13 September 2024

First Gentleman: dir Hayato Kawai (2021)

RAK Chamber of Commerce of Industry Al Nakheel, Ras al Khaimah

Hiyori (Kei Tanaka) is an ornithologist whose wife Rinko (Miki Nakatani)) unexpectedly becomes prime minister – making him the first gentleman of the country. Unexpected circumstances complicate things in this romantic comedy. This is part of Japan Film Week, co-hosted [ ... ]

Neko Ninja: dir Takeshi Watanabe (2017)

RAK Chamber of Commerce of Industry Al Nakheel, Ras al Khaimah

Cat ninja action – the adventures of a rogue ninja and a fat cat who he believes is the feline form of his legendary but long-disappeared and ninja father ... This is part of Japan Film Week, co-hosted by the [ ... ]

Little Nights, Little Love: dir Rikiya Imaizumi (2019)

RAK Chamber of Commerce of Industry Al Nakheel, Ras al Khaimah

Romantic drama based on the collected short stories of Kotaro Isaka that follows the lives of 27-year-olds Sato and Minako and those around them – friends, colleagues, children – over a 10 year period, showing how love, hope and friendship [ ... ]

Children of the Sea: dir Ayumu Watanabe (2019)

RAK Chamber of Commerce of Industry Al Nakheel, Ras al Khaimah

Fantasy animated adventure – a young girl is drawn into a mystery involving sea life around the world, in which two boys are somehow involved. This is part of Japan Film Week, co-hosted by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al [ ... ]

Artists Talk I: Brian Gonzales, Diego Mendoza, Hala El Abora, ji-Hye Kim

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse 101, Al Quoz 2, Dubai

As part of the programme for Press Print!, the gallery's current show, four of the participating artists talk about their creative process, inspiration, and the stories behind their works in the exhibition. (The other four artists in the exhibition are [ ... ]

Free

Artists Talk II: Brian Gonzales, Diego Mendoza, Hala El Abora, ji-Hye Kim

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse 101, Al Quoz 2, Dubai

As part of the programme for Press Print!, the gallery's current show, four more of the participating artists talk about their creative process, inspiration, and the stories behind their works in the exhibition.

Free

Chopin’s Best Works

Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

Chopin favourites by Candlelight, a recital for solo piano by Aldo Dotto. These concerts are "a series of classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live candlelit music [ ... ]

From AED 150

Van Gogh x Japan The Immersive Experience

Van Gogh’s love for Japanese art ran deep: he admired the way Japanese artists lived in harmony with nature and the complete focus on their work, and he aspired to do the same. Although he only discovered Japan in the [ ... ]

From AED 110

In the Heart of Another Country: the Diasporic Imagination Rises

Al Mureijah Square Sharjah

Originally shown at Deichtorhallen Hamburg, this exhibition exploring the concept of home has been expanded for its Sharjah Art Foundation visit with the addition of recent acquisitions and newly restored works of art from the Foundation's own collection. The exhibition [ ... ]

Free

The Piano Alchemy

Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

Neoclassical music from the trio of Kiann (piano and compositions), Marilies Guschlbauer (cello), and Alessandra Toni (vocal). We’re promised a seamless fusion of smooth classical harmonies with contemporary styles, all inside ToDA’s immersive 360° visual environment.

From AED 200

Dreams of Rumi

Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

An evening of music, poetry and Dervish dancing in tribute to the poetic wisdom of Rumi, delivered by a small ensemble within ToDA’s 360° impressive immersive visuals.

From AED 200

Talk: Maha Alsharif – Collecting Prints

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse 101, Al Quoz 2, Dubai

Maha Alsharif from the MA in Art Business faculty at ZU talks about the nuances of the print market and the value and significance of limited edition prints regionally and internationally. This talk is part of the programme for Press [ ... ]

Free

Omar Kamal

Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu Dhabi

With influences ranging from Sinatra’s jazz and swing to Arab idols like Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Fairuz, Omar Kamal’s broad repertoire and emotional delivery promise to make for an enchanting evening. Kamal’s vocals have been described as powerful, emotive, and [ ... ]

From AED 300

Siwon Ghim: The Sense of Living

Korean Cultural Center, Yas Yas Creative Hub P2, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Abstract paintings by the Seoul-bawed artist, a Slade graduate who has “consistently expressed her determination to define her identity through her artwork". Said Siwon Ghim: "For The Sense of Living, I have carefully selected paintings that exemplify my ever-changing internal [ ... ]

Free

SAF Book Club: Readings on diaspora and migration

Al Mureijah Square Sharjah

This SAF Book Club meeting begins with a tour of the current Al Mureijah Art Spaces exhibition, the rather good In the Heart of Another Country. The show is about diaspora and migration, and that's the theme of the book [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Victor Sitali: African Hues

Le Meridien Fairway Al Garhoud Road, Dubai

An exhibition for the Zambian (but Dubai-based) artist in the hotel's lobby (why don't more hotels do this?) that promises "a wide range of bold artistic styles, mediums, and themes". Sitali says he takes inspiration from" the colourful nature of [ ... ]

Free

Women Expressions

Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery R 29 Bluewaters Boulevard, Bluewaters Island, Dubai

A group show that "celebrates the unifying spirit of art, showcasing how these talented artists from different parts of the world have found common ground through their creativity and unique expressions" ... which sounds like a somewhat vaporous theme. Hopefully [ ... ]

Free

Sohni Mahiwal

The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

An award winning treatment by Yusra Irfan of an epic love story, timed for the Independence Day weekend of India and Pakistan, and set in Punjab (which is part of both). Sohni Mahiwal (or Suhni Mehar) is a established tragic [ ... ]

AED 100

Sohni Mahiwal

The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The second and final performance of this epic love story, timed for the Independence Day weekend of India and Pakistan. Sohni Mahiwal (or Suhni Mehar) is a long-established tragic romance from Sindh and Punjab, dating back to the 10th century [ ... ]

AED 100

Bill Burr

Etihad Arena Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

The Emmy-nominated US comedian gets a big stage for his quick wit, dark humour, and unrivalled storytelling with rants about relationship advice, sports and the Illuminati ...

From AED 250

Star Wars: A New Hope dir George Lucas (1977)

Cinema Akil Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

The first, and arguably the best – if only because of the impact of the opening titles. Universally acknowledged as a landmark in action films and featuring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher in their prime (plus Alec Guinness [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Candlelight: Beethoven’s Best Works

Grand Salon Maximilian, Raffles The Palm West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The title of this concert certainly sets the bar high, though it seems a pretty good selection of the composer's works for piano. The pianist is Magdalena Wajdzik, and the other plus is the way these recitals are lit by [ ... ]

From AED 150

Aftersun: dir Charlotte Wells (2022)

Cinema Akil Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

Charlotte Wells’ stunning feature debut movingly portrays a father-daughter relationship. Calum (Paul Mescal) and Sophie (Frankie Corio) are on a week’s holiday in Turkey; it’s a chance for the two to re-bond, and they do. Twenty years later, Sophie's tender [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Summer Editions 23

Mestaria Gallery Unit 35, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

A curated exhibition of work from six artists -- energetic street and pop art fusion from Mr Brainwash, capturing iconic cultural moments; Dan Pearce's innovative mixed-media explosions; intricate hyperrealistic paintings of figures by Craig Alan; textured tales of city life [ ... ]

Candlelight Concert: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Grand Salon Maximilian, Raffles The Palm West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

One of the most successful productions in the Candlelight Concerts series of "classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live music candlelit performances".  The Vivaldi favourite was written [ ... ]

From AED200

Bellissima | Beautiful: dir Luchino Visconti (1951)

Cinema Akil Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

A newly restored print of this black-and-white classic. It’s a pointed satire on the film industry; Maddalena (Anna Magnani) is a screenstruck mother convinced of the star potential of her daughter Maria (Tina Apicella) and desperate to escape of everyday [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Sudarshan Shetty: Only Life, Myriad Places

Ishara Art Foundation Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

This major solo exhibition for Sudarshan Shetty celebrates the global premiere of the artist’s latest film One Life Many with the first-ever survey of Shetty’s moving image works, including rarely seen videos, multimedia installations and sculptures. A key motif is [ ... ]

Free

Deep Blue: Man + Machine

Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

“An immersive showcase that delves into the profound relationship between human creativity and cutting-edge artificial intelligence,” says the press blurb. “This extraordinary event is set to captivate audiences with a fusion of art, technology, and innovation.” Effectively it’s a three-hour [ ... ]

AED 280

Summer Palette: An Artist Soiree

421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Food, music, and art as 421's Artistic Development Program cohort for 2022/2023 – Asma Belhamar, Mahshid Rafiei and Nasir Nasrallah – present their work and process. Asma Belhamar’s practice confronts the visual memory of local landscapes, and offers insight into their [ ... ]

Free but pre-register

Deep Blue: Man + Machine

Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

A second pair of shows for this "immersive showcase that delves into the profound relationship between human creativity and cutting-edge artificial intelligence". Effectively it’s a three-hour mini-festival of technology as art that also provides a networking opportunity for practitioners, would-be [ ... ]

AED 280

VIP Classical: Julia Kociuban and Sanaz Sotoudeh

Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

A piano recital in SAMIT Group's VIP Classical series presented as two halves: the Polish pianist Julia Kociuban starts with Chopin, the Ballade No.3 Op.47 followed by Mazurkas, Op.24; the three Polonaises Op.71; and finally the Andante spianato et grande [ ... ]

AED 500

Andrew Schneider: N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars)

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

This immersive theatrical installation uses nearly 5,000 points of lights and hundreds of speakers (496-channel sound) to create an interactive theatrical cosmos where viewers become active explorers, discovering the traces of themselves in light, the universe, and those who have [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Candlelight Abu Dhabi: Best of Chopin

Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

Fever brings its candlelight classical music recitals to Abu Dhabi again – "a series of classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live candlelit music performances ... by [ ... ]

From AED 250

Robert Santoré: Timeless

Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

An exhibition that traces the Californian artist's evolution as a painter and printmaker, from early years of study in New York to his pursuit of new techniques and expressive styles with works that emphasise a bold colour palette and the [ ... ]

Free

Joanne McNally

The Agenda Media City, Dubai

McNally was a big hit with Vogue Williams in their Dubai Comedy Festival show My Therapist Ghosted Me; but she's genuinely funny on her own, too – described by The Sunday Times as "a truly gifted stand-up", and now capable [ ... ]

AED 295

Gerda Carina: Gold Codes

Le Meridien Fairway Al Garhoud Road, Dubai

A series of abstract acrylics by photographer-turned-painter Gerda Carina that contain ‘codes’ to attract what you most need in life. This is Dubai, so most feature gold paint or gold leaf “because Gerda believes it holds a very special kind [ ... ]

Free

Andrew Schneider: N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars)

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

This immersive theatrical installation uses nearly 5,000 points of lights and hundreds of speakers (496-channel sound) to create an interactive theatrical cosmos where viewers become active explorers, discovering the traces of themselves in light, the universe, and those who have [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Josh Rowell: Moral Codes

Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

Rowell’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East, curated by Celine Azem, invites viewers to contemplate the moral codes that shape our society. At the heart of the exhibition lies an installation of Rowell's Painting Language series, interpretations of Aesop's [ ... ]

Free

Betsayda Machado and La Parranda el Clavo

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Building on their participation in The Arts Center’s virtual online season in 2021 with the world premiere of their documentary Las Cantoras, Betsayada Machado leads her group in close harmonies, polyphonic melodies and call and response – a spirit-shaking celebration [ ... ]

AED 105

Swan Lake

Dubai Opera

The Hungarian National Ballet is in Dubai for three days with a critically acclaimed Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky’s first (and by many accounts best) ballet has the iconic casting of the same female ballet dancer for both Odette – the pure, [ ... ]

From AED 350

Swan Lake

Dubai Opera

The second pair of performances for the Hungarian National Ballet's Swan Lake is danced by a full company including Tatyjana Melnyik and Maria Yakovleva  sharing the Odette/Odile role; Prince Siegfried is danced by Gergő Ármin Balázsi and Louis Scrivener. Gábor [ ... ]

From AED 350

Chopin’s Best Works

Al Falak Ballroom Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai

Chopin favourites by candlelight, a recital for solo piano by Aldo Dotto. These concerts are "a series of classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live candlelit music [ ... ]

From AED 350

Summer Soliloquies: A Writers’ Soiree

421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

421’s first Writer’s Soiree promises a chance to meet and connect with other writers in Abu Dhabi – "an evening of food, reading, and greeting".

Free but pre-register

Rosie Holt: The Woman’s Hour

Theatre by QE2 Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, Dubai

This should be interesting. Rosie Holt is a actress and writer who’s best known as a satirist with a massive Twitter presence for her roles as a parody Johnson-worshipping MP (surely not modelled on Nadine Dorries?). This show includes a [ ... ]

From AED 150

Swan Lake

Dubai Opera

The final pair of performances for the Hungarian National Ballet's Swan Lake is danced by a full company including Tatyjana Melnyik and Maria Yakovleva  sharing the Odette/Odile role; Prince Siegfried is danced by Gergő Ármin Balázsi and Louis Scrivener. Gábor [ ... ]

From AED 350

Sawsan Al Bahar: 33 Songs, 99 Words

Maraya Art Centre Al Qasba, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai-based Syrian artist presents a large-scale multimedia installation with 330 printed sheets representing songs inherited from her father over the past 33 years. The songs are an obscure and highly personal collection; the patterns only reveal visual poetry and [ ... ]

Free

Tagreed Darghouth: Gardens & Jungles

The title of Tagreed Darghouth’s solo show references controversial remarks made by Josep Borrell, the outspoken foreign policy chief of the European Union; he described Europe as an idyllic garden of prosperity, contrasting it with the rest of the world [ ... ]

Free

Madama Butterfly

Dubai Opera

The Hungarian State Opera/Ballet company’s second show for its Dubai sojourn is Puccini’s tragic opera, and we’re promised that “elegance meets artistry for an unforgettable evening of beauty and grace”. In turn-of-the-century Nagasaki, the dashing American naval officer Pinkerton (Boldizsár [ ... ]

From AED 425

Letters of Light

Louvre Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

Held in partnership with Bibliothèque nationale de France and France Muséums, this exhibition will spotlight the Holy Books of the three Abrahamic religions – the Quran, the Christian Bible, and the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) – exploring the historical context in [ ... ]

AED 60