• Translation Island by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is running on Lulu Island, Abu Dhabi, until January 31. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Translation Island by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is running on Lulu Island, Abu Dhabi, until January 31. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • The light art exhibition is part of Manar Abu Dhabi. Pictured is Translation Stream. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    The light art exhibition is part of Manar Abu Dhabi. Pictured is Translation Stream. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Voice Basin (2023) invites visitors to interact with it using their voices. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Voice Basin (2023) invites visitors to interact with it using their voices. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Translation Island features ten audiovisual artworks, six of which are world-premieres. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Translation Island features ten audiovisual artworks, six of which are world-premieres. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Rafael Lozano-Hemmer was inspired by Lulu Island's history as a reclaimed piece of land. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Rafael Lozano-Hemmer was inspired by Lulu Island's history as a reclaimed piece of land. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Rafael Lozano-Hemmer hopes his works can create connections between people from different backgrounds. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Rafael Lozano-Hemmer hopes his works can create connections between people from different backgrounds. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • The work presents an opportunity to see that public art can create shared experiences between people. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    The work presents an opportunity to see that public art can create shared experiences between people. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Thermal Drift (2023) shows the dissipation of heat on a screen. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
    Thermal Drift (2023) shows the dissipation of heat on a screen. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
  • Collider is a work made up of hundreds of robotic searchlights. Victor Besa / The National
    Collider is a work made up of hundreds of robotic searchlights. Victor Besa / The National

Why Lulu Island is a 'paradise for contemporary art'


Maan Jalal
  • English
  • Arabic

Media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is creating poetic experiences using technology.

In an interactive exhibition entitled Translation Island, Lozano-Hemmer has transformed Lulu Island in Abu Dhabi into an interactive playground of light.

His work is part of Manar Abu Dhabi, the outdoor exhibition of light art, where local, regional and international artists have been commissioned to create more than 35 site-specific light sculptures, projections and immersive artworks.

The Mexican-Canadian artist took the theme of the festival, Grounding Light, and created 10 audiovisual artworks, six of which are world-premieres.

“Lulu Island is paradise for contemporary art,” he tells The National.

Remarking on the proximity of the island to downtown Abu Dhabi, the artist says he was amazed that sand dunes, a 300 metre-long freshwater lake, desert flora and 10km of pristine beaches are only 200 metres away from the UAE capital. This contrast, he says, adds to the themes he was exploring in the exhibition.

“The exhibition emerges from the idea of moving through this environment where visitors can find themselves in relation to each other,” he says.

“Culturally and politically, the exhibition is a conceptual 'ode to translation', meaning from one language into another as well as the relocation of the subject in space.”

When commissioned by Abu Dhabi's Department for Culture and Tourism for the festival, Lozano-Hemmer approached the project with the idea of creating work that spoke to the environment through different facets.

“I wanted to scout the island, learn as much as possible about it and plan an exhibition that would be impactful and meaningful while integrating the natural setting,” he says.

“I wanted to connect people with their environment.”

Through his research, Lozano-Hemmer learnt that Lulu Island was the master plan of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. In 1981, Niemeyer worked on a proposal for the 424-hectare man-made reclaimed island, located off the coast of Abu Dhabi, which included plans for hotels, residences and an elevated monorail.

This prompted Lozano-Hemmer to think about the man-made within the context of nature.

Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

“Seeing Lulu Island from this new angle I reread Morel's Invention,” he says.

“In the novel by Adolfo Bioy Casares, the protagonist is stranded in a deserted island that is actually inhabited by recorded memories of past visitors. This is an early description of what we know now as augmented reality.”

Lozano-Hemmer took this idea of translating the environment to fit into man’s needs and vice versa, and then again translated it to his light and audio installations on the island.

“There is a definite sense of drama that connects all the artworks,” he says.

“The cohesive theme was the translation of one reality into another. Usually something invisible was materialised so that it could be experienced directly.”

This is seen in the installation entitled Collider, where visitors see the live impact of cosmic rays on the atmosphere as they create a glowing cascade or a large curtain of light. While his project Thermal Drift has a more interactive element where the dissipation of heat is seen on a screen between the bodies of participants, the environment, and even the city.

Thermal Drift is an interactive light work by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer on show at Lulu Island. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Thermal Drift is an interactive light work by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer on show at Lulu Island. Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

In the piece Translation Lake, Lozano-Hemmer took the experimental and complex novel Finnegan’s Wake by Irish writer James Joyce, and used artificial intelligence to translate the text into 24 languages spoken in the UAE, including Arabic, Urdu and Hindi. These can be heard while visitors sit on small Abra boats that float through Lulu Island’s central lake. The voice is in synch with illuminated glimmering white lights.

The effect of all these works of light spark curiosity before mesmerising viewers. Aside from being able to interact with the pieces in physical space and real time, the conceptual ideas of each work speak to the theme of Manar Abu Dhabi and also touch on the layers of translation that Lozano-Hemmer is interested in.

“At a very depressing time of global polarisation and climate change, I want to offer creative experiences that are incomplete and out of control,” he says.

“By this I mean that works of art don't exist without participation. The public is an integral part of the artwork, they are not only passive consumers.”

Lozano-Hemmer says that visitors to the exhibition can self-represent in any way they see fit while interacting with the work – through their voice, movements and choices. He hopes these interactions between the viewer, art and environment can create connections between people from different backgrounds and give them more agency and ownership of their cities.

Collider, a work made up of hundreds of robotic searchlights by Mexican artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at the Manar Abu Dhabi light exhibition. Victor Besa / The National
Collider, a work made up of hundreds of robotic searchlights by Mexican artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at the Manar Abu Dhabi light exhibition. Victor Besa / The National

This, Lozano-Hemmer believes, is one of the powers of public art. Work that is free to view and interact with while also shaping the urban landscape, creating unique spaces of shared authentic experiences.

“We are living in a crisis of urban representation. The contemporary, globalised city no longer represents its citizens – it represents capital,” he says.

“New buildings in the Emirates, Mexico or New Zealand are very similar to each other, as developers attempt to optimise costs and find the same homogeneous global solutions.”

Lozano-Hemmer’s work on Lulu Island presents an opportunity for the community to understand and experience how public art isn’t simply a decorative element of the city. It’s a way to shift where and how we spend time outside of our personal spaces and also combat the idea of public spaces encouraging us to constantly consume as opposed to engage or experience.

“Public art presents an interruption of this control and consumption – people spend time creating community around a shared experience,” he says.

“Public art presents an opportunity for people to come together, with each other and their city.”

Translation Island by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is running on Lulu Island as part of Manar Abu Dhabi until January 31.

 

 

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

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SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

Medicus AI

Started: 2016

Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh

Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai

Sector: Health Tech

Staff: 119

Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)

 

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Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

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9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas

9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah

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Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars 

The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Updated: January 11, 2024, 10:08 AM