This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote<\/mark><\/strong> Try to stay passionate, leave your cool to constellations. Passion, above all, is a remedy against boredom\u00a0Joseph Brodsky<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dubai’s the place to be<\/mark><\/strong> That’s because it’s\u00a0Art Dubai<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0time, of course, and much of the cultural ecosystem is surfing on that vibe. The fair itself is at Madinat Jumeirah from Friday to Sunday \u2013 more than 120 exhibitors in the fair itself, lots of not-for-sale sideshows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Mohammed Kazem<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s digital installation Directions (Merging)<\/em> showing at the Julius Baer Lounge. Part of an ongoing series that incorporates GPS co-ordinates with animations of water, the work appears in a purpose-built space with Dubai occupying its centre …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dubai Collection<\/strong><\/a> is all about making privately owned contemporary UAE art available to a wider audience, and for Art Dubai it is presenting Common Grounds<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, an exhibition curated by three ZU students \u2013 Shamsa Al Qubaisi, Maryam Al Zaabi, Sara Al Sulaimani<\/strong> \u2013 as part of a course (Communities, Curatorial Practices, and Collections) taught by Moya Goosen at CACE. As part of their final project, students used the Dubai Collection as a case study and curatorial resource, each proposing an exhibition concept grounded in their research. Practical, and loaded with potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hear Myrna Ayad<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s summary of the UAE\u2019s cultural landscape +971: 50 Emirati Creatives Shaping the UAE<\/strong><\/a> will be launched at Art Dubai (though it won\u2019t be available to the rest of us till September). Myrna Ayad says the book “explores the minds and workspaces of Emiratis who take the creative pulse of the country”; the 50 in question work across design, art, film, architecture, performing and visual arts, music and writing, and we\u2019ll be interested to see who\u2019s included (modesty naturally forbids any comparison with our own 50 to Follow<\/strong> from a few years ago …)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And more or less on the commercial side, Abu Dhabi\u2019s newish contemporary art gallery Iris Projects<\/a><\/strong> is showing a new large-scale, site-specific installation by Saudi artist Abdulla Al Othman<\/strong><\/a> in the Bawwaba section. We\u2019re keen to see this because Al Othman is midway through a project that looks for a visual language from the Middle East\u2019s urban environments; fascinating stuff. There\u2019s more by him at Iris\u2019s MiZa space<\/strong><\/a> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elsewhere … <\/mark><\/strong>Alserkal Avenue<\/strong> always hits the right notes for art week; this year\u2019s programme carries the title A Wild Stitch<\/strong><\/a> and is \u201ca public programme that gathers voices challenging the single grand narrative, carefully threading space for multiplicity, hybridity, and alternative perspectives that refuse to be neatly stitched into place\u201d. In fact it\u2019s basically the gallery shows plus some extras, but those extras are pretty good \u2013 like Imran Qureshi<\/strong>\u2019s show at Concrete (and associated talks and guided tours); Adelita Husni Bey<\/strong>\u2019s \u2018lecture performance\u2019 of her recent research on water infrastructure, drawing from her Sharjah Biennial 16 work Like a Flood (2025); and a majlis talks<\/strong> programme (always good). Details here<\/strong><\/a> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n And over in Sharjah SAF has April Acts: to carry new formations<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to highlight different aspects of SB16’s curatorial framework (the Biennial closes 15 June). Running 18-20 April, April Acts offers panel discussions, artist talks, workshops, film screenings and live music that \u201cbrings together conversations, art, cultural expression and activist ideas. More information here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More Francofilm<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Cinema Akil’s\u00a0Franco Film Week<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(to 17 April) has some great screenings, but there’s another francophone (with subtitles)\u00a0film festival running from this weekend … and this one is free. Five top titles at SUAD in Abu Dhabi, starting tonight with\u00a0En Fanfare (The Marching Band)<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hunger games<\/mark><\/strong><\/strong> For your next world trip, how about a tour of the\u00a0Top 15 International Restaurants<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(“according to the experts”) \u2013 and conveniently, none are in the UAE. Copenhagen to New Zealand, via Rwanda and Almaty: the list is\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong> Could Notepad replace Ableton? No, but it will fun trying to make it work\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong> Radiohead<\/strong>\u00a0took their name from the track on the\u00a0Talking Heads<\/strong>\u00a0album\u00a0True Stories\u00a0<\/em>that the band considered the least annoying\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark><\/strong> Al Barry & The Cimarons : Morning Sun<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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