Editorial musings from the nest
The quote: A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people Thomas Mann …
Frieze framed Details of the Frieze Abu Dhabi programming suggest an approach that is not as busy as Abu Dhabi Art’s, which also involved performance and installations outside Saadiyat, but it does look as though the fair is still going to be pretty special – just as well, since Abu Dhabi Art was free and Frieze is charging you. First impressions: Frieze is not trying to compete with Art Dubai’s whole-city vibe. Highlights: the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi Artist, Dala Nasser, will fill the Atrium with a new site-responsive work. Munira Al Sayegh’s Dirwaza Curatorial Lab will have an experimental pairing of an established and an emerging artist (Mohammed Kazem and Alia Zaal). Frieze Sculpture Abu Dhabi does make an appearance, albeit with a relatively modest start – five large-scale works by Zeinab Alhashemi, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Imran Qureshi and Kamran Samimi coming to Saadiyat’s Mamsha Beach (16 Nov to 16 Dec). And there’s a three-day talks programme too, with some promising teasers in advance of the full schedule. Tickets are available here – three-day passes for 20-22 Nov are AED 173.25 (Abu Dhabi Art’s were free). We’re told there are Early Bird discounts, but we couldn’t find them on the ticket site.
Water works Dalia Hamati, architect and Asst Prof at the AUS College of Architecture, Art and Design, has been named as curator of the National Pavilion UAE for the 20th Venice Architecture Biennale di Venezia next year (8 May to 21 Nov). Hamati’s proposal, selected following an open call, explores how architecture can reshape our relationship with water in response to a warming climate, which sounds about as relevant as you can get. The press release quotes her saying “I believe the most meaningful contributions to global conversations are those grounded in a careful understanding of place”; her proposal learns from historical models in the UAE to investigate the relationship between architecture, climate, and water.
Hyphenation Abu Dhabi is getting a new “curatorial platform dedicated to showcasing emerging artistic practices and cultivating new collector communities”, which in practice means opportunities for both early-stage artists to show work and “a new generation of collectors” to buy it. Hyphen Contemporary’s founder Cecelia Jihu-Sara says she “wanted to bring fresh energy to both sides of the art world”: Hyphen’s first show is at Region in MiZa (15-19 Oct) with five UAE-based artists, none older than 31.
Teaching AI GEMS, the largest private school provider in the Emirates (200,000+ students), is planning AI ‘twin teachers’, says The National – digital personas that look, sound, and respond like particular teachers. “This initiative is designed to extend the reach and impact of teachers, not replace them,” said the GEMS man, who sees assistance with after-hours homework as the primary use case.
Shop local Cinema Akil’s (Imperfect) Homegrown Market is back for its second edition this weekend (3-4 Oct, 11am-8pm) with a collection of local brands, designers, makers, and small businesses. It’s at Warehouse 46 in Alserkal Avenue.
SB17 opening week Highlights of the opening week (21-24 Jan) of the 17th Sharjah Biennial include an Ângela Ferreira intervention in a 1970s cinema – “a node upon which various postcolonial geographies, histories and aesthetics converge”: Cynthia Zaven’s performance reviving a lost tradition of Khaleeji women’s sea songs: sound-generating sculptures by Christian Salablanca Díaz, plus ‘sonic performances’ set against Sharjah’s landscapes from Jessica Ekomane and Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape: and a film programme curated by Harutyunyan and Tevž Logar “exploring how past political imaginaries persist, transform and resurface”. More info here.
Open calls for Emiratis We don’t normally cover nationally restricted open calls in our Opportunities listings, but ADMAF is now open to submissions for its three main Emirati-only awards celebrating rising UAE talent – the TotalEnergies Sustainability Design Award (one prize of AED 10,000) and the Gulf Capital/ADMAF Awards for Creativity and Visual Arts (that’s two different awards, prizes of AED 20,000 and AED 10,000 respectively). All winners get a showcase for their work at the Abu Dhabi Festival 2027; deadline for all is 16 Nov.
Also for Emiratis only – The Designers’ Space is a dedicated platform showcasing contemporary heritage through Emirati fabrics. An open call invites Emirati designers to showcase their work; apply by 10 Oct via the link in bio.
Wayfinding The 32nd edition of thejamjar’s usually excellent ArtMap is out now. Published twice a year in partnership with Dubai Culture and distributed free, ArtMap has documented the country’s arts and culture scene since 2007. There are lots of commendably brief but professionally-done interviews with artists and curators, some plugs and promos for specific events and operators, and the essential bit – a comprehensive (we think) directory of galleries, institutions, performance spaces and the like, each with a handy QR code, plus the actual maps and a (selective) calendar. Download a copy here.
Space to experiment Studio Thirteen’s new Platform initiative opens a bit of its Al Quoz warehouse to independent artists, curators, and collectives. There’s exhibition space, “room for experimentation and bold ideas”, and the chance to host talks, workshops, or activations. Package up your proposals into one PDF and send it to info@studiothirteen.art before 20 October. More info here.
Volunteers wanted The Jameel is looking for volunteers for Down to Earth, its annual weekend of sustainability, art, workshops, tours and community activities on 14-15 Nov. They need help with workshops, guided tours, stand support, demos and more. Volunteers must be 16+; apply by 11 Oct via this form.
And volunteer applications are also open for Dubai Design Week (3-8 Nov), offering the opportunity to work across exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops and Marketplace, “and leave with new skills, real event experience and a participation certificate”. Apply here – there doesn’t seem to be a deadline.
Free theatre workshops Short+Sweet are running a series of free Saturday workshops at Rove World Trade Centre for actors, writers, directors and theatre fans. The Script Workshop was last weekend, but coming up are Playwriting (18 Oct), Directing (8 Nov), and Auditioning (22 Nov). The actual auditions for Short+Sweet Dubai 2027, which starts late March next year, are on 22 Nov and 12-13 Dec. More here.
Souk opps Vinyl Souk is looking for independent retail brands, record sellers, makers, creatives and food retailers to join then at their 4th Mini Festival at 25hours Hotel, 14-15 Nov. More here.
And BREDx, a two-day “neo-culture experience” bringing street culture, creative exchange, and community to Etihad Live on 13-14 Nov, is looking for graffiti artists and homegrown brands to feature. The website has this form.
Dubai Film Fest is back Mona Al Marri, DG of the Dubai Media Office, told the recent Arab Media Summit that the Dubai International Film Festival will be back in December 2027 – ten years after the last edition. “We bring back the festival, but we don’t bring the past,” Al Marri said. “The region today is different and filmmaking is different.” Not sure what to make of that; the original DFF was strong on support for Arab and especially regional films, and the requirement for that doesn’t seem to have gone away. But it was also prone to red-carpet glitz and films with a political or social edge; Deadline reports that a more family oriented vibe is expected. Meanwhile the second edition of the independently-run Golden Dunes Film Festival – very much a red carpet affair, albeit with jury prizes and workshops crammed into just three days – has been confirmed for 28-30 Nov.
Whose museum An American Alliance of Museums reckons its core museum audience is way whiter (84% white) than the US population as a whole and better educated (83% with a college degree or better). In an attempt to add some nuance, the editor notes that the broader pool of more casual attendees – once-a-year visitors, say, who probably didn’t get to answer the survey – the totals are a bit more diverse. She couldn’t put a figure on it, though …
AI or not The Center for the Alignment of AI Alignment Centers is the world’s first AI alignment alignment centre, working to subsume the countless other AI centres, institutes, labs, initiatives and forums into one final AI center singularity. Latest research prediction: AI will kill every human by next year, or not. “This has serious implications for AI regulation: governments must urgently do more, or possibly less.” Well worth supporting.
Useful app of the week SelfControl is a free Mac app that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your blocklist, and click “Start.” While it’s active, you won’t be able to use Facebook, email, or whatever you’ve blacklisted, even if you restart your computer. Check it out here.
Something for the weekend Lobster is Lobster is a guess-the-language word game. You pick a level of difficulty, you’re given a word in English and then a translation – so “Bird is bird in English, passaro is bird in …” and you type the language. Fun and useful; a good clean design, too.
Try it here.
Things we didn’t know no.94 It isn’t just a tiger’s fur that’s striped. Their skin is marked too, and the pattern mirrors that of their fur.
Earworm of the week Boards of Canada : Prophecy at 1420mhz
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