Preserving Heritage: Zayed National Museum Research Fund’s Role in Cultural Scholarship
Preserving Heritage: Zayed National Museum Research Fund’s Role in Cultural Scholarship

In the early 1960s, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, invited a team of Danish archaeologists to excavate the Hili site in Al Ain. These excavations were critical to Al Ain, as a result, eleven sites were listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2011. Having grown up in the area, he was deeply familiar with its terrain, and he naturally sensed its historical importance. These excavations revealed evidence of the existence of agricultural oases in the UAE, dating back more than 3,000 years, in addition to a group of artefacts dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Archaeological research in the country has revealed valuable evidence of the existence of life more than 300 thousand years ago. Archaeological research and excavations will remain a priority in the United Arab Emirates; the efforts are ongoing and will continue well into the future.

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FeaturesAnna SeamanZayed National Museum, Culture, Sheikh Zayed
In Orbit: Madar 39 and the Rise of Abu Dhabi’s Creative Constellation
In Orbit: Madar 39 and the Rise of Abu Dhabi’s Creative Constellation

Found in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed district, Madar_39 [M_39] has established itself as a key part of the MiZa neighbourhood and a growing hub for cultural and creative activity. The space, described as a “thriving ecosystem of creative and cultural entrepreneurs”, offers a supporting and structured environment for connection and enterprise with a dedication to elevating the growth of the creative sector.

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Editor's Picks, FeaturesAnna SeamanAbu Dhabi, Culture, Art
Truth In Memory
Truth In Memory

Memory, often shaped by nostalgia, trauma, and loss, can distort or idealize the past, while truth, bound by its quest for factuality, may resist the emotional weight of recollection. In the liminal space where personal narratives and collective histories converge and diverge, artists often explore the blurred lines between truth and memory. This piece explores how four artists from the Dubai Collection portray human existence through the lens of social norms, intangible experiences and history within the context of individual and collective memories.

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ReviewsAnna SeamanDubai Collection, Exhibition, Culture
Collector Series: Reem El Roubi and Amir Daoud Abdellatif Collection
Collector Series: Reem El Roubi and Amir Daoud Abdellatif Collection

Reem El Roubi and her husband, Amir Daoud Abdellatif, see themselves as custodians of art and cultural heritage. Their passion for collecting is driven by a deep appreciation for artistic expression and a commitment to preserving and amplifying voices from the regions they hold dear. Originally from Sudan, their journey as collectors began when they moved from London to Dubai in 2013, shaping a collection that weaves together Sudanese, African, and Middle Eastern art - connecting historical narratives with contemporary perspectives.

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FeaturesAnna SeamanCollector, Art, Dubai Collection
Collector Interview: Elie Khouri
Collector Interview: Elie Khouri

With over 30 years of global experience in marketing and investment, Elie Khouri is CEO of Vivium Holding, a progressive single-family office specializing in alternative investing. He is also the Chairman of Omnicom Media Group (MENA), the media service division of leading global marketing communications company Omnicom Group.

Elie is a major Dubai-based art collector, who over the past several years, has brought together a group of emerging and established artists representing diverse international perspectives. An ardent supporter of the regional and global art and design communities, he is also an active patron, member of the Tate Middle East and North Africa Acquisitions Committee (MENAAC) and MoMA’s Media and Performance Committee, as well as supporter of numerous art publishing projects.

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FeaturesAnna SeamanElie Khouri, Collector, Dubai, Kehinde Wiley, Rashid Johnson, Carol Bove, Dana Schutz, Beatriz Milhazes
Solace In Soil
Solace In Soil

Despite disparate geographical, historical, and cultural backgrounds, a common thread is found in our relation to the earth. It is this concept that Shamma Al Mheiri explored for her curation of Solace in Soil, a duo exhibition running at Efie Gallery in Dubai until October 6. Al Mheiri, an Emirati curator and art historian, brought together the sculptural works of Kenyan Maggie Otieno and Sharjah’s Dr. Mohamed Yousif.

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Editor's Picks, ReviewsAnna Seamansculpture, Maggie Otieno, Dr. Mohamed Yousif
Poetic Symmetry
Poetic Symmetry

Photographer Ishaq Madan’s 2021 image of Bahraini skateboarders went viral when it was picked up by New York’s MoMA. Today, his practice is more cinematic.

With his ghutra afloat, agal suspended in midair, and arms outstretched like wings, the skater in Shabab Al Mustaqbel became an overnight viral sensation when his image was shown in New York City subway stations in 2022. It was not his identity that captured people’s imagination but what he represented. In a single frame, Bahraini photographer Ishaq Madan had captured the raw and sometimes rebellious energy of youth in an often-misunderstood culture.

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Editor's Picks, FeaturesAnna SeamanPhotography, Ishaq Madan
Art from the Arab Mediterranean
Art from the Arab Mediterranean

This autumn, Sharjah Art Museum presents key pieces from the permanent collection of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.

The horseshoe-shaped, dynamic brushstrokes of I Am You by Jordanian painter and art historian Wijdan are at once abstract and spiritual. The 2008 work is an ode to the Sufi interpretation of Islam and pays tribute to the beauty of Arabic calligraphy as an art form.

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ReviewsAnna Seamanfine arts, PaintingComment
A Celebration of Humanity
A Celebration of Humanity

Sharjah has long straddled the divide between ancient and contemporary. The emirate has led the charge in embracing its deep-rooted history while at the same time hosting a plethora of heavyweight cultural events in art, literature, music, and more. Tanweer Festival, which makes its much-anticipated debut this November, continues this rich tradition. The festival is a showcase of world music, art, and culinary journeys aimed at fostering cultural understanding and global harmony.

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Most Popular, ReviewsAnna SeamanSheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Tanweer, festival
Forgotten Spaces
Forgotten Spaces

Although Lamya Gargash often turns her lens to forgotten spaces, vacant rooms or objects, it is the trace of human presence that she seeks to capture. In the rapidly modernising UAE, change is a subject that continually draws attention, but in Gargash’s work there is also a kind of stillness. A viewer can sense traces of the people that once inhabited the space, or the forces of nature that are taking over. It is a documentation of transition.

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ReviewsAnna SeamanPhotography, Lamya Gargash
A Cocoon for Contemplation
A Cocoon for Contemplation

Visiting Sharjah Mosque in the height of summer is a spiritual experience and a journey of discovery.

The burning heat of the Gulf summer makes the light play tricks. Even as the sun descends towards the horizon, as scorching day promises to make way for the respite of evening, shimmering waves of heat-refracted light hang in the air. This atmospheric phenomenon makes the approach to Sharjah Mosque one late afternoon in June feel like the building is a mirage rising from the searing sands.

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Features, Most PopularAnna SeamanSharjah mosque
Chopard's Red Carpet: Collection 77 Fairy Tales
Chopard's Red Carpet: Collection 77 Fairy Tales

Renowned for its creativity, state-of-the-art technology and the virtuosity of its artisans, Chopard has become one of the leading names in the luxury Swiss watch and jewellery industry. Labelled as “the artisan of intense emotions” the jewellery house is the official partner for the Cannes Film Festival for which Chopard’s High Jewellery artisans have been crafting objects of art since 1998.

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FeaturesAnna SeamanChopard, Jewellery, Cannes Film Festival
Transparencies of Material, Culture, and History: The Richard Mille Art Prize Opens Conversations on the Ways We See
Transparencies of Material, Culture, and History: The Richard Mille Art Prize Opens Conversations on the Ways We See

For the third edition of the Richard Mille Art Prize that ran until 18 February 2024, seven artist works from eight artists were showcased at Louvre Abu Dhabi for Art Here 2023. .e application was open to all GCC residents and nationals and is part of the Richard Mille brand’s commitment to the progression of contemporary art. .e prize is part of a 10-year agreement between the museum and the luxury watch brand reinforcing the bond between visual and horological arts as well as championing visionary creativity and innovative perspectives on a global scale. .e prize serves as a platform for support and recognition of artists committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and is held annually as a space of interaction and exchange.

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FeaturesAnna SeamanRichard Mille, Prize