In May, the artist Christian Jankowski stepped off a plane at Dubai airport blindfolded. He explored the city entirely by its sounds, smells, and textures for the next five days, remaining blindfolded throughout and relying on the Traffic gallery founder Rami Farook as his guide to the city's sensory hotspots.
In May, the artist Christian Jankowski stepped off a plane at Dubai airport blindfolded. He explored the city entirely by its sounds, smells, and textures for the next five days, remaining blindfolded throughout and relying on the Traffic gallery founder Rami Farook as his guide to the city's sensory hotspots.
The collaboration was initiated by BBC World News for
its series Collaboration Culture - matching up 12 creatives based in the UK with like-minded people from around the world (here's another excellent match-up in Accra, Ghana).
The Eye of Dubai is a short film produced around the project, and gets its second free screening in the city on July 22. A suhoor of Emirati-German food kicks off the evening at Satellite in Al Serkal Avenue.
Wry performance is at the core of much of Jankowski's work. In 2011, he organised a series of game-show style auditions (in the mould of X Factor) in which 13 professional actors competed to be cast for the role of Jesus. The jury was comprised of leading members of the Vatican, who coached the hopefuls on getting the right look of beatific, spiritual enlightenment for their leading man.
'The Eye of Dubai' follows a similarly playful thread, as Jankowski and his sightless camera-crew stumble their way along the beach, the textile souq and, eventually, the desert. With Farook as their eyes, he becomes something of an innocent colluder in the strange theatricality of the project.
Beyond iftars, nighttime happenings can be a little thin on the ground during Ramadan. This a fine opportunity to see fun new work by one of the West's leading artists with good food to boot.
July 22, Satellite in Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai. Starts 9pm. (directions here)
For more info, see here
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Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
