ABU DHABI // In the Grand Ballroom of the Emirates Palace hotel, a crowd gathers to admire an oil painting of peasants tilling the land by Paul Cézanne. In the next booth hangs a neon screen print of Donald Duck by Andy Warhol. Outside, in the gardens, a giant statue of Louis Armstrong made entirely from coloured glass, by Niki de Saint Phalle, adorns the lawn.
This year's artparis Abu Dhabi exhibition promised to be grander both in scale and ambition - and visitors at last night's preview were not disappointed. Almost 60 galleries from 22 countries are taking part in the exhibition, which opens to the public today and runs until Saturday. Entrance is free.
More than 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the four-day fair. With some 3,300 modern and contemporary works on display, including art by Damien Hirst and Henri Matisse, topping last year's overall sales figure of US$16 million (Dh58.8m) seems almost guaranteed.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) this is the second year the French art fair is taking place in the emirate - a move aimed in part at securing Abu Dhabi's status as a cultural hub for contemporary art.
The exhibition also features seminars, educational programmes and exhibitions promoting regional and emerging talent, all of which the organisers hope will inspire a new wave of collectors from the Middle East. A special seminar that will feature live performances, debates, video installations and DJ sets will be taking place at the Cultural Foundation tonight. Curated by Fabrice Bousteau, the editor of the French magazine Beaux Arts, the seminar aims to explore the question of "What aesthetic is the Arab world creating today?"
Caroline Clough-Lacoste, the director of artparis Abu Dhabi, said: "In the past, the European and American art markets dominated. But in recent years there has been an explosion of new markets.
"Now the world is looking towards the Middle East as a financial and cultural centre.
"The majority of works last year were bought by Emiratis and local artists discovered for the first time what an art fair actually is. Since then the evolution of the art market in this region has been very fast. This year, even more galleries, more artists and more people are involved. This trend is set to continue."
Mohammad Khalaf al Mazrouei, the director general of Adach, said the emirate was particularly keen to use the fair as a platform for promoting regional talent, as well as support emerging artists. "As we care for contemporary art, we set our eyes on the UAE and Arab artists to have the place they deserve at the heart of the international art movement."
One part of the show called "Movement and Communication... travels through desert and sea" and curated by Amal Traboulsi profiles works by 16 artists from around the region.
Pieces of interest include sculptures made from barbed wire by Faisal Samra, from Saudi Arabia, and a video installation by a Lebanese artist, Mohammad el Rawas, which won first place at the Alexandria Biennial in 2006 and urges viewers to "Sit Down Please" - a play on a verse written by the 15th century poet Abu Nuwas. Contemporary Middle Eastern artists are generally known for focusing on traditional themes such as calligraphy and desert landscapes, but Mrs Traboulsi is quick to point out that their range is much broader.
"A lot of Arab artists are stuck with painting calligraphy for the sake of pleasing potential buyers," she said.
"Paintings that are not very good sell for thousands of dollars at auctions, like Christie's, just because there is a palm tree in it.
"With this exhibition, I've tried to keep the spirit of the region alive but I also wanted to show people something different."
Mrs Traboulsi said the majority of buyers were Middle Eastern investors, particularly Emiratis, who saw Arab art as a relative bargain compared with the astronomical prices commanded by contemporary European and American artists.
"Middle Eastern art is still at a grass-roots level, which is largely supported by the Arab community," she said.
"They buy Arab art for investment and also because they want to promote their own culture. This is slowly changing and soon international buyers will start investing in Arab art too."
Also on display is an exhibition of younger talent, which features works by eight emerging artists from eight new galleries. Highlights include works by Camille Zakharia, from Lebanon, and an Iranian photographer, Jamshid Bayrami.
Artparis was launched in the French capital in 1999 and is held there every March. It is considered to be a key event in the French arts calendar for exhibitors, collectors and investors.
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Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
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4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
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Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
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At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
