Al Riwaq Art Space was credited with creating a vibrant art scene in Adliya, Bahrain, before rising rents forced it to vacate its premises in March 2018. The venue, which spearheaded the popular The Nest street festival and provided a base for local creatives, was so beloved that more than 2,000 people signed a petition against its closure, but to no avail.
Now, however, the gallery's masterminds are planning a comeback, as a new venue will open its doors in a new location, with a new vision, this year.
Manama's Yateem Centre – Bahrain's oldest mall – will be its new home, and extensive redevelopment work at the shopping complex is ongoing and nearing completion.
Al Riwaq owner Bayan Kanoo, in partnership with A M Yateem Brothers, has plans to drive the transformation of Manama, turning the city into a destination for arts and culture, locally and internationally.
The area chosen for the new development, close to the Bahrain capital's souq, is in the middle of an ambitious regeneration project that aims to regain its status as a cultural and commercial centre of the island. This scheme has already given rise to the opening of The Merchant House boutique hotel and the rejuvenation of the historical Bab Al Bahrain building.
"My hope is that the new Al Riwaq will be a place where creativity in all its forms can thrive – for all people, not only artists," Kanoo tells The National. "The goal is for art enthusiasts to further their interests, aspiring artists to develop new skills and established creators to launch careers."
The venue, which will encompass a ground floor and mezzanine area across 1,400 square metres, will open in September, with a co-working space, a 3D-printing and fabrication lab, a studio, gallery and cafe. Al Riwaq's notable concept store will also make a return, once again giving local artists a chance to sell their work to the public. There are also plans to repurpose the rooftop of Yateem Centre as a garden and park for events and pop-up markets.
Overall, it will take up a quarter of the space in the renovated mall, and will be its flagship tenant.
Al Riwaq Art Space's inaugural exhibition, Post-Fiction, will spotlight Manama's fictional narratives that have created a lasting impression on the kingdom. Tracing dominant narratives that shaped the capital, such as the British imperial legacy, trade history and urban planning, it will allow certain versions of history to be scrutinised by participating artists, which includes Abu Dhabi's Nasser Alzayani, Bahraini architects Ali Karimi and Hamed Bukhamseen, and artist and designer Mariam Alnoaimi, also from Bahrain.
Ahead of its official launch, the centre will begin a soft opening in August and introduce in-person events. These will include sessions on art appreciation and history, portfolio preparation for a variety of disciplines, film screenings and some skills-based workshops.
Giving local artists and creatives a platform through which to hone and improve their skills is what Al Riwaq Art Space is all about. “Nurturing a creative ecosystem is one of the most important ways we can make the world a better place,” says Kanoo.
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
