Three of the top five names on ArtReview Power 100 are cultural figures from the Middle East, a marker of the influence the Gulf and wider Arab world have on the contemporary global art landscape.
The annual list is a survey of the world’s most influential artists, curators, thinkers and institutional leaders. It is compiled by a panel of art experts who assess each candidate's activity over the past 12 months, plus influence on current artistic developments and international impact.
Topping this year’s list is Ibrahim Mahama. The Ghanaian artist is known for his large-scale works that incorporate found and everyday materials. He is particularly known to use jute sacks and textiles leftover from the cocoa industry in Ghana, touching upon themes of labour, extraction and exploitation.
Mahama is the first person from Africa to top the list since it was established in 2002. He has been recognised both for his own output, as well as his efforts in supporting other artists.
Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani comes in second. She chairs several top institutions in Qatar, most notably Qatar Museums. Under her leadership, it has expanded its network of heritage and cultural institutions, while also amassing superior art collections.
Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, who topped Power 100 last year, has been listed as third. The president and director of Sharjah Art Foundation, Sheikha Hoor has been a driving force in establishing Sharjah as a major hub of contemporary art, with a focus on championing figures from the Global South.
Wael Shawky is fourth on this year’s list. The Egyptian artist is celebrated for his research-driven practice that reframes historical narratives through a variety of media, from film and performance to puppetry and installation. Earlier this year, he was appointed artistic director of Art Basel Qatar, putting him at the centre of an important new cultural platform in the region.
There is significant regional representation further into the list as well. Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s minister of culture, has been listed at No 21. Palestinian artist and filmmaker Emily Jacir is at No 48. Jacir is the founder and director of Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir for Art and Research in Bethlehem, an initiative dedicated to supporting cultural production in Palestine.
Another notable entry is Forensic Architecture – a research agency based at Goldsmiths, University of London – which is listed at No 9. The group is known for its investigations into state violence and human-rights violations. Its Cartography of Genocide, for instance, charts Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the indiscriminate killing of civilians.
Other figures with ties to the region featured on the 24th Power 100 include Sharjah Biennial curators Natasha Ginwala at 39 and Amal Khalaf at 43, as well as Antonia Carver, curator and director of Art Jameel, at 60.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
