French Moroccan artist Wafa El Hilali is showcasing her work at World Art Dubai this weekend. She talks to us about her inspirations.
The first art work I bought? Well I never had the chance to buy any artwork to this date. If I had to buy an artwork though it would have to be a piece I could take with me and travel with easily, like those picture frames we often put in our suitcases to remember our loved ones. I will be looking out for it. Just give me some time ...
The first art work I created as an artist is no longer. I am usually very critical about my work. I wasn't particularly satisfied with it at the time and therefore got rid of it. I shouldn't' have I know! I remember that it represented a whirl of colours on a white background, an abstract piece. I wish I had kept it of course. I am today more careful when it comes to throwing away an artwork that I don't connect with particularly. I just don't do it. I choose to give more room for reinvention or even recycling. I have more ideas to turn my unwanted pieces into stories of a lifetime.
My art work now is being displayed primarily in Dubai: "April" and "Time swims" can be found at "La Serre Bistro" in downtown Dubai. "Lueur d'espoir", "Algae" and "En attendant Le soleil " are populating the walls of SELVA showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road. I am pleased to also be collaborating with Monda Gallery, a well established gallery in the region. Most of my original artworks can actually be found on their website: www.mondagallery.com.
My favourite artist or I would say the artwork that fully captured my attention lately is "Around the
Blues” by Sam Francis currently on display at Tate Modern — London. This piece of art looks so vibrant, flawless and fluid. I had a real connection with the shapes, the gaps, the colours. At the time of my discovery I was working on my first solo exhibition “Underwater”, a collection of paintings and poetry. So I very much felt like merging with the piece. It really resonated with me. Today I start to think that it might have inspired me to create “The Blues” one artwork that now found a new home.
A painting I wish I created is still sitting there in my mind waiting to see the light. People, landscapes, music, emotions and colours are my source of inspiration. I have got thousands of ideas and I am looking forward to seeing more of them become live on canvas.
I would describe the UAE arts scene as being vibrant and eclectic. The UAE is a platform that allow artists from all nationalities to emerge freely and expose their talent. Hundreds of local, national and international exhibitions occur each year in the country which gives the chance to local Artists to share experiences. I am very proud to have chosen Dubai for my first steps as an artist. The next show I will be exhibiting at is the "World Art Dubai" which will take place at the World Trade Centre from the 6th to 9th of April 2016. I welcome all Art aficionados to come and meet Artists from around the globe.
• World Art Dubai runs from Wednesday to Saturday at Dubai World Trade Centre. www.worldartdubai.com5 m
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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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
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
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• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Price: Dh64,500
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