The curtain will raise on the sixth edition of Abu Dhabi Art tonight with a grand VIP opening and tomorrow from 3pm the doors will open to the public.
For The Art Blog, myself and Danna Lorch (of www.dannawrites.com) will be bringing you extended coverage for the next few days.
To kick things off Danna has written a guide to the 10 things not to miss at Abu Dhabi Art.
1. Edgar Degas.
Encounter original oils on canvas by the French master of Impressionism, head to Acquavelle Galleries (booth A2)
2. Seeing Through Light: Selections from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Collection
18 of the first pieces from the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are on display. Lose yourself in an alternative universe as you enter Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room and wander through the painstakingly curated exhibition, which explores our scientific and spiritual relationship with time and light. A sure sign of strong things to come when the Frank Gehry-designed stunner of a museum opens its doors on Saadiyat Island in 2017.
3. Galleries from all over the world.
It’s possible to transcend borders and visit Seoul’s Park Ryu Sook Gallery for Choi Jeong Hwa’s chrome sculptures, New York’s Paul Kasmin gallery to take in Ivan Navarro’s light installation, and then to Paris, where kamel mennour presents imposing animal sculptures by Huang Yong Ping and Lee Ufan, standing guard outside a makeshift garden of rocks. No plane ticket necessary for this trip!
4. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1981 painting The Ring
In Gallery Enrico Navarra’s booth, view an original canvas by the young American artist who revolutionised New York’s street scene before an untimely early death at the age of 27.
5. Ai Wei Wei’s sculpture
Forever, an installation of stainless steel bicycles by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, adds real texture to the fair's main atrium. The installation is a preview of the Beyond section, which will expand after the fair to display public artworks in the city of Abu Dhabi for the coming few months.
6. Hassan Hajjaj’s Artist Talk
Perhaps you know Hassan Hajjaj for his series Kesh Angels, a pop ode to the female biker culture on Marrakesh's streets? The legendary portrait photographer will deliver an Abu Dhabi Art Artist Talk titled Consuming Cultures, which promises to probe the relationship between tradition and consumerism. It will take place on Thursday between 15.00-15.45 in the auditorium. Email manaratalsaadiyat@tcaabudhabi.ae to register.
7. UAE artist Najat Makki’s figurative paintings at Hunar Art.
Allow the signature dot patterns (inspired by the traditional women’s dress known as ‘abu dagga’) to transport you to another time and place. Makki was the first woman in the country to earn a scholarship to study art abroad and that longstanding passion for the canvas is evident.
8. Artists’ Waves
Take a break from the fair’s full-on buzz and step into a softly lit salon featuring a wall packed with works by artists who were hand-picked by curator Fabrice Bousteau. Have the chance to interact with emerging galleries including Dubai’s Gallery Ward, which focuses on contemporary Egyptian art.
9. A presentation on counterfeiting in art
Fakes and Looted Art in the Middle Eastern Market is another Abu Dhabi Art talk about the challenges of authenticating works of art from the region and how to avoid common traps. Speakers include Venetia Porter, Michael Jeha, Charles Pocock and Saleh Barakat. Moderated by Georgina Adam. It happens on Saturday between 14.30-15.30 in the auditorium. Email manaratalsaadiyat@tcaabudhabi.ae to register.
10. Performance Art.
This interactive medium is still relatively new to the region and for the second year running Abu Dhabi Art demonstrates a commitment to live performance pieces that are organically part of the fair. Look out for Moussa Sarr's Rising Carpet, a woven carpet flown by drones throughout the fair's public spaces and halls.
* This blog is co-posted on www.dannawrites.com
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 2.5/5
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
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
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
