At the back of Dubai’s Salsali Private Museum (SPM) this month, there is a mountain. More than 21,000 pieces of paper have been crumpled and thrown in the far corners of the gallery to create a towering, chaotic structure. The papers bear images of Imran Qureshi’s roof garden installation that he completed last year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The images show a blood- splattered area that conjures up a feeling of horrific violence but, in reality, the bloodstains are meticulous hand-painted abstract patterns of red paint interspersed with delicate images of flowers.
The installation in SPM, titled And They Still Seek the Traces of Blood, works on many levels, explains the Pakistani artist. “The problem of violence is something that is growing; every day we see a new dimension of it, no matter where you come from. That is why the mountain is so big,” says Qureshi. “But at the same time, the idea was to allow people to interact with the piece.
“When something violent happens, the people who are affected are asked to stay away while other people investigate. In my piece, people can touch it, so they can investigate it and it is about that.”
The exhibition, which opened on January 23, marks Qureshi being named Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year 2013. The travelling exhibition started in Berlin, went to Rome and ends, after showing in Dubai, in Birmingham, England.
In some ways, the artist has come full circle. The Pakistani, who studied miniature painting at Lahore’s National College of Arts and is now one of its teachers, was spotted by the Deutsche Bank team in 2011, when he painted Bait Al Serkal for the Sharjah Biennial. The Sharjah work, Blessings Upon the Land of My Love, was the first time that blood appeared in Qureshi’s work.
“I was not expecting such a strong reaction to the work, but the response was really amazing,” he recalls. “People were sitting there in tears and they were from all over the world. I realised then all the layers of the work and that everyone can connect with it.”
This realisation was driven home last May when he arrived in New York for the roof garden commission. It was just five days after the Boston Marathon bombing and it underlined the fact that the entire world could relate to such violence as what Qureshi had experienced at home in Pakistan.
In addition to the mountain, there are several new images painted on the floor of the gallery in Dubai or dripping down the walls.
“These are extension of my drawings,” he says. “I finished them only hours before the exhibition opened.”
Also in the show are a series of oval works painted in gold with blood painted on top. “I am always trying to have two opposing things in my work,” says Qureshi. “The gold is metallic, shiny and exotic and the red is the opposite to that. To create imagery that spoke on such a surface was a challenge for me.”
Along the other walls are small panel works that illustrate Qureshi’s incredible ability as a miniature painter and some other pieces on the pages of a book about the biological qualities of blood.
Friedhelm Hütte, Deutsche Bank’s global head of art, who assumed a curatorial role with Qureshi, says it was a learning experience for all of them. The prize was not a cash award but was a collaborative process that involved the exhibition, the production of a catalogue and acquisitions by the bank. “The end result was that we all learnt from each other,” says Hütte. “Imran’s work is a fascinating combination of traditional techniques that he has transformed into contemporary art and although he has general themes of terror and fear and hope, it also brings a window to a part of the world that people don’t know so much.”
• The exhibition runs until February 28 at Salsali Private Museum, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, 04 380 9600
aseaman@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
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- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
SPECS
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
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The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
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- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Factfile on Garbine Muguruza:
Name: Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
World ranking: 15 (will rise to 5 on Monday)
Date of birth: October 8, 1993
Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
Place of residence: Geneva, Switzerland
Height: 6ft (1.82m)
Career singles titles: 4
Grand Slam titles: 2 (French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2017)
Career prize money: $13,928,719
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
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BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
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