Entertainment

Abu Dhabi-based 421 announces recipients of its annual arts capacity building program

Abu Dhabi’s independent platform 421, dedicated to supporting emerging creative practitioners, has announces the recipients of its capacity building programs for the year 2023-24.

The programs, which include the Curatorial Development Program, the Artistic Research Grant, and Homebound Residency, will give 15 artists and collectives from across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia special grants, financial resources, and professional support to work on the development of new research projects that explore critical issues related to human engagement with the environment.

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The recipients include Lina Ramadan, Paribartana Mohanty, and Ritika Biswas for its Curatorial Development Program 2023, and Yasamin Ghalehnoie, Aarti Sunder, Pak Khawateen Painting Club, Lujaine Rizk and Asim Waqif, and Lantian Xie for the Artistic Research Grantees 2023-24.

For the Homebound Residency Program 2023, the artists include Salem AlSuwaidi, Yara Al Asmar, Roger Mokbel, Walid Al Wawi, Chahine Fellahi, and Kais Aiouch (Kimia Collective), Pratyush Pushkar, and Riya Raagini (Bariya)

The 421 capacity building programs support artists and creative practitioners who have a sustained artistic practice or interest in creative disciplines. Often involving juries made up of locally and regionally based arts professionals, as well as pedagogical partners that contribute to the curricula, the capacity building programs function as a launching pad for the career development of young and emerging practitioners. Those programs are open to participation of students, recent graduates, and early-career practitioners interested in visual arts, design and architecture, film, new media, literary arts, and performance.

“We are pleased to support the work of the 15 artists and collectives from across the region who are exploring important curatorial research and artistic projects that focus on ecology, natural resources, rural communities, social evolution, and environmental change,” said Faisal Al Hassan, Head of 421. “The Curatorial Development Program, Artistic Research Grant, and the Homebound Residency Program are three of four capacity building programs that we run throughout the year at 421. These programs are designed to further our mission of supporting emerging cultural and creative practitioners and to provide them with the platform and tools to explore critical issues that are relevant to our communities and our region at large.”

He added: “While we look forward to the outcomes of these projects, we are excited by the prospect of supporting this group of artists, curators, researchers, and practitioners through a process of experimentation and learning.”

Curatorial Development Program

The Curatorial Development Program emphasizes the professional and creative development of emerging and early-career curators. Supported by the 421 team and an expert pedagogical partner, the program supports emerging local and regional curators who are given the space to hone their practice holistically and to build a well-rounded skill-set that aids them in crafting each facet of a successful exhibition.
The program features a hybrid of practical and theoretical pedagogical structure that pushes for the understanding of spatial and operational decisions not as secondary to the exhibition’s curatorial concepts, but rather as equally essential to the exhibition’s content, a reflection of and a tool for the curatorial premise to be further explored.

Lina Ramadan, Ritika Biswas, and Paribartana Mohanty were selected as participants in the 2023 iteration of the Curatorial Development Program. Organized in partnership with the Bombay Institute for Critical Analysis and Research (BICAR), the Curatorial Development Program provides curators with mentorship, guidance, and support to advance their careers and produce major curatorial and/or research projects. Their participation in this cycle of the program will culminate in two major group exhibitions and a publication that will be presented as part of 421’s Fall 2023 Program.

Ritika Biswas will curate a group exhibition which produces encounters with human and non-human extinctions. This exhibition incorporates works from emerging and established artists, writers, poets, thinkers, filmmakers, activists, and researchers from East, South, and Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as from other geo-social spaces, who inhabit and interrogate various forms of anxiety and excess emerging from climate and its related crises, in their practices across diverse media, including multi-channel video, soundscapes, and multi-media installation.

Paribartana Mohanty will curate a group exhibition which is a constellation of propositions, speculations, and readings about the present climate crisis, where artists and practitioners from the ‘Global South’ respond to their immediate sociocultural, political, and environmental challenges. The curator wants to navigate these intensities through interactive works that engage Abu Dhabi audiences beyond witnessing to initiate conversations.

Lina Ramadan will edit and produce a curatorial publication that is based on her research on Bayan al-Madrasa al-Kristaliyya, (The Crystal Manifesto), which is a declaration published by the Crystalist School in 1976 in Khartoum, Sudan, by a group comprised of artists Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq, Muhammad Hamid Shaddad, Naiyla al-Tayib, Hisham Abdallah, and Hashim Ibrahim, delivering aesthetic and philosophy commentary on themes such as time, knowledge, the measurement of space, language, and critiques modes of art-making within growing “universal” discourse.

Ramadan’s publication will present artistic interventions and essays by early-career and emerging artists and researchers from MENSA region, and beyond who critically use image-making and text as means to understand possible ways of understanding ecological change. The experimental book aims to reflect on contemporary artistic tendencies and put notions such as land knowledge, environmental degradation, madness, and apocalypse(s) in dialogue. The contributors will take the Crystalist Manifesto as a point of departure and extend beyond it to examine how they articulate subjects related to Anthropocene.

Artistic Research Grant 2023-24

The Artistic Research Grant fosters practice-based research that investigates contemporary social questions through interdisciplinary methodologies and active engagement with the researcher’s community. Open to local and regional early-to-mid career creative practitioners, the program gives grantees the opportunity to focus on the research process and encourages them to experiment with new research methods. The program is designed to promote exploration, experimentation, and wider dissemination of knowledge within the arts community.

Yasamin Ghalehnoie, Aarti Sunder, Lujaine Rizk, Asim Waqif, and Pak Khawateen Painting Club, and Lantian Xie, were selected for the grant, which will culminate in a series of publications that present each recipients’ research findings and process. Together, the artists will be exploring the following themes: ecological issues, rural communities, environmental change, social evolution, traditional crafts, ecology, natural resources, and human engagement with the environment. The Artistic Research Grant projects will be presented in a series of artist books that will be published in 2024 and that will focus on the processes and outcomes resulting from the grant.

Homebound Residency Program 2023

421’s Homebound Residency Program supports creative practitioners to produce new works and explore community engagement in their practices while working remotely. The six-month-long online residency challenges creative practitioners to think deeply about connection, communication, and multidimensional interaction with each other and their communities, as well as the various ways in which we reside in urban spaces and the digital realm.

Salem AlSuwaidi, Yara Al Asmar, Roger Mokbel, Walid Al Wawi, Chahine Fellahi and Kais Aiouch (Kimia Collective), and Pratyush Pushkar and Riya Raagini (Bariya) were selected as participants in the program. Sara bint Safwan, the inaugural recipient of the Curatorial Development Program in 2020, is the interlocutor of this year’s Homebound Residency, and will support the artists throughout the program in the development of their projects.

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Entertainment

EU Organic Journey Hosts Exclusive B2B Dinner in Dubai, Unveiling European Organic Excellence

The European program “EU Organic Journey”nhosted a distinguished B2B dinner on the evening of the 14th of December 2023 at 19:00, set against the elegant backdrop of MYOCUM Dubai Restaurant (2D St, Al Wasl, Dubai, United Arab Emirates).
Bringing together key players from the Horeca sector, importers, distributors, wholesalers, grocery chains, organic shops, and esteemed food bloggers, the event showcased an array of delectable European organic products, including virgin olive oil, olives, and organic dairy products.
Attendees were treated to a unique opportunity to engage with representatives from the contributing organizations, fostering connections while savoring the exquisite European offerings. The ambiance of MYOCUM Dubai Restaurant provided the perfect setting for meaningful discussions on potential business opportunities. Throughout the evening, participants delved into the heart of the European program “EU Organic Journey”gaining valuable insights into its initiatives, organic production methods,
and the superior quality of the promoted products. Representatives from the participating organizations were on hand to provide in-depth information, facilitating discussions on potential collaborations and partnerships within the organic industry.
The B2B dinner not only celebrated the richness of European organic products but also served as a platform for networking and knowledge-sharing. Attendees left the event with a deeper understanding of the “EU Organic Journey,” equipped with the information needed to explore new business avenues and enhance their involvement in the organic sector. The EU Financed campaign EU Organic Journey aims to promote and increase the awareness regarding the European organic products from Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria to consumers in UAE, Saudi Arabia and USA with the participation of the organizations Agrodiatrofiki Sympraxi Perifereias Stereas Elladas (ASPSE) from Greece, Bio Carpathia Cooperative from
Romania and National Organic Association (NAO)from Bulgaria.

Entertainment

Classification: Public New Murabba appointed AtkinsRéalis to masterplan the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), a fully-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia,
has appointed AtkinsRéalis (TSX: ATRL), a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, to support the design of the New Murabba masterplan, the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh, and the Mukaab, an immersive destination that will revolutionize the way in which people experience hospitality, retail and
leisure. A signing ceremony, attended by Sabah Barakat, Acting CEO, New Murabba Development Company, and Campbell Gray, CEO of AtkinsRéalis, Middle East and Africa, was held to mark this milestone and celebrate the ongoing support to deliver Riyadh’s new iconic destination. Sabah Barakat, Acting CEO, New Murabba Development Company, commented: “We are proud
to recognize the important role that AtkinsRéalis has played so far in the translation of the incredible vision of this project into the design of the masterplan and the iconic Mukaab building. We’re also pleased to recognize the ongoing involvement of AtkinsRéalis in this project through a series of recent contract awards relating to the further detailing and definition
of the overall New Murabba masterplan and infrastructure design, as well as the concept design of the iconic Mukaab building.”
“The New Murabba project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s national vision aimed at developing the infrastructure, enabling the private sector, and creating job opportunities for local talent,“ added Campbell Gray, CEO of AtkinsRéalis, Middle East and Africa. “We are proud to work with NMDC on this ambitious project and bring our global engineering excellence and design
expertise, underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and sustainable solutions, to deliver a long- lasting legacy for the Kingdom and its future generations.” After successfully winning the international architectural and master planning competition for Riyadh’s new icon, AtkinsRéalis will provide its world class advisory, architecture, masterplanning and engineering services to deliver this groundbreaking project, a cornerstone to the visionary reinvention of the Kingdom’s capital city. Contributing to the city’s future development in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, the New Murabba masterplan is inspired by Riyadh’s original balance with nature, and its design is focused on a data-driven approach to sustainability, user convenience, reduction in the need for transport, walkability and people- centric design of its public realm. “Synonymous with designing iconic landmarks in the Middle East, AtkinsRéalis has established a stellar reputation for delivering people-centric destinations combining the region’s cultural identity with modern urban standards,“ said Matthew Tribe, Managing Director, Planning, Design, and Engineering at AtkinsRéalis, Middle East and Africa. “This project win is a testament to our innovative architectural design approach set to redefine downtowns of the future living experience not only in Riyadh but also globally.”

AtkinsRéalis’s competition-winning scheme is inspired by Najdi Architecture, with a focus on creating a futuristic landmark with deep contextual roots that blends Riyadh’s cultural heritage with its future ambitions. The Mukaab, which means cube in Arabic, will be the world’s largest immersive destination providing innovative experiences driven by digital and virtual technology.
The Mukaab’s exterior envelop shrouds an internal skyscraper, which will be one of the largest built structures in the world’s history, standing 400m high, 400m wide, and 400m long. The design of the Mukaab will also include first-of-its-kind hospitality, F&B and retail facilities.

Entertainment

ASPIRE’s A2RL Debuts Autonomous Racing Car in Abu Dhabi

-Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League to hold its first event in April 2024

– A2RL introduces an enhanced version of the 300 km/h Japanese Super Formula SF23 racing car

– Autonomous technology testing commences ahead of inaugural race in April 2024

ASPIRE’s grand challenge, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League – A2RL, has for the first time revealed its autonomous, highly modified Super Formula SF23 development car. The first glimpse
unfolded at ASPIRE’s offices in Abu Dhabi, near the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit, where the premier event of the season – the Formula 1 (F1) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 – is currently underway. The same venue will play host to the inaugural A2RL racing event scheduled for next April. Globally acclaimed journalists, representing the world’s most reputable automotive and
racing publications, were also present during the car’s spectacular reveal – further solidifying
the cars status as a trailblazer in the motorsports industry. In April 2024, ten teams spanning North America, Europe, the UAE, and Asia will battle it out to claim a stake in the US$2.25 million purse. The series aims to accelerate autonomous driving development and innovation, pushing the
technology forward for the eventual benefit of road car safety. The new series makes the best use of the forward-thinking and blisteringly quick Super Formula SF23 racing car, developed by motorsport powerhouse Dalarra. All cars will come equipped with an array of sensors and control units as well as a basic level of autonomous performance. The autonomous car unveiled today was fresh off the track, having completed a successful week of testing. Attendees were shown how A2RL’s extensive testing programme has begun to refine the base SF23 platform. This includes validating an array of sensors, controlmodules, and autonomous control software. Once finalized, this base platform will be madeavailable to the ten teams participating in the inaugural A2RL race at Yas Marina Circuit onApril 28, 2024.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology
Research Council, ASPIREs parent entity, said, “This is an exciting opportunity to use
extreme sports as the basis for delivering technical advances. A2RL represents an
investment that will contribute to building an autonomous mobility ecosystem in Abu Dhabi,
showcasing safe deployment and encouraging OEM investments for widespread adoption,
ultimately enhancing road safety.”
Stephane Timpano, CEO at ASPIRE, commented: “We are thrilled to debut the A2RL
autonomous racing car to global media. It was an exciting opportunity to discuss our latest
developments and testing while also highlighting the motivation and competitors behind the
competition. A2RL will be the largest autonomous racing league in the world, shifting focus
from drivers to the engineers, scientists, and programmers behind brilliant autonomous
racing systems.”