This week’s editorial musings
from magpie’s nest
The quote: I became a journalist partly so that I wouldn’t ever have to rely on the press for my information | Christopher Hitchens …
Abu Dhabi dates The Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial 2026-27, titled Home: A Glossary for a Communal Sense of Place and under the artistic direction of Elvira Dyangani Ose, will run from 23 Oct in Al Ain and15 Nov in Abu Dhabi, both until 15 Feb …
And coincidentally NOMAD Abu Dhabi will be back with its collectable/arty design vibe at Terminal 1, Old Abu Dhabi Airport, 18–22 Nov …
Get in On 4 July, ME by Meliá Dubai and Fujifilm Middle East are inviting creatives into the world’s only Zaha Hadid designed hotel for an exclusive architectural “photography experience” (aka practical workshop) led by top snapper Beno Saradzic. It’s a rare opportunity to photograph the architectural landmark’s sculptural forms and dramatic perspectives from the inside; places are limited and will go quickly. Sign up here …
Islamic opp Nominations are now open for the 20th Al Burda Award for Islamic culture (categories: poetry, calligraphy, ornamentation) with the theme ‘Family: Tranquillity and Compassion’. Deadline 22 Aug …
Film opp 1 The Fujifilm Short Film Festival is now open for entries till 15 Aug. Submit a short film (max 30 mins) in four award categories: Narrative, Documentary, Animation, Student. There are category prizes (equipment + cash) plus Best Film and Audience Award. The Festival runs 12-13 Dec in Dubai; info here …
Film opp 2 Chop ’em Down Films, Vinyl Souq and Bull Funk Zoo are looking for “visual storytellers from around the world” to contribute to a collaborative short film inspired by Bull Funk Zoo’s track Power of Love. Register here by 5 July for the full creative brief and project details …
EVs for MotF The Museum of the Future has signed a strategic partnership with Kia reflecting what the local Kia boss called “a shared ambition to make the future tangible today”. Presumably money changed hands; the carmaker gets a dedicated space within the Museum for its EVs, ”offering visitors an opportunity to experience Kia’s vision for next-generation mobility firsthand”; it will also host workshops and public talks at the museum, and there’ll be Kia-branded EV chargers outside …
Job opp 1 Ishara Art Foundation is seeking an Exhibitions, Programmes & Special Projects Lead (yup, that’s one job) for its Alserkal Avenue location. The successful candidate “will plan, coordinate, execute and monitor all exhibition and programme related operations, along with collaborative initiatives of Ishara”. Send your resumé to operations@ishara.org before 20 July …
Job opp 2 Rizq Art Initiative in Abu Dhabi is looking for a Gallery/Curatorial Assistant. Requirements include passion, organisational skills, multitasking; previous experience a plus. No deadline indicated; email applications to info@rizqart.com …
While you were sleeping The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade has confirmed there’s a “highly ambitious plan” under way to reduce the country’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz to “zero” – major expansion of the Gulf of Oman ports (Dibba, Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and at least one new one) with new pipelines and transit routes across the desert from Abu Dhabi. The Etihad Rail link to Fujairah should help too …
DJ for a day? Drop in to the AlphaTheta Premium Dealer store at The B1 Mall in Al Barsha and try a complimentary beginner-friendly DJ workshop. Channel your inner Armin van Buuren on AlphaTheta’s top-notch professional DJ equipment – no experience required …
Art Basel Qatar relocating Art Basel Qatar is planning to move wholesale to a purpose-built Herzog & de Meuron venue on Al Maha Island, a luxury / mixed-use district of Lusail city being developed north of Doha. Won’t be anytime soon: breaking ground is expected in 2028. Meanwhile the next Art Basel Qatar is in the old place 28-30 Jan 2027 …
Listen to the Emirates Volume 2 of Vinyl Souk’s Made in the Emirates various-artists compilation is now out, and it’s a banger. Vol 1 was a pick-n-mix selection with a variety of names (like Boom.Diwan, Bull Funk Zoo, Noush Like Sploosh, WYWY) that would make a great taste-of-Dubai gig. Vol 2, compiled by Shadi Megallaa, focuses on the underground electronic scene: eight original tracks across two LPs with deep house, breaks, techno, and experimental club sounds – “a snapshot of a thriving scene shaped by artists working on their own terms”. Standouts for us: Megadon Betamax, Maha Monastery, and Tacit; fine artwork too by Rami Afifi. We were hoping it’d be on Bandcamp (like Vol 1) but no; you can at least sample it here …
AI draining your phone? Hard-won practical-experience advice: open Settings, Tap Battery, look for apps are using the battery. Could be AI assistants, photo apps, productivity tools, other AI-powered services like Apple Intelligence or Android Voice Activation. And usually it’s a combination. Also review Battery Optimization, App Battery Usage, or Background Restrictions for power-hungry apps that sneakily run in the background …
One for the kids Magic Phil is doing a free show at 5pm on Saturday (27 June) at the Fun City play area in Nad Al Sheba Mall, with a meet-n-greet to follow. Book here …
Now read on Two good book club subjects on Sunday: Bookends does The Hitchhiker’s Guide, Book Cellar Dubai has the somewhat inscrutable Bartleby, the Scrivener …
Free summer films in Sharjah This week’s Sharjah Art Foundation news is the arrival of Sunday Cinema Club – a free film followed by a talk or a workshop, 3pm each Sunday from 5 July to 30 Aug at the Photography Gallery in Al Manakh. Films are child-friendly animations (5–19 July), pioneering SF (26 July–9 Aug), or “significant works of Arab cinema” (16-20 Aug). Opener is Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea …
Last chances … Closing RSN: three good shows – Moza Al Falasi at Tashkeel Alserkal Avenue (ends tomorrow), Jumana Emil Abboud at the Jameel (Sunday), Zawyeh’s group show Elusive Territories (Tuesday) …
… Tonight’s the night There’s just time to get along to MTD’s A Night at the Musicals at Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel; Comedy Kix’s Funny People at Hive in JVC; and especially the UAENO’s Season One Finale Concert at NYUAD Arts Center …
Useful app of the week Google’s Pinpoint is a really powerful free tool for making sense of giant heaps of digital stuff. Previously it was restricted to journalists and academics; now it’s free to all (though you only get 1Gb of storage – but that’s per account, so set up more than one account if you need to). It’s great for making stuff searchable – handwritten text, scans, PDFs, transcribed audio and video – and it’s surprisingly easy to use. Be warned though: Google can scrape your data for training its AI models, so don’t use it for anything really personal or sensitive. Find it here …
Something for the weekend Guess the year from the news headlines – they seem to be from North American publications only, which is a shame. You get five each day, with up to 100 points available per guess (so 500 is perfect, reportedly. I wouldn’t know). Try it here …
Things we didn’t know no.94 Your favourite colour is blue (probably). It’s been the most preferred colour ever since surveys started in the 1800s; a 2015 YouGov study of 10 countries across four continents recorded blue scoring 8 to 18 percentage points higher than the second-place colour in all of them …
Earworm of the week Lola Young : From Down Here
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