For better or for worse, we’ve made it to September. The UAE’s art scene has endured a difficult few months with closures and cancellations affecting the incomes of artists and gallery owners alike.
Over the summer, museums and galleries have gradually reopened their doors, inviting art lovers back into their spaces, albeit with limited capacity. Despite Dubai's biggest art moment being cancelled in March because of the pandemic , the industry is eager to bounce back as a new season begins.
While a number of shows have been extended well into the rest of the year, there are a few new ones to add to your calendar. Here's what to see.
Every Soiled Page
Ishara Art Foundation, an institution dedicated to South Asian art that launched in March 2019, will present a group show that explores art's role in shaping our collective memory. The show's title, Every Soiled Page, is taken from a poem by Pakistani author Faiz Ahmad Faiz, written during his time as a political prisoner in the 1950s.
The exhibition considers how art can serve as a record of resistance. Curated by Sabih Ahmed, Every Soiled Page includes works by Anju Dodiya, Astha Butail, Neha Choksi, Praneet Soi and Sunil Padwal, as well as a newly commissioned performance installation by Inder Salim.
Saturday, September 19 to Saturday, December 19; Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; ishara.org
New Waves: Mohamed Melehi and the Casablanca Art School
This major show on the Casablanca Art School was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed to September because of the pandemic.
From 1964 to 1974, Mohamed Melehi and a group of artists spearheaded a radical movement that influenced arts education in Morocco, encouraging students to look beyond western art history and focus on local production. New Waves tells the story of the Casablanca Art School, the group's moniker, and traces Melehi's career through paintings and archival photography. It will reveal the artist's crucial role in developing postcolonial Moroccan art and Arab Modernist art.
Curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet, the show will present previously unseen works by Melehi, including a collection of his documentary photography from 30 years of travel. Works by Farid Belkahia, Mohamed Chaba and Hossein Miloudi will also be on display.
Saturday, 19 September, to Saturday, October 10; Concrete, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; alserkalavenue.ae
Memory Drum
Emirati artist Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim's second solo exhibition at Lawrie Shabibi will feature a series of paintings and sculptures created since March. The conceptual artist is a pioneering figure in the UAE art scene, having worked alongside Abdullah Al Saadi, Hussain Sharif, Mohammed Kazem and Hassan Sharif, in the 1980s.
Born in Khor Fakkan, Ibrahim has long been influenced by the landscape of the Hajar Mountains and his work demonstrates his connection to the natural land. His latest paintings bear his signature circle motifs, which are influenced by ancient markings found on the mountainside.
From Saturday, September 19, Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; lawrieshabibi.com
On Stones and Palimpsests
For her new solo show at Green Art Gallery, Hera Buyukstaciyan investigates how history can be erased territorially and culturally, taking the Partition of India in 1947 as one example. In her work Infinite Nectar, produced for the Lahore Biennial 2020, she studies Sikh heritage buildings that were abandoned during the Partition, seeing them as spaces that bear the histories and urban transformations of that period.
The Turkish artist's Reveries of an Underground Forest will also be on view. The sculptural installation looks at the forest and riverbeds of Canada's indigenous peoples that were destroyed as the city of Toronto was being built in the 1800s.
Saturday, September 19 to Wednesday, November 7; Green Art Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; gagallery.com
The Last Days of Soft Machine
Austrian artist Philip Mueller continues to expand the universe around his 2017 Black Flamingo Sad Boys series, which features characters that made their way from the Alps to the Italian island of Santo Stefano. In 2019, Mueller presented Beach Resort Tiberio, which imagined these characters now living in wild abandon on the island.
In The Last Days of Soft Machine the latest and last iteration of the resort series, the artist shows the undoing of these figures in a final celebration of excess. In one painting, Dogdays at Santo Stefano, the characters live out their last days of revelry in vandalised and neglected structures.
Monday, September 28, to Wednesday, November 4; Carbon 12, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai; carbon12dubai.com
Toys and Trophies: From Zeus’ Pandora to Barbie Doll
Lebanese artist Tagreed Darghouth's works in this new solo exhibition at Tabari Artspace were completed in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion, which damaged her studio in Mar Mikhael. Her new paintings centre on the notion of feminine beauty and the male gaze, drawing from references in Greek mythology and modern-day representations of women.
In this body of work, Darghouth, who has often addressed social issues in her practice, reflects on her own experiences as a woman and considers gender dynamics present in everyday life, both online and offline.
Tabari Artspace will donate 10 per cent of the proceeds from sales to the Lebanese Red Cross.
From Tuesday, October 20; Tabari Artspace, DIFC, Dubai; tabariartspace.com
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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
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
