If you look at the grainy black-and-white images from the Emirates Fine Arts Society’s very first exhibition, in 1981, you will see paintings hanging from temporary walls and room dividers and people jostling for space in a crowded room.
This was the UAE’s art scene at a time when, although it had no international presence, it was thriving and buzzing regionally and many of today’s well-established artists were just beginning their careers.
It is scenes like this from which Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi took inspiration when curating artworks by Emirati artists for next month’s Venice Biennale, where the UAE has had a permanent pavilion in an ancient renovated building in the shipyard district since 2013.
Under the title 1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, Sheikha Hoor, who is also president of the Sharjah Art Foundation, conceived the show as a retrospective of contemporary art exhibitions in the Emirates over the past 40 years, and selected from EFAS archives more than 100 pieces of art from 1968 to 2002.
The space
The artworks are all placed within a 250-square-metre space on a custom-designed grid of mobile, vertical walls and on an elevated floor – so that some of the work can be viewed through “windows”. The design will also incorporate sunken alcoves and pedestals for the many objects of art. “It is a visual presentation rather than a chronological one,” Sheikha Hoor says. “The timelines all cross over anyway and even though the artists were working together at the time, they had their own identity. I also noticed connections between a lot of the works that were unintentional, but it was something I wanted to explore as the curator.”
The artists
Fifteen Emirati talents will showcase their paintings, sculptures, ceramics, reliefs, photographs and even a collection of old notebooks from the veteran contemporary artist Hassan Sharif. Artists who have become renowned for a particular style will be presented through their much earlier works. Abdul Qader Al Rais, for example, best known for his landscapes and abstract paintings, will exhibit a series of figurative paintings, while Najat Meky, who works primarily on paper and canvas, will show sculptures.
The journey
“Nobody knows the scene in the UAE and I’ve grown up alongside it. It was a different landscape then. Everyone knew what the others were doing and it was very inclusive,” says Sheikha Hoor, adding that she even found pictures of her own paintings in the archives.
“However, not everybody has had the same opportunities so I wanted to present a lot of artists that maybe the younger generations wouldn’t know so well but who were working alongside the others at the same time. It is important people are aware of that.”
Despite being thorough in her research, Sheikha Hoor admits that the show is still far from being a comprehensive historical diary and has been, in many ways, a personal journey. “I was born in 1980, so for me it is almost like it is a lifetime of research and a personal reflection as well,” she says.
The support
The UAE pavilion is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation. Its founder, Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, says she is “delighted” to be working with Sheikha Hoor. “Thanks to her vision and leadership we are able to share essential works from this key period in the UAE’s art scene and also to build links for future generations. “I applaud her contributions to the development and advancement of the larger discourse on art from the region.”
• The 56th Venice Biennale runs from May 9 until November 22 (the preview runs from May 5-8). The official opening of the National Pavilion of the UAE is on May 7 at 4.30pm. For more information, visit www.nationalpavilionuae.org
aseaman@thenational.ae
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
