The intricate and detailed decorations on the walls of the Sharjah Art Foundation in Dubai | Photo: Saloni Sakhardande (Own Work) via Wikimedia Creative Commons
"Talent, not gender, is what should define you in the world of art,” affirmed Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development of the United Arab Emirates. And it is talent which is the common denominator among some of the most important names in the artistic scene in Dubai and the Emirates. One of the most important and influential curators on an international level is Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, who, at just 22 years old, took on the direction of the Biennial of Sharjah, making it one of the world’s most interesting art events. She also founded the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2009, through which numerous activities contributed in transforming the artistic scene of the Emirates into a powerful nexus and incubator of ideas. Meanwhile, her colleague, Manal Ataya, Director-General of the Sharjah Museums Authority, is in charge of the overall management of 17 museums and the strategic development of future museum projects. And the art district, Alserkal Avenue, is also in the hands of a woman, Vilma Jurkute. Britain’s Antonia Carver, once director of Art Dubai, now in charge of Art Jameel, has always pointed out, as well as demonstrating it through her own career, just how significant the female presence is in the local art scene. And there are top flight artists as well, like Shaikha Al Mazrou and Sarah Almehairi, and the number of female artists is also surely destined to increase.
The Casablanca Art School: Platforms and Patterns for a Postcolonial Avant-Garde 1962–1987
In the euphoric climate following Morocco's independence in 1956, the staff and students of the Casablanca Art School (CAS) created an artistic revolution that integrated abstract art with African and Amazigh traditions.
Cédric Kouamé, also known as Gifted Mold Archive, has always been fascinated by old photographic archives that he collected in large quantities in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He used these images, often ruined by the patina of time, reviving them again.
The poetry of Charlie Chaplin and his masterpiece The Kid with the soundtrack performed live by the Armenian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Timothy Brock.
New appointment with the DP World Tour Championship, the European Tour golf tournament which is also the culmination of the Race to Dubai. It is played on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The tournament was held for the first time in 2009.