From a distance, the location for the Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium looks like just another construction site. The air is filled with a fine white dust. Men in hard hats and yellow vests operate alarming-looking machinery. And a crane is grumbling on the sidelines. Buildings, though, are not the order of the day here. Instead, huge chunks of stone, housed in a series of open-sided tents, are being chipped, shaved and ground in preparation for the works of art they will become.
Just over five weeks remain of the emirate's first sculpture symposium, an event in which public works of art will be created by 17 internationally renowned artists, to be permanently displayed in locations around the city. Around 10 of the artists are based at the Armed Forces Officers Club, where they have been given a breezy seafront location as their studio, and where the public can come and observe them at work.
It is 10am and already several of the artists are in situ. Each has been given a white canvas tent in which to work. Some tents are buzzing with activity while others contain only huge blocks of pearly white marble, sprayed with the initials of artists who are yet to arrive. Husam Chaya, a Lebanese sculptor who was chosen by the panel as this year's emerging artist (every year there will be one from the region), waits as a 100-tonne crane grapples with his piece of marble. "They only need to turn it once more," he tells me, "and then it is on its base." So heavy are these materials that the crane is required whenever a piece needs moving or turning.
One of the biggest tents belongs to the Austrian artist Caroline Ramersdorfer, whose eight pieces of Turkish marble are being worked on by four helpers. Once the material is cut from the mountain using a diamond wire, they have the task of cutting it down to size so that the artist can work with it. "I need very precise angles," says Ramersdorfer, who has been participating in sculpture symposiums all over the world for 30 years. "It's wonderful, this marble, with huge quartz-like crystals. It's much harder than Italian marble, which is perfect for my piece."
The helpers are skilled workmen who have come from Aswan in Egypt (home to the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium). "They are incredibly hard-working men," says Ramersdorfer. "Aswan is famous for its granite. But marble has completely different characteristics, so it takes some time to get used to."
Plans for where the finished works will eventually reside are being decided by Abu Dhabi Municipality. "It would be nice to have a push towards knowing their final destination," says Ramersdorfer. "It's important for artists to see where their work will go. Direction is very important for my piece. It's a big job, not just installing the works, but also integrating them into the existing space and architecture."
Jon Barlow Hudson, a sculptor from the US who has also participated in scores of symposiums, has come down to the site to lend a hand. His piece, made from steel, is currently being housed elsewhere. "This a great site," he says. "There's lots of space, and the breeze blows the dust away. It has a beautiful vista. We make a lot of noise so it's good not to be too close to anybody."
For him, the sculpture symposium offers the chance to learn about a new culture, "and because it's an open event", he says, "in turn, the public can learn what goes into creating sculptures of this size". The artists' bond with the spectators is, says Ramersdorfer, an important one. "Some of them come every day to see what we're up to. It's like having a fan club."
The Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium runs until April 7. Members of the public can observe the artists at work daily between 4 and 5pm at the Armed Forces Officers Club. For more information go to www.adiss-ae.com.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
SPEC SHEET
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Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
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Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
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SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
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Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
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