FEATURES - magpie

Why Shakespeare works

1 October 2025

One of the characteristics of Shakespeare’s plays, especially the tragedies, is the way their themes so easily cross boundaries of time and place. They can speak to us, even though the words as written are delivered by people we don’t [… more]

magpie Weekly issue 7.02 / 25 Sep 2025

25 September 2025

This week’s editorial musingsfrom magpie’s nest The quote: The cause of death is birth David Hockney A smile for Gaza Just when you think it couldn’t be worse, a group of 9-11 year old children in Gaza made a funny animated film about [… more]

Abu Dhabi Art as the region’s largest art fair?

22 September 2025

This year’s Abu Dhabi Art, scheduled for 19 to 23 November, has more than 140 galleries from 37 countries for its 17th edition. Last year the total was 104, and that itself was the largest number to date. The press [… more]

magpie Weekly issue 7.01 / 18 Sep 2025

18 September 2025

This week’s editorial musingsfrom magpie’s nest The quote: World is crazier and more of it than we think / Incorrigibly plural Louis MacNiece And, just like that, summer’s over and magpie Weekly is back – ready, willing, nay eager to keep [… more]

Eleven years and counting: so what’s new with The Arts Center?

17 September 2025

It’s become something of a magpie tradition to interview Bill Bragin at the start of a new season for The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. In part that’s because he’s chatty and any interviewer likes an interview to flow, [… more]

Tasting a new art form? Find Your Eyes at The Arts Center

15 September 2025

With Find Your Eyes, Benji Reid (right) has made a performance that is unlike any you will have seen. Other artists have approached the creative process itself as performance; but no one else has combined photography, choreography and theatre to [… more]

Abu Dhabi Art’s three emerging artists for the Beyond programme

17 July 2025

Abu Dhabi Art has named Alla Abdunabi, Salmah Almansoori, and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum for its Beyond Emerging Artists commissions programme. They’ll be mentored by Issam Kourbaj and will show their new work at Abu Dhabi Art this November; the [… more]

COMMENT

Comment: 17 July 2025

16 July 2025

This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest The quote: If you are like most people, then like most people, you don’t know you’re like most people Daniel Gilbert ZNM to open this year December 2025 has been confirmed for the opening of [… more]

COMMENT

Comment: 10 July 2025

10 July 2025

This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest The quote: Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided [… more]

Plans and curators for the third Sharjah Architecture Triennial

4 July 2025

The Sharjah Architecture Triennial has named a heavyweight curator for its third edition and released a commendably lucid curatorial statement. The curator is Vyjayanthi Rao. She’s an anthropologist, writer, artist, and curator based between New York and Mumbai. Currently a [… more]