This week’s editorial musings
from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote:<\/mark><\/strong> When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story\u2019s voice makes everything its own\u00a0\u00a0| John Berger<\/em> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sharjah modernism<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong> Sharjah is joining\u00a0the UAE<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Abu Dhabi<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in setting up\u00a0a mechanism to log and protect its modern architectural heritage<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s early days yet, but a committee is being established with leadership by\u00a0Sharjah Art Foundation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and goals including preservation, increased awareness and promotion of cultural tourism; importantly, the committee will also work on listing, researching and documenting modern heritage buildings\u00a0… Round numbers<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0In a sign that Abu Dhabi is preparing confidently for the post-war return of tourists, the $1.7bn\u00a0Sphere Abu Dhabi project<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has broken ground at a site between Yas Mall and\u00a0SeaWorld. Like the\u00a0Las Vegas<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0original, the venue will seat up to 20,000 when it opens in 2029. “Abu Dhabi is open, ambitious, and unwavering in its direction said Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi” …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inloco contracts<\/mark><\/strong> After three years,\u00a0Inloco<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is shutting down its gallery and exhibition operations to become an art consultancy and public art agency. A statement: \u201cThe essence of urban art lies in its temporality. As a project inspired by street practices, we approach this interrupted temporality with humility and care \u2013 accepting that what once appeared in the street may no longer exist there today\u201d. The three years have seen some good exhibitions (we especially liked\u00a0Karim Jabbari<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s last year), the\u00a0Inloco Talks<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0urban art symposia, and large-scale ‘art interventions’ in the Mleiha Desert and Al Satwa\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kirstys collected<\/strong><\/mark> Is your name\u00a0Kirsty<\/strong>? Or\u00a0Kirstie<\/strong>, or\u00a0Kirsten<\/strong>, or some other variation of it? After being diagnosed with a brain tumour in November 2024, 12 year-old\u00a0Kirsty Waugh<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is on a mission to make a map of all the other Kirstys in the world. There\u2019s only a handful in the UAE; so if you\u2019d like to add yourself to the map,\u00a0here\u2019s<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0where to go\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n First SMEs for Ma\u2019an<\/mark><\/strong> Majid Al Futtaim\u2019s\u00a0Ma\u2019an<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0initiative to bring UAE-based creative SMEs from the studio to the shop floor \u2013 specifically to Majid Al Futtaim\u2019s mostly premium retail environments \u2013 has\u00a0named the first 27 recipients<\/strong><\/a>. We didn\u2019t spot many design-led minibrands on the list, which is heavy on coffee and food popups, but “further announcements are expected as Ma\u2019an continues to expand its support for UAE-based creatives across the region”\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conservation credit<\/mark><\/strong> Zayed National Museum<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has opened submissions to a part-time\u00a0Associate Conservator Diploma course<\/strong><\/a>. Delivered with Britain\u2019s West Dean College (a great choice) and supported by Mubadala Foundation, the course \u2013 at the Museum and online, plus with a four-week placement: 80 days in total \u2013 promises an intensive introduction to heritage conservation. Applicants must be at least 18 and hold an honours degree or equivalent. Deadline for applications is\u00a015 June<\/strong>; apply\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0… Write on<\/mark><\/strong> The art ecosystem needs more than art: and one the trickiest extras is the development of articulate and acute art writing. A big hand then for\u00a0Sharjah Art Foundation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and a new initiative called\u00a0The Hook<\/strong><\/a>: writers are invited to comment on\u00a0an artwork currently on view at one of the Foundation\u2019s venues<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 \u201ccontributors are encouraged to approach the work through personal experience, cultural references, the broader context of the exhibition, or other associations\u201d. There\u2019s an open call for pitches: contact\u00a0editor@sharjahart.org<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with a short paragraph on a work you\u2019d like to respond to and why. Selected writers will receive editorial feedback (plus an unspecified fee) and final texts will be published on\u00a0#SAFOnline<\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ten-minute successes<\/mark><\/strong> It\u2019s\u00a0finals weekend<\/strong>\u00a0for the two short-play festivals running in Dubai \u2013\u00a0X Fest<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at The Junction (7.30pm on 22, 23, 24 May: tickets\u00a0reportedly selling fast) and\u00a0Short+Sweet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at New Covent Garden (Gala Final on 23 May \u2013 six shortlisted plays repeated at 3.30 and 7.30pm, with winner announcements in the evening show) …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Job opp 1<\/mark><\/strong> MAKE Abu Dhabi<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is looking for a \u201cmotivated and detail-oriented\u201d\u00a0Project Manager<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to lead the delivery of its capability building and enabling initiatives at its workshop\/lab\/studio complex\u00a0in Mina Zayed<\/strong><\/a>. Needs a Bachelor\u2019s degree and min three years\u2018 experience in project or programme management …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Job opps 2<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong> Sharjah Art Foundation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(which seems to be filling the newsletter this week) currently has half a dozen\u00a0jobs<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on offer, from top-level positions like Head of Performance to Assistant Curator\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Free space<\/mark><\/strong> As part of the\u00a0Creative Sector Resilience Portfolio<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0we referenced a couple of weeks ago, Dubai Culture is\u00a0offering\u00a0free, multi-purpose workspaces<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to creatives, small businesses, and art\/design students. There’s no info about where and for how long;\u00a0apply<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0before 30 May …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best ever novels?<\/mark><\/strong> The Guardian polled its people to create a list of the 100 Best Novels of All Time<\/a><\/strong>. Fascinating stuff, and a great reading list. No.3 was Ulysses<\/strong><\/a>, No.2 was Beloved<\/strong><\/a>, and No.1 is sure to divide the room<\/strong><\/a> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI 101<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0A software engineer called Rob Ennals wanted his 11-year-old son to understand how modern AI works, but couldn\u2019t find a tutorial that was sufficiently rigorous and accurate without being either too childish or simply impenetrable. The result is Learn AI Layer by Layer<\/strong><\/a>, a free online book with try-it-yourself sections in every chapter (so far half of the 27 chapters are online); it\u2019s a clear, hands-on explanation of what happens inside an LLM<\/strong><\/a>, and you don\u2019t have to be 11 to get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a quick-reference accompaniment, AI Glossary<\/strong><\/a> is a free, additive, open-source glossary of AI terms and concepts<\/strong><\/a>, written for journalists but in plain language so the rest of us can understand it too …<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand<\/mark><\/strong> Standard Chartered<\/strong> is planning to cut over 7,000 jobs over the next four years as it scales up its use of AI agents. \u201cIt\u2019s not cost cutting<\/strong>\u201d said the bank\u2019s chief executive: \u201cIt\u2019s replacing in some cases lower-value human capital<\/strong> with the financial capital and the investment capital we\u2019re putting in\u201d …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foundry talks<\/mark><\/strong> Coinciding with its five-year anniversary, Foundry Downtown<\/strong><\/a> is launching a YouTube channel<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0exploring \u201cthe ideas, people, and cultural shifts shaping today\u2019s evolving art and culture ecosystem \u2026 through dialogues with artists, curators, thinkers, gallerists, and cultural practitioners\u201d. Much of it will focus on Foundry and its shows, but we\u2019re also promised coverage of \u201cthe broader transformations redefining contemporary creative practice and cultural production today\u201d. The first is a lengthy and interesting how-what-why conversation<\/strong><\/a> between Anna Seaman<\/strong> and Foundry\u2019s main man Giuseppe Moscatello<\/strong> about the genesis of the gallery …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Useful app of the week<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Delphitools<\/a><\/strong> is one of the best collections of small, low-effort and completely free tools that we\u2019ve come across \u2013 for online artists, graphics folk, social media posters, and others. There\u2019ll be something for anyone here.\u00a0Find it here<\/a> …<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0With Cracked<\/strong><\/a> you have to find the five words by rotating the five dials. When all five columns spell valid words, the safe cracks open (supposedly \u2013 we have yet to reach that nirvana).\u00a0Try it here<\/a>\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0ne in 10 Icelanders will publish a book\u00a0during their lifetime.<\/strong><\/a> More than a thousand books are published there each year, and the average Icelander reads more than two per month …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark> <\/a><\/strong>Dhafer Youssef : Street of Minarets<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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