According to Saudi artist Faris Al-Osaimi, it was a challenging but rewarding experience. “It was really difficult at first working outside my own studio, but I learnt a lot working with the other artists, including experimenting with different techniques,” he said.

Another artist who participated in the Residents program, Tato Akhalkatsishvili, aims to tackle the bilateralism of human beings and the environment with his large oils on canvas. “I created a series titled ‘Is your body a heaven,’ in which I explore living organisms and objects of nature in abstract ways,” he said.

His is the sort of work that is likely to appeal to a new generation of collectors who, as most art experts agree, are more adventurous in their choices, and buy art that they like to hang on their walls rather than simply collecting big names for collecting’s sake.

In a clear bid to make art less elitist and more engaging with the greater community, Art Dubai’s programing this year includes a rich mix, ranging from the TV show-style activation at The Room, Good Morning GCC, to taking on the omnipresent subject of artificial intelligence with Global Art Forum’s “I am not a robot” theme.

The Global Art Forum — with its thought-provoking curation of talks by Shumon Basar, Noah Raford from the Dubai Future Foundation, and Marlies Wirth, curator of digital culture at the MAK, Vienna — may have left us with more questions than answers, but that was kind of the point.

The art collective GCC leverages the popularity of people outside the art world — think TV stars such as Suliman Al-Qassar — and delves into the aesthetics, politics and practices of Gulf culture within the immersive format of a daytime talk show, with segments covering cookery, fashion, holistic wellbeing and happiness, in a green screen-inspired set.

The interactive performances, which involve audience members getting to try the food being cooked, “have a universal appeal outside the context of art audiences,” said Barak Al-Zaid, a member of the collective.

Ayad is understandably excited about this innovative feature of the fair. “It’s always exciting to commission an artist to create something, but to tell them to take over a space and transform it with performance, with gastronomy… I think it’s brilliant that we can offer such a platform.”

Also providing a platform were the fair’s key partners. Emirati artist and designer Jawaher Al-Khayyal was commissioned by Piaget to create the interactive installation “Summer muse,” inspired by the “Sunny side of life” high-jewelry collection.

“It’s a seat that twirls, with reflective light off a brass rim that casts a shimmering shadow and gives a magical effect,” said Al-Khayyal. “The movement is inspired by the natural movement of feathers, leaves and water.”

Swiss-Egyptian artist Karim Noureldin’s creation was a site-specific installation for the Julius Baer lounge, titled “From pen to thread, Des.” The abstract textile installations, one of which is an ambitious 40 square meters in size, have been hand-woven in India. “I’ve done something that I felt would transmit some kind of serenity, a visual object that conveys calm,” said the artist.

The Sheikha Manal Little Artists Program sees Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango working with children in her project Healing Garden, which features local plants and flowers.

Showing just how far Art Dubai has come since its inception, this year’s edition marked the 10th anniversary of the annual Abraaj Group Art Prize (AGAP). The winner of this year’s prize, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, is pushing boundaries — both contextually and in terms of the technology employed — in his audio-visual installation exploring divisiveness between nations and people.

This year, AGAP also announced its partnership with Art Jameel, wherein their full collection of the past 10 years will be given on long-term loan to the Jameel Arts Center, set to open in Dubai later this year.

Another exciting collaboration birthed at this year’s iteration of the fair was one with the ambitious Misk Art Institute from Saudi Arabia. A highlight of this partnership is “That feverish leap into the fierceness of life.”

It is a non-selling exhibition that shows, perhaps for the first time, the panorama of modern art in the Arab world by showcasing five Modernist art schools or movements that emerged between the 1940s and 1980s from five Arab cities: Baghdad, Cairo, Casablanca, Khartoum and Riyadh. The intriguing nomenclature of the exhibition owes its origin to a manifesto of the Baghdad group of modern art, and is meant to represent the role of art in social change.

The Misk partnership also saw the regional premier of a virtual reality film on contemporary art in Saudi Arabia, “Reframe Saudi”; exclusive sessions in the Modern Art symposium; and limited-edition publications.

Nada Al-Tuwaijri, head of communications at the Misk Art Institute, said: “A very important aspect of the art world is building connections. Art Dubai is considered a hub, so this is an excellent networking opportunity for us as a very young organization, a push for building key relationships in the future.”

She sums up the spirit of the fair aptly which, while very much a space for commercial art activity, is more importantly a global meeting point, a place for people to converge and converse.


Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Salman joins King Charles at Royal Ascot opening

Updated 18 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Salman joins King Charles at Royal Ascot opening

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud joined the UK’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot, one of the most prestigious equestrian racing events in the world.

Prince Faisal appeared alongside the British royals in the lead royal carriage that opened the official procession at the racecourse, just south of Windsor in the UK.  

Lady Sarah Keswick also joined the lead carriage alongside Prince Faisal, King Charles III and Queen Camilla. A close friend of the queen, she is a key member of the Queen’s Companions.

Following the royal procession, Prince Faisal joined the royal enclosure to watch the first day of races. (Getty Images)

Following the royal procession, Prince Faisal, a grandson of King Abdulaziz and son of King Salman, joined members of the British royal family, including Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall, in the royal enclosure to watch the first day of races.

Royal Ascot remains a major fixture on the British social calendar, drawing global political and royal elites.

Arab royalty has played an increasingly visible role at the event in recent years. In 2024, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa of Bahrain — the crown prince and prime minister — attended the event as a guest of honor, representing Bahrain’s royal family.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, has become a prominent figure in the racing world through his Wathnan Racing team. 

The organization has achieved notable success at Royal Ascot, including a win in the 2023 Gold Cup. 

Queen Camilla, King Charles III and Prince Saud bin Khalid Abdullah attended day 2 of Royal Ascot 2023 at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England. (Getty Images)

Prince Saud bin Khalid — son of the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Saud, the legendary Saudi breeder behind Juddmonte Farms — was also seen attending the second day of the Royal Ascot in 2023, alongside King Charles III.


Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah

Elham Abu Talib, left, showcased more than 40 paintings at Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts. (AN photo)
Updated 16 June 2025
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Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah

  • Elham Abu Talib shares vision through her expressive works

JEDDAH: “It’s never too late to follow your dream,” says Elham Abu Talib, who has held her first solo exhibition in Jeddah after 38 years.

The Saudi artist is no stranger to the local art scene, having taken part in exhibitions across the Kingdom and overcome the barriers accompanying being severely deaf.

Titled “Inspiration,” the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence. (AN photo)

And at the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah on Sunday, Abu Talib showcased more than 40 paintings to leading artists and lovers of the genre.

Titled “Inspiration,” the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence.

HIGHLIGHT

Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity.

Her passion began in childhood, when natural talent blossomed into fine art shaped by a beautiful dream. She lost her hearing as a child and faced speech difficulties, but met her challenges with patience, courage, and ambition.

Determined to express herself, she used a brush and colors as her voice — turning her childhood dreams into vivid reality.

Titled “Inspiration,” the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence. (AN photo)

She shared that hearing loss kept her from entering university, but her late father convinced her it did not mean giving up her ambitions.

Inspired by his words, she began participating in exhibitions while raising her children and fulfilling her duties as a mother.

She believes her disability has sharpened her visual perception — a gift she channels into her art.

“I’m so happy that, after 38 years, my dream has come true with this solo exhibition,” she said. “I thank the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah for giving me this opportunity.”

Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity.

Maha Abdulhalim Radwi, secretary-general of the Radwi Art Prize, said the artist had finally achieved a major milestone, adding: “This event allowed her to showcase her unique perspective and creative talent to a wider audience, proving that art transcends communication barriers.”

Mohammed Al-Subaih, the director general of the SASCA, said Abu Talib had dreamed of a solo exhibition for nearly four decades — and was now finally living that dream.

He added: “She’s participated with us in many workshops and group exhibitions; now it’s time to celebrate her first solo show.

“She deserves all the support and encouragement.”

 


Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 

Saudi artist  Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 
Updated 15 June 2025
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Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club’ in Basel 

RIYADH: This month, Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi is turning up the heat at Basel Social Club — which runs until June 21 in the Swiss city — with her latest installation, “The Social Health Club.” 

Freshly conceived, but rooted in the artist’s past works, the yellow-drenched installation offers a layered, sensory experience — and sharp cultural commentary — as well as a first for the artist: a live-performance element. 

Jeddah-based Alamoudi is known for creating immersive multimedia installations drawing from and exploring the complex dynamics of her evolving homeland. “The Social Health Club” is built around pieces found in Jeddah’s Haraj market in 2018 — a range of exercise equipment including a rowing machine.  

Ahaad Alamoudi. (Supplied)

“These are pieces I collected from thrifting. I like the fact that no instructions came with the machines — I don’t have their name or the source of where they came from or who made them. But they’ve become part of the urban landscape that I’ve been in. And I was trying to create fun within the space,” Alamoudi told Arab News. 

In “The Social Health Club,” the equipment, painted predominantly in vibrantly-saturated monochrome yellow, stands untouched, serving as symbols of a culture obsessed with self-optimization. At the core of the installation is a cameo from a yellow-painted iron previously featured in her 2020 video work “Makwah Man.” (Makwah means iron in Arabic.) 

 Part of Ahaad Alamoudi's 'The Social Health Club' at Basel Social Club. (Supplied)

“A lot of my pieces stem from a narrative I create within a video. In ‘Makwah Man,’ this man wearing a yellow thobe is ironing a long piece of yellow fabric in the middle of the desert. And as he’s ironing, he tells us how to live our lives. But in the process of him telling us how to live our lives, he also starts questioning his own in the process — understanding the role of power, understanding the pressure of change, adaptation,” Alamoudi explained. 

“The yellow exists within the video piece, but he’s also wearing yellow thobe in the video piece. And (in this iteration at Art Basel) there’s also a rack of yellow thobes twirling in the exhibition. For me, the yellow thobe is like a unifying symbol. I’m trying to say that we’re all experiencing this in different ways. So in the performance (for “The Social Health Club”) a man (a local body builder) in a yellow thobe will be performing on these machines. He has no rule book. He doesn’t know anything; he doesn’t know how to ‘properly’ use the equipment. He’s going to go into the space and do things with the machines. 

“The performance will be recorded. But I think it’s more like an activation,” she continued. “It’s not the piece itself. The piece itself exists as the machines.” 

“The Social Health Club” was shaped through close collaboration with curator Amal Khalaf, who combed Jeddah’s market with Alamoudi in search of “machines that were a little bit abnormal, like not your typical machines that people would directly know what it is in the gym,” Alamoudi said.  

“She’s quite incredible,” she continued. “And we really built the space together. Essentially, the main thing that I created was the video; everything else was built off of that. She really helped. She really looked at social change and how we navigate that. Our collaboration was perfect.” 

Yellow dominates every inch of the piece—deliberately and intensely. 

“I obsess over symbols within certain works I create. And with that also comes a color,” Alamoudi said. “I wanted to showcase something that was luxurious, colorful, almost like gold, but it’s not gold. It’s quite stark in its appearance.” 

Yellow is both invitation and warning. “I think that yellow is also quite deceptive. I like it as a color to get people excited to come closer and see what’s happening, but at the same time question what it is — it’s so aggressive that it becomes a bit uncomfortable.” 

 A still from Alamoudi's 2020 video work 'Makwah Man,' which is also part of 'The Social Health Club'. (Supplied)

The viewer’s interaction is critical to the piece’s meaning. 

“I think the machines represent something and they carry something, but they really are activated by the people — what people are doing with them,” Alamoudi said. “And that’s why I’m encouraging a lot of viewers to engage with and use the pieces, or try to use them without any instruction. A lot of people entering into the space (might) fear even touching or engaging with them. Having the performer there activating the structures is going to add another layer to the piece itself.” 

She hopes visitors feel free to explore, unburdened by expectations. 

“People are meant to use it any way that they want to use it. They can sit on it, stand on it, touch it — they can leave it alone,” she concluded with a laugh. 


Ancient Malian city celebrates annual replastering of mosque

Updated 14 June 2025
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Ancient Malian city celebrates annual replastering of mosque

  • The annual replastering with “banco” — a mix of earth and water — shields the mosque from harsh weather

DJÉNNÉ, Mali: Thousands of Malians have replastered the iconic earthen mosque in the historic city of Djenne during an annual ceremony that helps preserve the World Heritage site.
To the sound of drums and festive music, townsmen on Thursday coated the towering three-minaret mosque with fresh mud plaster.
The annual replastering with “banco” — a mix of earth and water — shields the mosque from harsh weather ahead of the Sahel region’s often violent rainy season.
“This mosque belongs to the whole world,” said Aboubacar Sidiki Djiteye, his face streaked with mud as he joined the “unifying” ritual.
“There’s no bigger event in Djenne than this,” he told AFP.
“Replastering the mosque is a tradition handed down from generation to generation,” said Bayini Yaro, one of the women tasked with carrying water for the plaster mix.
Locals prepared the mix themselves, combining water, earth, rice bran, shea butter and baobab powder — a hallmark of Sahel-Sudanese architecture.
Chief mason Mafoune Djenepo inspected the fresh coating.
“The importance of this mosque is immense. It’s the image on all Malian stamps,” he said.
A blessing ceremony followed the replastering, with Qur’anic verses recited in the mosque courtyard. Participants then shared dates and sweets.
First erected in the 13th century and rebuilt in 1907, the mosque is considered the world’s largest earthen structure, according to the United Nations’ cultural body, UNESCO.
Djenne, home to around 40,000 residents and known for preserving its traditional banco houses, has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 1988.
The site was added to the endangered heritage list in 2016 due to its location in central Mali, where jihadist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group, as well as ethnic militias and criminal gangs, have waged a violent insurgency since 2012.


‘The Arts Tower’ brings new meaning and color to Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard

Updated 15 June 2025
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‘The Arts Tower’ brings new meaning and color to Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard

  • For Gharem, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, like “The Arts Tower,” constantly lifts eyes upward, motivating people to leap from the familiar into the unexpected, pushing them to embrace the future with imagination

RIYADH: As you venture down the promenade of the capital’s latest attraction, Sports Boulevard, a new landmark is sure to catch your eye.

A tower at the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Road bursts with color and character.  

The mind behind this work, named “The Arts Tower,” is renowned Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem, who has centered the mundane within the architectural landscape early on in his career with works like “Siraat” (The Path) and “Road to Makkah.”

The Arts Tower at the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Awwal Road bursts with color and character. (Supplied)

Gharem told Arab News: “This piece is a witness to the transformation that’s happening here. It’s a symbol of investment into the cultural infrastructure as proof of how important that is to any society or community. I think the tower represents this transformation, especially that it, in itself, transforms one of the symbols of energy into a beacon for creative expression.”

Previously one of numerous 83.5-meter electricity pylons, the tower was meant to be removed for the sake of the Sports Boulevard project.

“I asked if I could have one,” Gharem said, explaining that, as one of the nominated artists to propose a work to beautify the boulevard, he was keen to use the existing structure.  

HIGHLIGHTS

• The selected proposal features a total of 691 colored panels that were installed to bring the tower’s vibrant facade to life. 

• The pieces used are all related to the grand narrative of the Kingdom, including economic diversity, cultural transformations, and social changes. 

Author and curator Nato Thompson said about the work in a statement: “By repurposing a symbol of energy infrastructure and turning it into a beacon of artistic expression, Gharem highlights the evolving role of culture and art in Saudi Arabia’s development journey.

“It stands as living proof of the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing its cultural landscape, making arts and creativity an inseparable part of its identity just as oil and energy were in the past.”

The selected proposal features a total of 691 colored panels that were installed to bring the tower’s vibrant facade to life.

Abdulnasser Gharem, Saudi artist

It utilizes elements from Saudi architecture and patterns we recognize from our old homes, primarily the triangular shape.  

“I was lucky that the tower was made up of triangles, which is a geometrical shape that brings together the different regions of the Kingdom and the historical features of our beginnings, so it’s a symbol of unity,” Gharem said.  

The pieces used are all related to the grand narrative of the Kingdom, including economic diversity, cultural transformations, and social changes.

This piece is a witness to the transformation that’s happening here. It’s a symbol of investment into the cultural infrastructure as proof of how important that is to any society or community.

Abdulnasser Gharem, Saudi artist

“The colors are alluding to the connection between our history and heritage and the concepts of cheerfulness and mental hospitality. A tower always forces you to look up.”

For Gharem, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, like “The Arts Tower,” constantly lifts eyes upward, motivating people to leap from the familiar into the unexpected, pushing them to embrace the future with imagination.

“The piece is based on sunlight,” he said. “The daylight gives a completely, completely different dimension to the work compared to its urban illumination during the night.

The sketch of “The Arts Tower” by Abdulnasser Gharem. (Supplied)

“The colors do not just appear; they shift, transform, and come alive in different ways throughout the day. Here, nature becomes a crucial element to the structure.”

Even the wind has played a part in determining the number and placement of the colored pieces used. “It taught me that there needs to be some gaps in order to allow the piece to breathe and I was forced to humble myself upon the power of nature.

“The wind became my partner in design,” he said.

“The Arts Tower” is designed to make people feel represented and connected.

While the Sports Boulevard promotes physical activity, the creative landmark serves a deeper purpose: it is a thoughtful space meant to inspire human interaction and community — and more importantly, invite them to slow down, engage, and ponder the future.

“Culture is one of the key factors for our country’s development path. At the end of the day, culture is just as important as energy. It’s worth investing in, and it’s a certificate that the Kingdom is committed to nurturing its cultural scene,” Gharem said.