‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ wins best picture at the Oscars, dominating ceremony with 7 wins

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Michelle Yeoh (left) accepts the award for best actress in a leading role for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and Brendan Fraser for best actor for "The Whale" at the Oscars on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP & Reuters photos))
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Updated 13 March 2023
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‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ wins best picture at the Oscars, dominating ceremony with 7 wins

  • Malaysia's Michelle Yeoh becomes the first Asian woman to best actress
  • Best actor went to Brendan Fraser for his role as reclusive professor in “The Whale"

LOS ANGELES: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” came in the Oscar favorite, and it’s winning like one, too. Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis all won acting honors Sunday while the filmmaking duo known as the Daniels, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won for both directing and original screenplay.

Yeoh became the first Asian woman to best actress, taking the award for her lauded performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The 60-year-old Malaysian-born Yeoh won her first Oscar for a performance that relied as much on her comic and dramatic chops as it did her kung fu skills. She’s the first best actress win for a non-white actress in 20 years.

“Ladies, don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re past your prime,” said Yeoh, who received a raucous standing ovation.




Yeoh became the first Asian woman to best actress. (AFP)

In winning best director, the Daniels — both 35 years old — won for just their second and decidedly un-Oscar bait feature. They’re just the third directing pair to win the award, following Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (“West Side Story”) and Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”). Scheinert dedicated the award “to the moms of the world.”

Best actor went to Brendan Fraser, culminating the former action star’s return to center stage for his physical transformation as a 600-lb. reclusive professor in “The Whale.” The best-actor race had been one of the closest contests of the night, but Fraser in the end edged Austin Butler.

“So this is what the multiverse looks like,” said a clearly moved Fraser, pointing to the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” crew.




CaptionBest actor went to Brendan Fraser. (AFP)

The former child star Quan capped his own extraordinary comeback with the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in the indie hit “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Quan, beloved for his roles as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Data in “Goonies,” had all but given up acting before being cast in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

His win, among the most expected of the night, was nevertheless one of the ceremony’s most moving moments. The audience — including his “Temple of Doom” director, Steven Spielberg — gave Quan a standing ovation as he fought back tears.

“Mom, I just won an Oscar!” said Quan, 51, whose family fled Vietnam in the war when he was a child.




US-Vietnamese actor Ke Huy Quan, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "Everything Everywhere All at Once", attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP) 

“They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I can’t believe it’s happening,” said Quan. “This is the American dream.”

Minutes later, Quan’s castmate Jamie Lee Curtis won for best supporting actress. Her win, in one of the most competitive categories this year, denied a victory for comic-book fans.

Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) would have been the first performer to win an Oscar for a Marvel movie.

It also made history for Curtis, a first-time winner who alluded to herself as “a Nepo baby” during her win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She’s the rare Oscar winner whose parents were both Oscar nominees, something she emotionally referenced in her speech. Tony Curtis was nominated for “The Defiant Ones” in 1959 and Janet Leigh was nominated in 1961 for “Psycho.” Curtis thanked “hundreds” of people who put her in that position.




US actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis poses with the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in the press room during the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP)

The German-language WWI epic “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Netflix’s top contender this year — took four awards as the academy heaped honors on the craft of the harrowing anti-war film. It won for cinematography, production design, score and best international film.

Though Bassett missed on supporting actress, Ruth E. Carter won for the costume design of “Wakanda Forever,” four years after becoming the first Black designer to win an Oscar, for “Black Panther.” This one makes Carter the first Black woman to win two Oscars.

“Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman,” said Carter. “She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film.”
Carter dedicated the award to her mother, who she said died last week at 101.




US costume designer Ruth E. Carter accepts the Oscar for Best Costume Design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP)

The telecast, airing live on ABC, opened traditionally: with a montage of the year’s films (with Kimmel edited into a cockpit in “Top Gun: Maverick“) and a lengthy monologue. Kimmel, hosting for the third time, didn’t dive right into revisiting Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at last year’s ceremony.
The late-night comedian struggled to find lessons from last year’s incident, which was followed by Smith winning best actor. If anyone tried any violence this year, Kimmel said, “you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech.”
But Kimmel, hosting for the third time, said anyone who wanted to “get jiggy with it” this year will have to come through a fearsome battalion of bodyguards, including Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Yeoh, Steven Spielberg and his show’s “security guard” Guillermo Rodriguez.
After landmark wins for Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland“) and Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog“), no women were nominated for best director. Sarah Polley, though, won best adapted screenplay for the metaphor-rich Mennonite drama “Women Talking.”




Best Adapted Screenplay winner for "Women Talking," Sarah Polley is seen backstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP)

“Thank you to the academy for not being mortally offended by the words ‘women’ and ‘talking,’” said Polley.
Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” about the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, took best documentary. The film’s win came with clear overtones to Navalny’s ongoing imprisonment and Vladimir Putin’s continued war in Ukraine. Yulia Navalnaya joined the filmmakers on the stage.
“My husband is in prison just for telling the truth,” said Navalnaya. “Stay strong my love.”
Some big names weren’t in attendance for other reasons. Neither Tom Cruise, whose “Top Gun: Maverick” is up for best picture, nor James Cameron, director of best-picture nominee “Avatar: The Way of Water,” were at the ceremony. Both have been forefront in Hollywood’s efforts to get moviegoers back after years of pandemic.




Yulia Navalnaya attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP)

“The two guys who asked us to go back to theater aren’t in the theater,” said Kimmel, who added that Cruise without his shirt on in “Top Gun: Maverick” was “L. Ron Hubba Hubba.”
After last year’s Oscars, which had stripped some categories from being handed out in the live telecast, the academy restored all awards to the show and leaned on traditional song and and dance numbers. That meant some show-stopping numbers, including the elastic suspenders dance of “Naatu Naatu” from the Telugu action-film sensation “RRR,” an intimate, impassioned performance by Lady Gaga of “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” and an Super Bowl follow-up by Rihanna. Best song went to “Naatu Naatu.”
It also meant a long show. “This kind of makes you miss the slapping a little bit, right?” Kimmel said mid-show.
The night’s first award went to “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” for best animated film. That handed Netflix its first Oscar in the category.
After last year’s slap, the academy created a crisis management team to better respond to surprises. Neither Rock, who recently made his most forceful statement about the incident in a live special, nor Smith, who was banned by the academy for 10 years, attended.




TV host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards. (AFP)

The Academy Awards is attempting to recapture some of its old luster. One thing working in its favor: This year’s best picture field was stacked with blockbusters. Ratings usually go up when the nominees are more popular, which certainly goes for “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
Neither won much, though. “The Way of Water,” with more than $2.28 billion in box office, won for best visual effects. The “Top Gun” sequel ($1.49 billion), took best sound.
Last year, Apple TV’s “CODA” became the first streaming movie to win best picture. But this year, nine of the 10 best picture nominees were theatrical releases. After the movie business cratered during the pandemic, moviegoing recovered to about 67 percent of pre-pandemic levels. But it was an up and down year, full of smash hits and anxiety-inducing lulls in theaters.
This year, ticket sales have been strong thanks to releases like “Creed III” and “Cocaine Bear” — which made not one but two cameos at Sunday’s show. But there remain storm clouds on the horizon. The Writers Guild and the major studios are set to begin contract negotiations March 20, a looming battle that has much of the industry girding for the possibility of a work stoppage throughout film and television.
The Oscars, too, are seeking steadiness. Last year’s telecast drew 16.6 million viewers, a 58 percent increase from the scaled-down 2021 edition, watched by a record low 10.5 million.


Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh

Updated 1 min 4 sec ago
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Artists push the boundaries of technology in new media arts residency in Riyadh

  • Residency displays futuristic artwork inspired by the natural landscape and culture of the Kingdom
  • Diriyah Art Futures brings together artists from around the world, combining art, science and technology

RIYADH: Diriyah Art Futures opened a new residency displaying cutting-edge artwork in Riyadh on Wednesday evening.

The Mazra’ah Media Art Residency spring/summer 2025 open studio displays work that combines art, science and technology.

It is a three-month program designed for artists and scholars working across new media and digital art.

The theme, “High-Resolution Dreams of Sand,” explored the evolving relationships between humans, nature and technology in rapidly changing environments, informed by the distinctive contexts of Diriyah and Riyadh.

The evening’s open studio offered a behind-the-scenes look at work in progress from the spring/summer 2025 residents, alongside talks and studio discussions.

In the studios, Arab News met with various artists including Saudi Arwa Al-Neami whose creations explore themes of acceptance, identity and societal transformation.

During the residency, she undertook an artistic investigation of Saudi Arabia’s landscapes, collecting sand samples from various regions across the Kingdom.

Through nano microscopy and advanced imaging techniques, she created an immersive sensory experience that transforms microscopic grains of sand into pieces of art in the form of films, virtual reality and 3D-printed sculptures.

She told Arab News: “I am currently researching seven different areas in the Kingdom, where I’m exploring the sound of the sun using specialized sensors during sunrise and sunset. The resulting sound waves are translated into frequencies that create audible sounds.

“By analyzing the sound of the sun and the atomic structure of sands, I produce artwork that highlights the differences across various regions of Saudi Arabia.”

For 90 days, artist Dr. Stanza has been creating a whole body of work based on Saudi Arabia using real-time data including weather forecasts, pollution stats and news feeds.

Using an AI prompt, he created the series “Sons of Time” — an interactive Internet installation inspired by cybernetics and the future.

His other work, “Machine Cities,” connects 90 cities and towns across the Kingdom and tracks them in real time, presenting a visualization that the public can engage with.

The London-based artist has exhibited worldwide and earned numerous awards for his use of the Internet as an art medium.

“While I’ve been here, what I’ve really learned about Saudi Arabia is it’s a very warm and inclusive country that’s moving forward toward 2030.

“There’s a whole series of ideas about AI and agency that (are) also incorporated within my artworks. I look forward to presenting some of these works here in the future,” he told Arab News.

Indian artist Harshit Agrawal has taken his time at the residency to contemplate the juxtaposition of Diriyah’s rich heritage with its exponential development in the past few years.

Set against Diriyah’s historic farms and Riyadh’s evolving environment, the participants were encouraged to consider the impact of technology on natural and constructed landscapes.

“While I was here, I was quite fascinated, in my early days by the cultural richness, the different practices of culture, but also Diriyah as a city in transition in this beautiful time where it’s developing into something else with all these constructions and all these new things that are happening,” Agrawal told Arab News.

In “Machinic Meditations,” the artist was particularly fascinated with subhas, or prayer beads, that are commonly used in Saudi Arabia.

This prompted his research, where he also found electronic subhas. “It’s quite fascinating to move from this kind of manual device to an electronic version of it,” he said.

“I started thinking — because I work a lot with machine learning, AI data— what is the extreme scenario of that? So, I created these devices, which are motorized systems that rotate these beads autonomously, and they keep doing that continuously.

“And with each rotation, they pick up new human data to meditate on. It’s kind of the machine’s version of meditating, but on human data and climate data.”

In “Data Excavations: The New Soil,” the artist takes inspiration from construction and excavation machinery, using its mobility as a way to write out words in a choreographed manner using light strips.

“It’s been a really exciting time to be here, because it’s a great intersection between deep cultural practices that are here that I can kind of see in the city, but also really cutting-edge studios and facilities that I’ve had and (been) exposed through the material residency,” he said.

The open studio event welcomed a number of artists and prominent figures in the art scene, aiming to introduce them to the findings and research of this year’s cohort around new media arts in the region.

“Having Saudi Arabia attracting so many different cultures right now is a great thing, for artists to meet and research in the new media and technology is a great thing because they can implement their culture’s ideas in so many different ways and that’s what we see here — it’s a great cultural bridge,” visual artist Lulwah AI-Hamoud, who was attending the event, told Arab News.

DAF Director Haytham Nawar and DAF Director of Education Dr. Tegan Bristow delivered opening remarks, followed by talks from Dr. Anett Holzheid, an ZKM science and art researcher and curator, and Mizuho Yamazaki, an independent writer and scholar.

Attendees then enjoyed an open studio preview with Dr. Stanza, before a break for networking and a tour of the fabrication lab, sound lab and prototypes.

The evening concluded with studio discussions featuring Arwa Alneami, Harshit Agrawal and Reem Alnasser, all media artists.


How the Michelin Guide will boost the culinary scene in Saudi Arabia

Updated 03 July 2025
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How the Michelin Guide will boost the culinary scene in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Michelin Guide — the restaurant industry’s most-respected guidebook — has finally come to Saudi Arabia. In a significant milestone for the Kingdom’s culinary scene, the guide — organized in partnership with the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission — will be released in three stages: on the 15th of each month from October to December this year, it was announced at the launch event last month.

The guide “will focus on the bustling cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, while also beginning to explore the diverse regions of the Kingdom, including Khobar, AlUla, and many more,” Michelin said in a statement, adding that its inspectors — who visit venues anonymously — are “already in the field.”

As it does throughout the world, Michelin will award one star to restaurants providing “high-quality cooking that is worth a stop,” two stars for “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and three stars for “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.”

Alongside the much-coveted star ratings, the selection also includes the popular Bib Gourmand category, a distinction awarded to restaurants that provide good quality food at a moderate price.

The well-known Jeddah-based chef and restauranteur Nihal Felemban says the arrival of the Michelin Guide will raise the bar for chefs and restaurants in Saudi Arabia. 

“It's a dream for most chefs to obtain that star. That will create a very healthy sense of competition,” she tells Arab News.

And Felemban believes the Kingdom’s local and homegrown concepts are more than capable of holding their own against the big-name brands that have been imported in recent years. 

“These concepts deserve to be known. They deserve to be recognized outside the Saudi market,” she says.

“This will give a chance to these homegrown concepts to be on the international culinary map, similarly to what happened in Dubai,” she adds, referring to the 2022 launch of the guide in the UAE. “There were a lot of restaurants we didn't know about (then). The Michelin Guide gave them a voice, gave them a name abroad; it’s a beautiful thing.”

UAE-based Samantha Wood, founder of the impartial restaurant review website FooDiva.net, says the Michelin Guide has had a hugely positive impact on Dubai’s culinary scene.

“Since the launch, the number of independent homegrown concepts has grown every year, with the most recent 2025 guide featuring 29 independent homegrown concepts taking the lion’s share in the top cut of Michelin stars and Bib Gourmand.”

For the Saudi guide, Wood says, “I hope Michelin will prioritise dishing out stars and bibs for the homegrown concepts — like it has done in Dubai. This gives restaurateurs the incentive to develop their own (ideas), rather than rely on importing concepts and franchise agreements.”

Felemban is the founder of one of those homegrown concepts that will be hoping for recognition later this year. Her Jeddah restaurant, The Lucky Lllama, offers Nikkei cuisine, blending Peruvian and Japanese culinary traditions. “I would love to see The Lucky Llama (in the guide), because I believe it can compete on international levels,” she says. 

Felemban predicts that the French Riviera-inspired Le Petite Maison — more commonly known as LPM — and top burger spot Marble will earn some recognition, as well as Jeddah’s Korean BBQ joint HWA-RO. 

The guide isn’t just a boon to the restaurant industry either. Michelin-starred restaurants can offer a significant boost to tourism.

“Foodie travellers use these guides to plan holidays, often booking high ranking restaurants first before planning holidays around these reservations,” says Wood.

Lifestyle and food blogger Sarah Taha, who showcases the luxury food industry in Saudi on her page Swirl The Fork, also believes the guide could be a game-changer for tourism in the Saudi capital.

“The arrival of the Michelin Guide has the potential to spotlight both ends of Riyadh’s culinary spectrum — from its most luxurious dining rooms to its beloved casual gems — making it one of the most exciting food cities in the region,” she tells Arab News. 

“Michelin’s presence won’t just put a global spotlight on our chefs and restaurants; it will also raise the bar for quality, creativity, and service across the board. It’s a powerful statement that Saudi is ready to be recognized as a serious player in the world of fine dining,” she continues. 

Riyadh is home to several standout restaurants that Taha believes are strong contenders for Michelin stars. Her predictions include Japanese restaurants Zuma, Myazu, and Nozomi (the latter “remains a benchmark for upscale dining,” she says), and Italian restaurant Mamo Michelangelo.

When it comes to the Bib Gourmand category, which celebrates more affordable yet high-quality dining, Taha highlights Saudi staples like Mama Noura — concepts that “fuse authenticity with consistency and have built loyal followings. They may not be fine dining, but they’re rooted in culinary excellence and local relevance,” she says. 

Like Felemban, Taha is confident the arrival of the Michelin Guide can only be a good thing for the Saudi food scene.

“From what I’ve seen running Swirl the Fork, there’s so much passion and creativity here. This kind of spotlight will not only validate that, but also inspire a new generation to invest — and believe — in local culinary ventures. It’s about putting Saudi flavors and stories on the world stage.”


REVIEW: ‘Ironheart’ — compelling hero let down by shoddy storytelling

Updated 03 July 2025
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REVIEW: ‘Ironheart’ — compelling hero let down by shoddy storytelling

  • New Marvel series doesn’t play to its greatest strengths

LONDON: For a studio so adept at world-changing bombast, Marvel has enjoyed a surprising amount of success with shows working on a smaller scale, with lower stakes, about characters and the places they actually live: “Ms Marvel” and “Daredevil: Born Again,” for example, have fared better than, say, the globe-trotting mess that was “Secret Invasion.”

So while genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) was introduced during the ocean-spanning events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” we really get to know her and her Iron Man-esque suit in “Ironheart,” which sees her return home to Chicago. Without the backing of the Wakandans, or the money of someone like Tony Stark, Riri falls in with a slightly more nefarious crowd in order to make money and keep her suit running. Soon enough she’s pulling off jobs for the shady Hood (Anthony Ramos) and his gang, all while dealing with her overprotective mother, trying to find a way to use her inventions for good, and processing the grief of losing her best friend Natalie in a drive-by shooting.

It's quite a bleak story arc for a Marvel hero — Riri makes some questionable choices and some surprisingly selfish ones too. This could have been mined a little more, perhaps, were “Ironheart” not more concerned with racing through the story at breakneck speed. The six-episode run means there’s not much time for character development — a crying shame when there are hints of some fascinating backstories. It also means, sadly, that not much time or money was given to effects. Some of the CGI is shonky in the extreme, while the armor suit Riri has so lovingly crafted is often relegated to little more than a means by which to arrive. Thorne makes for a charismatic lead, and the supporting cast is great (Alden Ehrenreich’s black market tech dealer Joe especially). The plot, however, feels heavy and cumbersome: shoehorned exposition and one-note villains.

The great stuff here is the little stuff. Riri and Natalie’s relationship, a few snatched glimpses of their life in Chicago, Joe’s backstory — all of these deserve more airtime. Without that attention to detail, “Ironheart” feels flimsy. Fun, but ultimately unsatisfying.


Recipes for Success: Alexandre Thabard offers advice and a tasty ‘honey lemon pollen’ recipe 

Updated 03 July 2025
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Recipes for Success: Alexandre Thabard offers advice and a tasty ‘honey lemon pollen’ recipe 

DUBAI: At just 26 years old, Alexandre Thabard is responsible for the pastry program at one of the most high-profile kitchens in the UAE.  

As executive pastry chef at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, Thabard manages everything from banquets and afternoon tea to the hotel’s cake shop, and has created custom desserts for members of the Abu Dhabi royal family. 

As executive pastry chef at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, Thabard manages everything from banquets to afternoon tea. (Supplied)

Originally from Paris, Thabard trained at Maison Lenôtre, where he also taught pastry courses and honed his technical skills across pastry, chocolate and ice cream. In 2018, he received the “Best Young Pastry Hope” award from Relais Desserts. 

Thabard told Arab News his goal is “to reduce sugar as much as possible and celebrate the natural flavors of each ingredient” when it comes to pastries.  

“To maintain consistency and lower glycemic impact, I often use Nascita date sugar and allulose as alternatives,” he said.  

Here, Thabard talks about learning to slow down in the kitchen, why balance matters more than sweetness, and offers a honey lemon pollen recipe.  

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made? 

In the early days, I often found myself rushing — eager to be efficient and to see the final result. That sometimes meant I overlooked crucial steps. I’ve learned that great desserts demand patience and precision. Quality takes time. Cooking should be a joyful, sensory experience, not a race.  

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?  

Keep it simple and let the quality of your ingredients shine. Follow the recipe and, most importantly, taste along the way.  

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?  

Lime, or any good source of acidity. A touch of lime zest can instantly lift a dessert, bringing balance, freshness and vibrancy. It can transform something pleasant into something memorable.  

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

I try to enjoy the experience as any guest would, but, naturally, I tend to view things through a professional lens. 

What’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants? 

Often, I see desserts that are visually stunning but not well-balanced in flavor. They’re either too sweet, lacking contrast, or missing freshness. For me, the priority should be flavor and emotional connection, not just presentation.  

What’s your favorite dish to order?  

I have a deep appreciation for plated desserts, especially those paired with sorbets or ice cream. The interplay of temperatures and textures — warm and cold, smooth and crisp — creates a dynamic and refined end to a meal.  

What’s your go-to pastry when you want to make something quick at home?  

A quick pavlova. I usually have baked meringues on hand, made from leftover egg whites. So, I top them with vanilla cream, fresh seasonal fruits, and a touch of lime zest. It’s a simple yet elegant dessert that delivers texture, flavor and freshness in under 20 minutes.  

What customer request most annoys you? 

When a guest asks to change a dessert entirely before tasting it, or dismisses it based on appearance. While we aim to accommodate, I believe in trusting the chef’s vision. Occasionally, I receive feedback that my desserts aren’t sweet enough, which I actually take as a compliment — it means I’ve succeeded in creating something balanced.  

What’s your favorite pastry to make?  

I particularly enjoy working with chocolate-based desserts. There’s a refined technicality and sensory depth to chocolate that allows for endless creativity — whether you’re exploring bitterness, sweetness, or contrasting temperatures and textures. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with (chocolate brand) Valrhona on a bespoke couverture, crafted specifically to reflect the luxury and distinct identity of Emirates Palace. The result is a unique chocolate with complex notes that elevates our plated desserts. I also work extensively with camel milk chocolate, which has become really popular in the region. Its naturally tangy flavor, combined with the use of date sugar as a sweetener, creates a beautifully balanced profile is perfect for guests seeking lighter, more mindful indulgence.  

What’s the most difficult dessert for you to get right?  

The soufflé. It’s technically demanding, time-sensitive and allows no margin for error. When executed well, it’s a true testament to skill and discipline.  

As an executive chef, what are you like? 

I’d say I’m demanding but nurturing. I believe in building strong, collaborative teams and mentoring young talent. A good dessert is often the result of a unified, motivated kitchen. My style is modern and refined, with a strong focus on health-conscious and sustainable practices — no additives, no artificial colors, and a respectful use of sugar. I aim to create pastries that are elegant, balanced, and meaningful — desserts that not only please the palate but tell a story.  

 Chef Alexandre’s honey lemon pollen recipe 

Honey sponge 

Ingredients:  

Butter: 150 g 

Egg yolks: 220 g 

Whole eggs: 90 g 

Honey: 270 g 

Sugar: 170 g 

Almond powder: 30 g 

Sour cream: 170 g 

Cream: 30 g 

Flour: 350 g 

Salt: 2 g 

Baking powder: 10 g 

Method

Whip the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, and honey until light and airy. 

Add the sour cream and cream. 

Incorporate the melted butter (at 45°C). 

Fold in the dry ingredients. 

Pour into a frame or mould and bake at 170°C for 18 minutes. Cool and cut to fit your insert mould. 

Honey mousse 

Ingredients:   

Milk: 72 g 

Honey: 14 g 

Egg yolk: 10 g 

Gelatin: 2 g 

Water: 9 g 

Whipped cream: 143 g 

Method: 

Soak the gelatin in cold water. 

Heat the milk. 

Mix the honey and egg yolk, then combine with the milk and cook to 83°C. 

Remove from heat and add the gelatin. 

Cool to 25°C, then fold in the whipped cream. 

Use immediately for assembly. 

Lemon confit: 

Lemon juice: 308 g 

Sugar: 115 g 

Lemon zest: as needed 

Additional lemon juice: 77 g 

Method

Blanch the lemon zest three times to remove bitterness. 

Cook the zest with sugar and lemon juice until translucent and candied. 

Blend into a smooth confit. 

Pollen shortbread: 

Icing sugar: 40 g 

Butter: 35 g 

Egg: 20 g 

Almond powder: 12 g 

Flour: 92 g 

Salt: 1 g 

Pollen: 15 g 

Method: 

Mix all ingredients until combined. 

Roll out to 2 mm thickness. 

Bake at 160°C for 12 minutes. Cool completely. 

Assembly:  

Spread a thin layer of lemon confit on the honey sponge. 

Pipe or pour the honey mousse into a mould. 

Insert the sponge with confit into the mousse. 

Freeze until solid, then unmould. 

Place the entremets on the pollen shortbread. 

Decorate with bee pollen, chocolate garnishes, and edible flower petals. 

 

 


Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists

Updated 02 July 2025
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Exhibition on animal rights in Athens spotlights Arab artists

ATHENS: An art exhibition at EMST, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, ponders a challenging yet crucial question: What are the rights of animals?

The exhibition, “Why Look at Animals? A Case for the Rights of Non-Human Lives,” curated by EMST’s artistic director Katerina Gregos, is among the most ambitious staged by a public institution on animal ethics at a time when wars rage around the world and basic human rights are in crisis.

The show presents more than 200 works by 60 contemporary artists from four continents and runs until Jan. 7, 2026.

Evocatively curated, with works unfolding in the various rooms of the museum in dialogue with the visitor and each other, the various depictions of animals prompt both philosophical and political questions.

The show evokes questions on the nature of humanity, the emotional intelligence of animals and how to confront systems of political domination, such as colonialism and rampant industrialization, that have restricted humans and animals.

From the Arab world, Egyptian artist Nabil Boutros has created “Celebrities,” a moving series of studio portraits of lambs, ewes and rams. Each image depicts not only their aesthetic beauty but seemingly also their emotional state.

Part of Nabil Boutros's 'Celebrities' series. (Supplied)

“I wanted to talk about the human condition through these works,” Boutros told Arab News. “These first portraits of (these animals) show they are different. They have different races, different attitudes and different characters, but we never look at them.”

“What is our relationship with animals? Is it just about food, about slaughtering?” he asked. “We are all part of this world and there is a whole organic structure that connects us that has been forgotten.”

Boutros’ touching portraits, exalting the personality and individuality of each animal, similar to traditional human portraiture, show us a rarely encountered world of animals and their emotional depth.

The show presents more than 200 works by 60 contemporary artists from four continents and runs until Jan. 7, 2026. (Supplied)

“They’re very expressive,” said Boutros, when discussing the moments he photographed them. “We imagine that they don’t have feelings, but that is not true.”

Algerian artist Oussama Tabti’s “Homo-Carduelis” is an installation that covers an entire wall of empty birdcages, each encompassing a speaker playing a birdsong created by human voices to imitate that of birds.

The work strives to show the connection between animals and humans. “The idea for the work came from the goldfinch, an appreciated bird in Algeria,” Tabti told Arab News.

“Born and raised in Algeria, the goldfinch was always in our daily soundscape.

“My work talks about the relation between the bird and the human because people appreciate (the goldfinch) and have it as a pet. They keep the bird in a cage and sometimes even go for a walk with it.”

Tabti finds the relationship at times “awkward and strange.” He thinks that Algerians at times “identify themselves in the birds.”

He added: “The work goes beyond the state of Algeria to reflect on the state of the human condition. Each one of us is in our own cage; it could be work, the environment or even one’s identity.

“I thought the bird in a cage would be a good metaphor for what we are today as human beings. We human beings are able to accomplish a lot but we live in a society that does not let us be completely autonomous.”

“For this installation,” said Tabti, “it was important for me that we can hear the birds, imitated by human beings, so it is like a human in a cage.”