Israel to skip the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale
Updated 06 June 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Israel has decided not to participate in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, with officials from the Ministry of Culture reportedly citing the need to renovate Israel’s pavilion as the reason.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the decision has sparked some criticism.
Idit Amihai, the director of the Institute for Israeli Art, said: “This year of all years they have to renovate and decide not to participate by choice? It would be one thing if we weren’t invited. Now when we’re being ostracized is precisely the time for us to take part.”
In April, during the Venice Art Biennale, Israeli artist Ruth Patir shut down her national pavilion saying that she will only reopen it when a “ceasefire agreement happens” between Israel and Hamas.
Patir said in a statement on Instagram at the time: “I feel that the time for art is lost and I need to believe it will return.”
In February, thousands of people, including artists, curators and museum directors, signed an online appeal calling for Israel to be excluded from this year’s art fair and accusing the country of “genocide” in Gaza.
“Any official representation of Israel on the international cultural stage is an endorsement of its policies and of the genocide in Gaza,” said the online statement by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) collective.
ANGA said the Venice Biennale had previously banned South Africa over its apartheid policy of white minority rule and excluded Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the appeal was an “unacceptable, as well as shameful ... diktat of those who believe they are the custodians of truth, and with arrogance and hatred, think they can threaten freedom of thought and creative expression.”
Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen discusses her second feature, ‘Hijra’
The ‘road trip’ movie is set against the backdrop of Hajj
Updated 27 June 2024
Mariam Nihal
JEDDAH: Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s debut feature, 2019’s “Scales,” was hugely successful. The dystopian drama picked up prestigious awards at the Venice Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival, as well as several regional awards. It was also selected as Saudi Arabia’s official entry for the Oscars in 2020, although it was not ultimately nominated.
So expectations are high for Ameen’s recently completed second film, “Hijra,” which she hopes will be in cinemas next year. Ameen is currently in Paris working on post-production and editing.
Filmmaker Shahad Ameen on the set of ‘Hijra’ with actress Lamar Feddan, who plays Jenna in the film. (Supplied)
“Hijra” (which means ‘migration’) tells an intimate family story: When a teenage girl disappears, her grandmother (played by Khairiya Nazmi) and younger sister, Jenna (Lamar Feddan), travel to the north of the Kingdom in search of her.
“It’s less about the chase and more about the poetic journey that they go through,” Ameen tells Arab News. “But it has this epic backdrop, which is Hajj.”
Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah — one of the five pillars of Islam. More than 1.83 million Muslims performed Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year.
“Hijra” has its roots in a story that Ameen began more than a decade ago. “I was working on a story about this missing girl. That’s the only element that survived from that story though,” she explains.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, since international borders were closed, Ameen started exploring the Kingdom.
“It was the first time I’d traveled to the north of Saudi Arabia, and all around, which really got me excited about doing a road movie, because, to be honest, a lot of filmmaking is about choosing the locations and creating an atmosphere for the film,” she says. “And at one point in my travels I thought it would be amazing to make a road film about this family on their way to Hajj and this girl goes missing.”
‘Hijra’ was shot over 55 days across eight cities in the Kingdom — Taif, Jeddah, Medina, Wadi Al-Faraa, AlUla, Tabuk, NEOM, and Duba. (Supplied)
The movie was shot over 55 days across eight cities in the Kingdom — Taif, Jeddah, Medina, Wadi Al-Faraa, AlUla, Tabuk, NEOM, and Duba. Throughout the journey, Ameen’s emotive storytelling focuses on how Saudi Arabia has always been a place where Muslims have come together, and not just for Hajj.
“It was always being brought back to the idea that this land has connected people from all over the world,” she says. “That’s what excites me. I always get angry when Americans are like, ‘Oh, we’re a melting pot and a place of immigration.’ That’s true of us too. I mean, they say they immigrate for freedom, but for a lot of Muslims around the world Saudi Arabia is the place where they can be free.”
The theme of immigration/emigration has great resonance for Ameen personally, since her great grandfather came from Bukhara in Uzbekistan. She grew up in the port city of Jeddah, where, she says, “one sees a lot of Bukharis, Tashkenti, Asians and Africans.”
She continues: “It was really exciting for me to tell the story of this young girl looking for her freedom away from her family, but through her we get to learn about her grandmother’s past.”
Khairiya Nazmi and Lamar Feddan in ‘Hijra.’ (Supplied)
Throughout the road trip in “Hijra,” the 70-year-old grandmother relives her childhood while passing through the routes along which she migrated with her father as a young girl.
“The whole story is about different generations of women and we see it through the eyes of Jenna — the youngest granddaughter,” Ameen tells Arab News, adding that, while the film is about a young Saudi girl getting to know her country, she also gets to discover the stories of the women in her family and how they view the ideas of freedom and identity.
“With all the changes happening and us having more freedom than we used to have as Saudi women, I fear that we’re not paying enough tribute to the older generation of Saudi women,” Ameen says. “I think what they have in common is — as cheesy as it sounds — strength and freedom. The grandmother in the story might seem like this traditional, strict, religious woman, but she is strong and free. I would never describe my grandmothers or my mother as weaker than we are. I would actually describe them as much stronger and much freer, but maybe within their own thoughts.”
Director Shahad Ameen and producer Mohamed Al-Daradji in Neom. (Supplied)
But Ameen is also aware of how she has benefited from the social change that has swept through the Kingdom in recent years. Saudi Arabia’s embrace of the film industry is seen in international film festivals across the globe but also locally as the government helps promote local talent. “Hijra,” for example, was supported by Ithra, NEOM, Film AlUla — the Royal Commission for AlUla’s film agency, and the Daw Initiative Saudi Film Commission.
“I was thankful to have Neom and AlUla, without (them) securing such locations would not have been possible,” Ameen says.
“Hijra” is also co-produced by the Red Sea Fund, a funding program under the Red Sea Film Foundation that has so far supported over 250 films from local and regional filmmakers.
“Receiving funds from our own country is amazing,” Ameen says, adding that young Saudi filmmakers “have no excuse” not to make movies. “Just write your script and apply for the funds and hope for the best,” she says.
For Ameen, filmmaking has been her dream since she was 10. She says she grew up wanting to tell Arab stories that she felt were missing from the big screen.
“I think it’s a feeling that we all share as Arab filmmakers,” she says. “It’s that question: Where are our voices? So to be able to showcase our stories and where we come from is beautiful.
“It’s been amazing,” she continues. “We shot a very challenging, interesting and exciting film.”
Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe /node/2538591/lifestyle
Recipes for success: Chef Robert Stirrup, culinary director of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, offers advice and a seabass and salad recipe
Updated 27 June 2024
Hams Saleh
RIYADH: Robert Stirrup’s culinary journey began in his family home just outside of London. In the bustling kitchen, he would carry out basic tasks to help prepare meals on the weekends, and this sparked a lifelong passion for cooking.
Now, with more than two decades of experience behind him, including stints at five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, Stirrup is the director of culinary arts at The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh.
Al Orjouan at The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh offers an international buffet service in an elevated setting. (Supplied)
Here, he discusses his favorite dish and his top tips for amateur chefs. He also shares his recipe for roasted seabass with etuvée of vegetables and herb salad.
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
Probably one of the biggest was to keep trying to add flavors. When you’re not really sure of the different flavors and the complexity of ingredients, you keep adding things. Over time, you start to realize what will work with what. One of the big things that one of my chefs taught me, when I was 19 or 20 years old, was to actually smell and eat all the different herbs and understand what the flavors were and what you could actually pair them with.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Planning. If you don’t have a plan for what the dish is going to look like or be presented as, then you miss out on making a list and realizing that a lot can be done in advance. If you do a lot of the things in advance, then at the end you’re just doing the finishing touches of cooking the meat, cooking the fish, finishing the vegetables or reheating the sauces. Then you don’t put all the pressure on yourself at the last minute and panic and make a mess of it.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Citrus. It can elevate so many different dishes, and there are so many different ways that you can use it. It’s not just a case of using lemon, either. You can use different herbs that have a citrus base. You can use limes. You can use yuzu. There are lots of different ways that you can revitalize a dish or bring back the freshness of a dish by adding citrus.
What’s the most common mistake that you find in other restaurants?
I always check how big the menu is. If I see a big menu, I always think that either the food can’t be fresh, or the team can’t be experts at making that many dishes. For me, having a smaller menu means the team is more focused, and the ingredients will be fresher because they'll rotate them properly. I also prefer restaurants that serve a particular style of cuisine, rather than trying to do everything for everyone. Also, I think you can tell a good restaurant before you go in by how busy it is. If a restaurant’s empty, I’m not going there.
Also, from a service perspective, I always like to ask the team what they would eat. It’s so important to have a well-trained team. And it’s so difficult to find good people. But train the team so that when they’re talking to guests and explaining the menu they’re really confident with it. I went somewhere recently where they presented the dishes and didn’t explain them at all. They just said, ‘Enjoy’ and walked off. And that changed the whole experience — rather than them sharing a bit of their knowledge and their enjoyment of being there and of what they’re serving.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
I like the simplicity of Japanese food. You can’t hide behind anything when you’re cooking Japanese food, because it's so simple. It’s the quality of the ingredients that make the dish.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
I tend to just open the fridge and see what’s there. It’s something that always drives my wife mad. I don’t like to do big shopping trips, I prefer to buy ingredients on a regular basis, and then just see what there is. I don’t really think you need to put more than three or four ingredients together to make a dish, especially at home.
But I think something easy that everyone enjoys is probably pasta. There are so many different dishes that you can do.
What customer behavior most annoys you?
I think it’s just being impolite. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s rushing, but the person who is cooking for you or greeting you or serving you? They’re also humans. It’s doesn’t cost anything to have good manners and to be polite to people. And I think you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience and they’ll have a much more enjoyable experience. Even if something’s not going right and you want to talk about it with someone, you can still be polite (about it). People suddenly become very aggressive sometimes, and I think it’s very unfair on the team who are trying their best to cook for you or to serve you.
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
I like to cook fish. It’s so versatile, whether it is sea bass, cod, snapper… anything really. Find a great piece of fish and some fresh vegetables, put them together and add some different seasoning. I always think it’s a sign of good cook if someone can cook fish well, because it’s very easy to overcook it and get it wrong. And, like I said, the less ingredients, the better.
As a head chef, what are you like?
I’m fairly laidback. I’m used to having very big teams; I have nearly 150 people in the team. At my last place, I had nearly 300. So, I’m a team player, an organizer who understands people. I find that to be much more effective than screaming and shouting. Occasionally, yes, you have to raise your voice to make everyone stop and listen, but very rarely.
RECIPE
Chef Robert’s roasted seabass with etuvée of vegetables and herb salad
Serves two
For the seabass
INGREDIENTS: 2 seabass fillets (180g each); 7g cumin seeds; 5g sumac; 10g dried oregano; 10g sesame seeds; salt and pepper to taste (approx. 5g each)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and grind with sumac, oregano, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to make a fine powder. Set aside extra for future use.
2. Roast the seabass fillets seasoned with the spice blend until cooked through and golden.
For the etuvée of vegetables:
INGREDIENTS: 1/2 large fennel bulb or 8 pieces of baby fennel, shaved or finely sliced; 1 carrot or 4 baby carrots, shaved or finely sliced; 4 baby artichokes (optional), shaved or finely sliced; 2 banana shallots, finely sliced; 2 cloves of garlic, crushed; 10 basil leaves; 4 sprigs of thyme; 100ml vegetable stock; juice of 2 lemons; 50ml extra virgin olive oil; salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Sweat the shallots in olive oil until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook gently.
2. Incorporate the carrots and artichokes (if using), then add the remaining olive oil, herbs and vegetable stock.
3. Cook slowly at medium heat, covered with a lid or cling film, for 10 minutes. Then stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
For the herb salad:
Combine seasonal salad greens with 2g fresh dill, 2g fresh basil, and 2g fresh sorrel.
ASSEMBLY:
Plate the seabass on a bed of the etuvée vegetables. Garnish with green vegetables of your choice, such as asparagus or green beans. Accompany with your fresh herb salad.
Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad dazzle with Fall/Winter 2024 collections at Paris Haute Couture Week
Saab presented fairytale brides, silver foliage, midnight shadows
Murad featured rich fabrics with beadwork, sequins, embroidery
Updated 27 June 2024
Arab News/ AP
DUBAI: Lebanese designers Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad have wowed the fasion world with their fall and winter 2024 to 2025 collections, presented during Paris Haute Couture Week.
Saab presented touches of magic and splendor for his guests which included Avril Lavigne and Ellie Goulding at Paris’ Musee des Arts Decoratifs.
With silks and velvet, the Lebanese couturier once again conjured a fantastical, almost fairytale world of bridal queens, gleaming foliage and midnight shadows.
This season, the fashion world also had another peek at couture for men, which is a growing phenomenon.
The couturier’s fall collection was presented dramatically at midnight to elicit a dark mood. Models in black leather opera gloves and graphic bands of black satin set the tone.
Men’s couture capes, part of Saab’s theme since fall 2022, were embroidered with sequins and gleaming threads, resembling silver foliage kissed by morning dew. Saab’s opulent men’s couture line continues to add a new dimension to his brand, catering to a market segment that craves visibility.
In the predominantly women’s display, organza whooshes swirled artistly upward from the waist. As the show progressed, the color palette softened. In addition, tried-and-tested floor-length silhouettes dazzled in gemstone hues.
A standout piece was a shoulderless gown in powder red, where sequins on the bodice morphed into a sea of feathers cascading down the mermaid-like skirt. The transformation of textures underscored Saab’s craftsmanship.
Murad’s collection featured an array of rich fabrics including velvet, silk and lace, with each piece having meticulous beadwork, sequins and embroidery. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Murad’s collection — which was presented at Hotel Salomon De Rothschild — featured an array of rich fabrics including velvet, silk and lace, with each piece having meticulous beadwork, sequins and embroidery.
Murad’s collection was presented at Hotel Salomon De Rothschild. (Getty Images)
The color palette was dramatic and sophisticated, dominated by blacks, deep reds, and metallic hues. The warmer tones of bronze and copper were also included. Silhouettes varied from dramatic, voluminous gowns to sleek, body-hugging dresses, featuring daring cutouts and necklines.
The color palette was dramatic and sophisticated. (Getty Images)
Notable design elements include exaggerated shoulders, intricate draping, and asymmetrical details.
Restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin says Saudi Arabia is ready for ‘Made in the GCC dining experiences’
Fundamental Hospitality has more than 20 concepts in the UAE, Europe and the United States, with La Maison Ani most recently opening in London at the end of May
'Saudi is fast becoming a luxury dining hot spot,' Evgeny Kuzin, CEO of Fundamental Hospitality, said
Updated 27 June 2024
Saffiya Ansari
DUBAI: The UAE’s Fundamental Hospitality is setting its sights on Saudi Arabia with the launch of several of its popular food and beverage concepts in the Kingdom over the course of the next 18 months.
Alaya, Cipriani Dolci, Gaia and La Maison Ani will open in the Kingdom, with Venetian-inspired Cipriani Dolci scheduled to open its doors in Riyadh this year while the other concepts are expected to welcome diners in 2025.
“Saudi is fast becoming a luxury dining hot spot with all the key brands of the world opening here, so it’s definitely somewhere we want to be,” Evgeny Kuzin, CEO of Fundamental Hospitality, told Arab News.
“We are witnessing a growing demand for ‘Made in the GCC’ dining experiences, and we are excited to contribute to this vibrant culinary landscape,” he added.
Alaya celebrates Mediterranean cuisine and features Middle Eastern influences, while Gaia offers a Greek-meets-Mediterranean menu and La Maison Ani a French-meets-Mediterranean cuisine.
“We chose to launch Cipriani Dolci and La Maison Ani in Saudi Arabia because each of these brands brings something unique to the table that we believe will resonate well with the Saudi audience.
“Alaya offers a modern take on Mediterranean and Levantine cuisine, which is both familiar and innovative. Cipriani Dolci, with its rich heritage and luxurious Italian style, brings a sense of timeless elegance. The Cipriani brand is one of the most famous luxury brands in the world with a strong Saudi client base,” Kuzin said.
When it comes to launching in Saudi Arabia, Kuzin is keen to adapt to local sensibilities.
“We understand the importance of catering to local tastes and cultural preferences. While we will maintain the core essence of each brand, we will introduce certain adaptations to align with local sensibilities. This might include offering more private dining options (and) incorporating local ingredients into our menus,” he said.
Launched in 2011, Fundamental Hospitality has more than 20 concepts in the UAE, Europe and the United States, with La Maison Ani most recently opening in London at the end of May.
“We have invested a lot of time, thought and creativity into our Made in Dubai concepts ensuring every detail from interior to service to food is of the highest quality … Gaia for instance is one of the most successful and popular restaurants here today and is top of everyone’s lists when they visit.” Kuzin said. “Dubai is one of the most visited cities in the world, which gives its popular restaurants an immediate international profile and popularity which helps when opening in other major cities.”
New ‘AlUla Flora’ book showcases region’s diverse plant life
Text by academic Abdulaziz Assaeed, photos by Hayat Osamah
Bedouin crafts and ancient culinary uses of plants highlighted
Updated 26 June 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Luxury publishing house Assouline has released a new book titled “AlUla Flora” which celebrates the diverse plant life in this ancient oasis city.
The latest addition to Assouline’s “Classics Collection” features text by Abdulaziz Assaeed, a professor of rangeland ecology at King Saud University, and images by young Saudi Arabia photographer Hayat Osamah.
The publication includes artwork from Carolyn Jenkins, Lil Sire, Raxenne, Moira Frith and Mary Woodin.
The book highlights over 80 plant species that flourish in AlUla’s diverse landscapes, which include rocky sandstone outcrops, vast desert plains, and a verdant oasis teeming with natural springs.
The plants featured include the Hispid Viper’s Bugloss with its bright funnel-shaped flowers, the striking Spiny Milkvetch with pinkish-purple blooms, and the culturally significant jujube tree.
Each species is presented for its ecological value and role in local traditions, including Bedouin crafts and ancient culinary uses.
The book offers a visual exploration of the little-known flora of AlUla and highlights significant conservation efforts to restore and rewild the city’s ecosystems.
Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said in a statement that “AlUla Flora” is a look at the “city’s fascinating botanical world, which we have been carefully and intentionally nurturing to rebuild and reinforce the ecological richness and vibrancy of the region.”
“The book acts as a visual narrative of our broader aspirations to protect and showcase the verdant life in AlUla, inviting visitors and locals to discover more about the environment that we live in and create an all-important connection with nature,” he added.
