Mohammed Kazem is perhaps one of the country’s best witnesses to art history. He is part of it.
Counted as one of the “five”, a group of artists who spearheaded Conceptual art in the Emirates in the 1980s and 1990s, he has not only been sustaining a multifaceted, decades-long practice, but has also been active in curating exhibitions, teaching and mentoring young artists over the years.
As the UAE celebrates its Golden Jubilee, Kazem reflects on how rapidly the art scene has evolved – from once-in-a-year shows in the 1980s to an amalgamation of galleries, institutions, collectives and increasingly global events today.
Born in 1969, Kazem grew up at a time when being an artist was not seen as a viable career path. Even as a child, however, he was pulled towards creativity and curiosity – not only drawing, but venturing into Dubai’s streets, collecting objects to bring them home.
He was fascinated by figures in his neighbourhood, including a Pakistani man who ran a sign shop, cutting letters for advertising or painting calligraphy on boards and a Chinese man producing sketches around Al Ghurair Mall. He also notes the small guitar and music shops dotting the streets of Old Dubai. “I felt that I was closer to these things. You feel it even when you’re young,” he recalls.
At 14, he dropped out of school to focus on his art, joining the Emirates Fine Arts Society a year later, where he was mentored by pioneering artist Hassan Sharif, who helped to establish the organisation in 1980.
Kazem, together with Sharif, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Abdullah Al Saadi and Hussein Sharif, cultivated a different kind of art scene from what came before. Their works were more conceptual, but also responsive to the environment, whether in a material or social sense.
His practice spans painting, photography, performance, sculpture and installation. Among his earlier works are Tongue (1994), for which the artist inserted his tongue into everyday objects, and Scratches on Paper, a series of works on paper that he started in the 1990s and still produces today, made by repeatedly nicking the material with scissors.
Reception of these more unconventional pieces was not always warm. “We received a lot of criticism from audiences and even artists who were more focused on painting and sculpture, and more conventional European traditions. There was a gap between the artists and the art, but that’s also because there was little arts education,” he says.
Though the Emirates Fine Arts Society staged a show every year, other art initiatives, from the late 1970s towards the next decade or so, were few and far between.
“The lifestyle was slow. The demand was slow. The requests were slow,” Kazem says. “There was no market for art. We were all just waiting for that annual exhibition. Artists would probably have one solo show every two or three years. Many of those artists had a job [outside of art].”
He was one of them. As an aspiring artist in the mid-1980s, he says he could not afford to buy materials, so he joined the army at aged 17 to financially support himself and to find opportunities to study abroad.
All the while, he kept his practice active, producing and showing works when he could. Because the community was so small and arts education so sparse, artists donned various hats.
“We were teaching young artists, but we were also curating the shows, making publications, writing stories about the work in the main newspaper. We were playing different roles, even trying to get artists to understand the rules of the central government and policies of the UAE,” he says.
In tracing Kazem’s career, you can also chart the rise of Contemporary art in the Gulf, including the formation of institutions and private entities that would form the local art market.
For Kazem, the year 2003 is a significant one. Though he had participated in the Sharjah Biennial in the 1990s, he says the initiative was very different then. “It was based on the participation of different countries, so associations would hang artworks that were available. It wasn’t curated or designed, and there were no commissions. It was like a bazaar,” he says.
When 2003 came around, however, Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi took over the reins of the Sharjah Biennial, co-curating the sixth event and becoming director, a role she has kept ever since. Kazem was one of the participating artists, winning a prize for his installation.
“Many things have changed since 2003. It was when Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi came back from the UK and it was the first time the biennial had an artistic director,” he says. "The gallery boom was also starting.”
Though a handful of commercial galleries existed, the arrival of more curated programming came about in the early 2000s, when spaces such as The Third Line and Traffic flourished. Then in 2007, the Gulf Art Fair, which would later become Art Dubai, was born.
In 2013, Kazem received one of the highest achievements for many artists – representing the UAE in a solo presentation at the Venice Biennale. Though the country had participated in the prestigious art event two years prior, it was in 2013 that the UAE was permitted a permanent pavilion in the Arsenale exhibition site. It was the first Gulf country to secure such a long-term agreement.
Walking on Water, curated by Reem Fadda, featured Kazem’s installation Directions 2005/2013, an immersive, 360-degree projection of the sea joined by sounds of churning waves, with various GPS co-ordinates flashing in a chamber. Inspired by his personal experience, the work was meant to replicate being lost at sea.
The dates in the title tell the story of how the work had developed, according to what was possible in terms of production. Kazem recalls how he and other artists struggled in 1980s and 1990s to produce some of their artworks – there simply weren’t enough curators, companies, manufacturers and technology to help create them.
“When I went to the biennial, I was able to visualise my work after about eight years,” he says.
Artists now have a bigger network of professionals to collaborate with in order to produce their work, he says. “The new generation of artists here can customise their works or play with bigger scales using the right materials Back then, curators and art consultants weren’t here. Today, many people who have studied abroad or have moved here from abroad bring their skills in areas like exhibition design.”
Careers in arts and culture, as well as design, have also become viable. “Many things have happened that allow today’s artists to live and work through their art, which was not possible 20 or 30 years ago,” Kazem says, citing spaces such as Alserkal Avenue, Jameel Arts Centre and organisations such as the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation in supporting artists. Not to mention the establishment of international museums such as Louvre Abu Dhabi – where Kazem’s work is on view and currently shortlisted for the museum’s first Contemporary art prize – and the coming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
All these developments keep him “optimistic”, though he says that education remains the most important element to building an arts ecosystem. He says he hopes to see not only more visual art taught in local schools, but also subjects such as philosophy and psychology. Then and now, this gap remains “one of the main challenges” in the country.
It’s not only artists who prop up the industry, after all. He knows that as far as developments go, they are only as successful as the people who thrive in them. “You can build a nice museum, but if there are no art historians, art designers, curators, if these don’t exist, then you cannot work.”
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Racecard
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
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'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Classification from Tour de France after Stage 17
1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 73:27:26"
2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale-Drapac) 27"
3. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) 53"
5. Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) 1:24"
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford