Saudi National Museum welcomes Ukraine’s deputy culture minister
Anastasia Bondar, who is deputy minister for culture and media policy, toured the museum’s eight exhibition halls
Rich collection of artifacts gives visitors an insight into the natural, cultural, political and religious development of the Arabian Peninsula and the Saudi state
Updated 13 September 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Ukraine’s deputy culture minister visited the Saudi National Museum on Wednesday during her visit to the Kingdom for a meeting of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.
This is the first time that Saudi Arabia has hosted the sessions, which run until Sept. 25.
Anastasia Bondar, who is deputy minister for culture and media policy, toured the museum’s eight exhibition halls, whose rich collection of artifacts gives visitors an insight into the natural, cultural, political and religious development of the Arabian Peninsula and development of the Saudi state.
She also viewed the “Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet” exhibition, which is being held for the second year in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture.
Saudi artist Mohammad Alfaraj discusses the ‘poet of visuals’
The Saudi artist discusses his work that is currently on display at Art Basel Paris
Updated 18 October 2024
Jean Grogan
PARIS: Mohammad Alfaraj was born in the world’s largest desert oasis — Al-Ahsa — in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He is the son and grandson of date farmers.
The 31-year-old artist was one of the participating artists in the AlUla Artist Residency in 2021, and is now showing the results of that residency for the first time as part of the “Orbis Tertius” exhibition at the Art Basel Paris international art fair, which opened Oct. 18 in Paris’ newly restored Grand Palais.
He describes himself as “an artist and a poet — a poet of visuals.”
“I was talking with one of the other AlUla Residency artists about this, and we agreed that both of us try to encapsulate poems and poetry into objects, poems that you can hold, and touch and feel, and smell,” Alfaraj tells Arab News.
A still from Alfaraj's 'The Date Fruit of Knowledge.' (Supplied)
His route to becoming an artist wasn’t a straightforward one. He studied Applied Mechanical Engineering at King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran. “When I began my studies in 2011, there wasn’t much focus on filmmaking or photography in Saudi, and they were what interested me. But it was beautiful, because understanding how things work and how to build them is a relevant subject for a curious mind. One of my favorite courses was Mechanics of Materials. I learned that everything is alive, even inanimate objects emit a vibration, an energy. I wanted to complete my degree, but also to pursue my career as an artist,” he explains.
His agricultural background has also inspired his work.
“Growing up on a farm, it’s deeply ingrained to reuse everything we find around us,” he says. “We don’t call it ecology, we call it resources; there is no waste, no excess, nothing gets thrown away. A bird builds its nest from the things it finds lying around, bits of straw, bits of plastic. I call that ‘honestly built.’”
'The Last Words of a Tree 2,' currently on show at Art Basel Paris. (Supplied)
A bird is the central focus of one of Alfaraj’s Art Basel installations, “The Date Fruit of Knowledge.” The stop-motion film, with narration over the top, was drawn in the sand of the palm groves of AlUla.
“It’s the story of a little nightingale who’s trying to get all the knowledge of the world. He’s impatient; he wants everything immediately. Someone tells him the legend, ‘Each palm tree produces one date that holds all the knowledge of the world.’ So he finds a palm tree and eats every single date that it produces to hit that one date. He becomes obsessed, he wants to stop, but he cannot, he’s driven by that greed for knowledge,” Alfaraj says.
“Finally — finally — he finds the date! And he knows everything, what is, what was, what will be. The problem is, when he knows everything, he knows everything — the good things he cannot enjoy, and the horrific things he cannot change — so this blessing becomes a curse. So the film is about this idea of getting things slowly, with time, and really experiencing the journey of life rather than instantly reaching your destination. Of course, it’s inspired by stories from the Qur’an, religious parables, folklore and mythologies around the world, so everybody can connect with it in some way,” he adds. “The ‘nightingale’ in the film is made out of dates, and he eats so many dates he almost dies. What I want to say by this is that our destruction could be by our own hands, but our salvation could be by our own hands too.”
Untitled 4, Mohammed Alfaraj, 2023. (Supplied)
The film is presented at Art Basel against a backdrop of Alfaraj’s illustrations, and palm fronds are placed in front of the screen in the shape of a bird’s wings.
“The paper (for the illustrations) is made from waste palm, the ink is also made from palm leaves, so the whole work is made from things that are normally discarded,” Alfaraj explains. “I like finding objects, collecting them and turning them into sculpture, or finding photographs and landscapes of places I visit and making them into something new. I think that’s awesome — finding, finding and then transforming.”
Alfaraj still lives in the place he was born, which remains a constant source of inspiration. Last year, he built himself a home on a farm there.
An installation shot of 'Hand,' from the 'Fossils of Time' series, Mohammed Alfaraj. (Supplied)
“It’s just a simple rectangle with a bedroom and kitchen and a studio where I work. It has a garden with date palms, mulberry trees, fig and lemon trees. I have a couple of chickens too, now.”
When he travels abroad, he keeps his carbon footprint as low as possible, even if that means staying away from home for months at a time.
Since the beginning of this year, he has been preparing his next exhibition in Dubai in parallel to Art Basel. He says he told his curator that he wants to be known as “an anti-SS” artist.
Mohammed AlFaraj with his work 'From What Bone Will We Grow Back On the First Day of Eternity.' (Supplied)
“It’s a play on words, which I always like. It means I am anti-style and anti-scale, because style and scale do not the drive the work, they are just the façade. The driver of the work should be the heart and the soul — and modesty too, humility. If the work requires a large scale, I’m happy to do that. But there is no reason to make it an objective to itself.”
Another of his Art Basel installations — from his “Last Words of a Tree” series — is titled “From What Bone Will We Grow Back On the First Day of Eternity?”
“I’ve used a certain part of a palm tree to make a sculpture that looks like bones, or a fossil, of a creature emerging from the earth,” he says. “I try to believe that with so much sacrifice going on, something great will happen, and hopefully, human glory will emerge; the evil and prejudices eradicated. So, I hope this work serves as an acknowledgement of everything that’s happening, but also contains a certain hope.”
Recipes for Success: Chef Robert Stevens offers advice and a roasted cauliflower recipe
Updated 18 October 2024
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: Dubai’s The Nice Guy, the first international outpost of the West Hollywood Italian restaurant known for its “no photos” policy, is a dream-come-true assignment for its head chef, Robert Stevens.
“My favorite thing about (the job) is for sure the team,” he tells Arab News. “Teamwork makes the dream work. The venue is so beautiful. I love the feeling of walking into the restaurant when the live band is playing and the restaurant is full.”
Stevens’ introduction to the restaurant industry came in his home country of Finland after he graduated with a culinary diploma from the Turku Vocational Institute.
Dubai’s The Nice Guy is the first international outpost of the West Hollywood Italian restaurant known for its “no photos” policy. (Supplied)
“My first inspiration to become a chef was foraging and fishing in Finland’s beautiful nature,” he says.
Here, Stevens talks teamwork, seasoning, and Korean cuisine.
When you started out what was the most common mistake you made?
Not properly seasoning my dishes. I often relied too heavily on the final seasoning at the end of cooking instead of adjusting flavors throughout the process. I learned the importance of layering flavors, tasting as I go, and understanding how seasoning interacts with different ingredients.
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What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Embrace the process and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Cooking is about experimentation, so if you forget an ingredient or something doesn’t turn out as expected, view it as a learning opportunity.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Salt. It enhances the natural flavors of ingredients, balances sweetness, and can even elevate textures.
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What’s the most common mistake/issue that you find in other restaurants?
A lack of balance in flavors — dishes can be either over-salted or under-seasoned. And inattentive service always detracts from the overall experience.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
Korean. I love it for its emphasis on fermentation, which not only adds depth of flavor but also leaves you feeling light and refreshed. The balance of spicy, savory, and umami flavors in dishes like kimchi jjigai and bibimbap is so satisfying.
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What’s your favorite dish to cook?
I don’t have a specific favorite dish — I’m inspired by the seasonal produce available. Cooking with fresh, in-season ingredients allows me to create vibrant, flavorful meals that highlight the best of what each season has to offer.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
Risotto is the most difficult. We have a butternut squash risotto on our new brunch menu. Achieving the perfect creamy texture while ensuring the rice is cooked just right can be challenging. It requires constant attention and a delicate balance of adding stock gradually. Despite its simplicity, timing and technique make it a dish that demands focus and precision.
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What are you like as a head chef? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
I lean towards a more laidback style. Having worked in many high-paced kitchens, I prioritize teamwork and trust in my staff. I also emphasize support for mental health, recognizing that hospitality can be a really tough industry. It’s essential for my team to know they have support when they’re feeling down, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
CHEF ROBERT’S ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH ALMOND AND BROWN BUTTER BURNED LEEK
(Supplied)
Ingredients per plate:
-120g roasted cauliflower
-20gr Butter
-10 gr Cauliflower shavings
-2gr Salt
-1gr Pepper
-10gr Burned leeks
-10gr Truffle oil
-1 portion Almond brown butter puree
-Mustard cress to garnish
Plating
1) Sautee the roasted cauliflower in frying pan until golden.
2) Baste cauliflower with butter and truffle oil.
3) Heat up almond brown butter puree.
4) One table spoon of puree into the plate.
5) Pile cauliflower on top.
6) Garnish with shave cauliflower, burned leeks and mustard cress.
7) Season with Maldon salt and few drops of truffle oil.
Sub recipes:
Almond and brown butter puree (2 portion)
-120gr butter
-350gr cauliflower
-150 gr peeled almonds (soaked)
-60 gr shallots
-6gr garlic
-salt to taste
-100gr vegetable stock
Method:
1) Soak almonds overnight in water.
2) Cook butter until brown and skim off milk.
3) Cook cauliflower in salted boiling water until soft.
4) Sweat shallots and garlic in the brown butter until soft.
5) Blend all ingredients until very smooth. Use pacojet if available.
6) Season with salt and pepper.
Burned leeks
1) Cut the white part of the leeks into 10cm-long pieces and slice into half.
2) Cook in oven at 250 C until completely burned.
Roasted cauliflower
1) Cut cauliflower into half.
2) Seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme . Add 50 ml vegetable stock into container.
3) Cook in the oven at 180 C covered with aluminum foil for 25 min.
4) Uncover cauliflower and raise temperature to 220C cook for 15 min until it starts to caramelized and the cauliflower is cooked.
Best and Worst: Taleedah Tamer talks style, holidays and good and bad advice
Updated 18 October 2024
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: The Saudi-Italian model talks style, holidays and good and bad advice.
Best TV show or film you’ve ever seen?
I’m definitely a “Game of Thrones” fan. I’ve rewatched it more than five times. I love it. I also love “White Lotus.” I think that is a great show. I would say my favorite movie is “City of God.”
Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen?
That’s a tough one. I would say “The Idol.” It’s not a good show, but it is, like, so bad that you want to watch more of it.
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Best personal style moment so far?
I’m the kind of person that dresses for comfort. That’s my number one priority. So whenever I dress up, for, like, a wedding or for an event, it feels special. I think those are my best outfit moments. I wore a really beautiful, blue gown to my uncle’s wedding, and I felt very myself, you know? Very fairy. I really loved it.
Worst personal style moment?
I was a very nerdy looking kid. I used to wear massive pink aviator velvet glasses. Even though I respect my younger self for going for it, that wasn’t a cute look.
Best accessory for a little black dress?
It depends on what you’re going for. But, I think, even if I am going for something a bit more casual, a little black bag would be perfect.
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Worst accessory for a little black dress?
The opposite: A big bag. I don’t see that working for me. But, again, it just depends on what you’re going for.
Best fashion trend of 2024?
I love how we’ve started to normalize mixing different wears together. Like, mixing elegant with casual. Some people like to mix formal wear with street style; I think that’s one of my favorite things I’ve seen. I really enjoy it. It gives people liberty to express themselves.
Worst fashion trend of 2024?
I do not enjoy chunky shoes. I might have enjoyed them when it first started, but they’re just not very wearable at the end of the day. That’s one trend that I don’t enjoy anymore.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s stayed with me my whole life. And, recently, something that I really appreciated that I heard in a movie was: “It’s better to regret doing something than to regret doing nothing.” I think that’s really true!
Worst advice you’ve ever been given?
That you’re better off doing something yourself, by yourself. I feel like learning or asking for help is a really important skill to have. Like, you don’t have to do anything on your own. It’s a sign of courage to ask for help as well, and it shows that you want to learn.
(Supplied)
Best book you’ve ever read?
“The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran. The second I read it, I knew it would not be the last time I read it. The book is so beautiful in the original language. It was written in Arabic, and it has been translated. The translation is also really good. I love that book. I think there’s so much to be learned from it. I didn’t want it to end. It was the type of book that puts you in a good mental state and I just wanted to be in that mental state for as long as possible.
Worst book you’ve ever read?
I remember as a kid reading really bad horror books. I would, like, cringe while reading. So yeah, I would say really cheesy horror books.
Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?
Well, you have things that help you in the moment and things that will help you in the long term. When I’m feeling down, I’ve realized that meditating and reflecting is the thing that will help me get out of that state. But in the moment, to distract myself, just blasting music would help me to block things out.
Taking things for granted and not being grateful for being in that place and trying to maintain that state of mind. It’s like your health; when you’re sick, you cannot wait to feel better, and when you do, you don’t appreciate your health.
Best holiday destination?
If I want to relax, then anywhere by the sea. I also love Japan. And I thought Mauritius was a beautiful place because they have a lot of cultures there. Generally, though, it has to be somewhere really sunny, because I cannot stand the cold.
Worst holiday destination?
Anywhere that’s polluted. It’s just not enjoyable.
Best subject at school?
Languages. I was really good at my English classes and my Arabic classes. I also really loved — and I really excelled in — psychology.
To be honest, I enjoyed studying a lot; it was something that my parents instilled in me from when I was really young. So I didn’t really have a very bad subject, but my weakest would probably be math.
Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?
Plan ahead the night before. Have some idea of what you want to get doneAnd also, start your day right. Meditating or working out just starts off your day on a high note. I’ve realized that even if the other half of my day is not as good as the start, it still feels like a productive day.
Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?
Doom scrolling is the worst. That’s a killer of productivity.
Van Gogh, Cezanne masterpieces go on show at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Exhibition of postimpressionist paintings includes works never before seen in region
Collection ‘created specifically for us,’ museum director says
Updated 16 October 2024
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: The Louvre Abu Dhabi has launched its latest exhibition, “Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances,” featuring works by some of the most celebrated artists of the influential movement — many on display in the region for the first time.
Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, Henri-Edmond Cross, Emile Bernard, Paul Serusier, Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, whose work helped shape the postimpressionist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are all represented.
Organized by Jean-Remi Touzet, curator of painting at Musee d’Orsay in Paris, and Jerome Farigoule, chief curator at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the exhibition is being held in collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay and France Museums. It runs until Feb. 9.
The exhibition runs until Feb. 9. (Supplied)
Manuel Rabate, director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, told Arab News: “This concentration is unique and created specifically for us. We held an exhibition on impressionism in 2022, but once again we’re able to bring a significant number of important paintings, drawings and prints to the region, granting access to a fundamental moment in art history.
“We first focused on impressionism, now our attention is on the constellation of artists that are framed within postimpressionism, which is not just one school, it is diverse.”
The exhibition also includes two paintings by Egyptian artist Georges Hanna Sabbagh: “The Artist and His Family at the Church of La Clarte” (1920), on loan from the Pompidou Center in Paris, and “The Family: The Sabbaghs in Paris” (1921), on loan from the Musee de Grenoble in France.
Vincent van Gogh, whose work helped shape the postimpressionist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is represented at the exhibition. (Supplied)
The works are accompanied by the actual palettes the artists used to create them.
“We aimed to make the exhibition extremely relevant to the region, whether by including artists like Sabbagh or by showcasing the artists’ palettes themselves,” Rabate said.
“With artists like Sabbagh you see the connection with our modernity.”
Visitors would be treated to “access to the artists’ works, like Van Gogh and Cezanne, which they may have only seen reproduced elsewhere. Here, you’ll be in the physical presence of them,” Rabate said.
“You may discover other artists as well. The surprise can take two forms: reconnecting with an old friend or discovering a new one. This exhibition will give guests access and inspiration.”
Katara Studios is taking Arab culture to the world
Updated 16 October 2024
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Doha-based Katara Studios is making strides in producing Arab stories that showcase the region’s rich culture for local and international audiences.
Hussein Fakhri, the studio’s chief commercial officer and executive producer, spoke to Arab News recently about the company’s mission.
“We have a responsibility as filmmakers to tell our stories from our perspective. Our projects vary from informative to entertaining but are all seen through an Arab lens.”
Hussein Fakhri is the studio’s chief commercial officer and executive producer. (Supplied)
Katara Studios is working on a diverse slate of productions, including two feature films set for release in 2025 and 2026. One is a Qatari dark comedy, while the other is described by Fakhri as a “fantasy Bedouin Western.”
“These films aim to introduce innovative and exciting elements to the industry,” he said.
The studio is also eyeing international audiences. “If the work is strong enough, it should travel without much effort,” he added.
“We don’t adapt our production approach based on where the content will be viewed. We produce it to the best standard possible for our Arabic-speaking audience, and if done right, it will find an audience beyond our region,” Fakhri said.
“Language is no longer a barrier as viewers are happy to read subtitles or dubbed content. It’s all down to the strength of the writing and production value,” he added.
Fakhri also shared insights into the studio’s 2027 lineup, which includes a historical series based on the life of Arab pirate Erhama bin Jaber.
Additionally, the studio is co-producing “All Before You,” a historical drama directed by lauded Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir.
“Anything we do that will advance our industry, our language, and our culture is a win for us. Our role is not of leadership but rather bringing a spirit of collaboration with fellow Arab filmmakers,” Fakhri said.
