Nujoom Alghanem’s critically-acclaimed video installation Passage will premiere at this year's Abu Dhabi Art. The event runs from November 17 to 21 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Installed as part of the art fair’s Gateway section, which focuses on local artists, it will remain at Manarat Al Saadiyat and also be shown for Portrait of a Nation II, an exhibition organised by Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (Admaf) that opens in the Saadiyat space in January.
The exhibition of Passage makes for a double-header by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. The pair curated Passage for the National Pavilion UAE for the Venice Biennale, and are also organising Abu Dhabi Art's Beyond section, which is commissioned to emerging artists this year.
Alghanem’s moody, poetic work was inspired by the idea of journeys and evolution. The Dubai cultural figure is usually accustomed to filmmaking and poetry, but embraced the opportunity to work in an art context and make the installation.
The large screen showing Passage bifurcates the exhibition space, with the film screened on both sides. Audiences have to move around the installation to see both screens, meaning one can never grasp the entire idea of Passage at once.
The work’s inclusion in Portrait of a Nation marks the first time that the National Pavilion UAE has collaborated with Admaf, which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Lebanese curator Maya El Khalil is putting together an expansive second version of Admaf's Portrait of a Nation, which was first launched in 2016. The intent for the show is to provide a window into art-making in the UAE.
“We are pleased to partner with Abu Dhabi Art and the National Pavilion UAE to present Passage, Nujoom Alghanem’s unique use of fiction and reality to explore the universal experience of displacement,” said Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, the founder of Admaf.
“Bringing the Emirati artist’s seminal work to be shown for the first time in the UAE reflects Admaf’s 25 years of dedication to cultivating and supporting artists in the UAE.”
The National Pavilion UAE brings its exhibitions back to the emirates after its initial showing in Venice, in a rotating series of venues.
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
