ABU DHABI // The winner of a prestigious art prize unveiled her masterpiece, which was inspired by the emirate’s sand dunes, at New York University Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Anna Kurkova won the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award for her installation, Dunescape, made of three large glass panel-shaped tanks that appear to contain piles of coppery sand.
But Kurkova, a graduate student in art history at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said that the tanks actually contain millions of shards of shredded glass – which are, in a way, also sand. “Glass is made from sand, so it goes full circle,” she said. “My piece is all about recycling and sustainability, because what you’re looking at is part of the desert, but also at the same time part of the urban landscape.”
Christo takes decades to complete his own works of art. His current project, The Mastaba, was conceived 40 years ago. The 150-metre monument made from brightly-coloured barrels will be erected in Liwa.
“The whole experience is a taster of what it’s like to be an artist,” said award director Emily Doherty.
“We choose people at the beginning of their careers, who are studying or have studied in the UAE.”
The award, in its fifth year, is made in memory of Christo’s late wife, Jeanne-Claude, under the patronage of Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, and presented by NYU Abu Dhabi with the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.
Kurkova, who is from Belarus, was chosen from 30 applications and given US$5,000 (Dh18,365) to turn her idea into a reality, which she did in just three months.
Christo – whose previous installation, Floating Piers on Italy's Lake Iseo, was the most visited art event in the world last year – spent some time chatting to his young protege about her work before it was unveiled.
But, he said, he never gives advice to any artist.
“Doing art is a very private affair,” he said. “I never teach, judge, or advise people, because art is really about the private life of humans.
“The most important thing is that she is very young and very courageous to do this work.”
Dunescape will be on display at the NYU Abu Dhabi campus until May 11, then at Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi from May 18 to June 3.
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
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Mamma Mia
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
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May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
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