Syrian art strives for visibility at Venice Biennale

Syrian art strives for visibility at Venice Biennale
Titled “The Syrian People: A Common Destiny,” the pavilion features a mix of prominent contemporary Syrian artists and a few Italian names. (Supplied)
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Updated 08 July 2022

Syrian art strives for visibility at Venice Biennale

Syrian art strives for visibility at Venice Biennale
  • Syria’s pavilion in Venice has attracted criticism, but reflects a desire for unity at home and abroad

VENICE: Syria’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale stands on San Servolo Island. Titled “The Syrian People: A Common Destiny,” it features a mix of prominent contemporary Syrian artists and a few Italian names in its representation of a country that has been embroiled in civil war and economic and social upheaval since 2011.

The pavilion this year is commissioned again by Emad Kashout, a cultural official in Damascus, who has been assisting with the selection of works for Syria’s Venice Biennale pavilion since 2015. Participants include Syrian artists Sawsan Al-Zoubi, Ismaiel Nasra, Adnan Hamideh, Omran Younis and Aksam Talla. Their work, largely on canvas, is being displayed alongside works by Italian artists Giuseppe Amadio, Lorenzo Puglisi, Marcello Lo Giudice, Hannu Palosuo and Franco Mazzucchelli. (The pavilion is funded largely by Italian sponsors.)




Omran Younis. (Supplied)

Younis’ lurid abstract expressionist paintings depict the suffering of the Syrian people with intense and vivid brushwork. As he says in his artist statement: “When art becomes a protest in this human slaughterhouse, a protest against the pain, the invisible, the human moment of fear and death that develops into screams on this white cloth until it becomes painful and the black painted lines penetrate the body of the earth like a plough to make art a clear line of certainty — it’s price is only life itself.” His work is contrasted with the softer, dreamy depictions of cityscapes and everyday life of Saousan Alzubi, as seen in her 2016 collage “Imagination City.”

Some of the works by their Italian peers do, at least, have an overt thematic connection to situations and experiences that many Syrians may recognize. Palosuo, for example, contributes two pairs of paintings; one pair a boy and girl, one pair a man and woman. All four have their faces covered with bold white brushstrokes as if to distort, or erase, their identity.




Hannu Palosuo. (Supplied)

According to Eshout, the theme of “A Common Destiny” reflects how, despite the different artistic approaches and subject matter employed by each of the five Syrian artists on show, they are united in their love for their country, a common cultural destiny, and a desire to transcend violence and chaos.

The pavilion’s press release emphasizes how Syria’s ancient heritage, with artifacts dating back to the 8th millennium BC, influenced the work on show, inspired as much by the country’s great past as by its recent horrors.

“Art culture has always represented a way to shape society by promoting love and hope,” Eshout told Arab News from Damascus. “Art in this ancient culture has always represented a way of shaping society by fostering love and hope and providing an opportunity for rebirth.”




Sawsan Al-Zoubi, “Imagination City.” (Supplied)

The Italian artists’ works are meant to complement those of their Syrian colleagues.

“They carry a message of love and peace for Syria, a land … with a strong, eclectic cultural heritage that is deeply rooted in history,” wrote Loubana Mouchaweh, Syria’s minister of culture.

But the pavilion has — as in previous years — been widely criticized by prominent members of the Syrian art community both at home and abroad for its lack of representation and failure to represent the breadth of artistic creation taking place now in Syria.




Ismaiel Nasra, “The Child and the Cloud.” (Supplied)

“It’s a small collective effort of a few people with nothing to do with the government and reflects a desperate situation for a desperate body of culture trying to exist,” said a Dubai-based Syrian arts specialist who asked to remain anonymous. “I guess we are frustrated because we know we can do more and better. But, truthfully, no one has the time and energy. There are no budgets. It is a doomed situation.”

Samer Kozah, who has run his eponymous gallery in Damascus since 1994, also said that the pavilion doesn’t offer a comprehensive representation of the Syrian art scene.

“The solution, in my opinion, is to form a special committee for international participation, including the Venice Biennale, the Ministry of Culture and active galleries in Syria, to choose the type and quality of artists,” he said.

Until then, however, it seems Syria’s representation at the Venice Biennale will struggle to fully and accurately reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage or its contemporary art scene, which still flourishes despite the country’s ongoing challenges.


Sudan’s speciality ‘bittersweet’ Ramadan drink

In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
Updated 26 March 2023

Sudan’s speciality ‘bittersweet’ Ramadan drink

In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it.
  • In Sudan, the arduously made “helo-murr,” which means “bittersweet,” is a drink synonymous with Ramadan
  • It can be found on almost every table across the northeast African country at the end of the day’s fast

OM ESHR, Sudan: As generations of Sudanese have done before her, Wissal Abdel Ghany crouched next to a fire to prepare a traditional drink, a thirst-quenching favorite enjoyed during the fasting month of Ramadan.
In Sudan, the arduously made “helo-murr,” which means “bittersweet,” is a drink synonymous with the Islamic holy month.
It can be found on almost every table across the northeast African country at the end of the day’s fast.
“Without it, our table feels empty,” said Abdel Ghany, wearing a bright orange headscarf.
She sat in a small room in the village of Om Eshr, on the outskirts of the capital Khartoum, which teemed with a small force of women busily scraping and spreading a mixture before serving the beverage in clear glasses.
The drink has satisfied thirsty fasters for decades and recipes are “inherited from our mothers and grandmothers,” the 43-year-old said.
Corn is harvested and left to dry in the sun before being ground and mixed with spices such as fenugreek, cumin or even hibiscus — Sudan’s other essential Ramadan beverage.
This mixture is then soaked in sugar and water for several days.
Abdel Ghany spread a layer of the thick brown paste over a grill plate above the coals of a wood fire, cooking it into a thin, leather-colored film.
The resulting crepe-like layer is then peeled away and stored — ready to be soaked in the final step to create the beloved drink.
Served as cold as possible, the drink is one of many ways that fasting Sudanese cool off, a significant challenge in one of the world’s hottest countries.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, after which they traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast.
In Sudan, the brew is so identified with Ramadan that even the US embassy took to Twitter to promote its staff making it, with diplomats wielding wooden spoons over embers and sipping the amber liquid.
Abdel Ghany said preparing the drink is a collective effort, bringing “together our sisters and friends.”
“We make it together to share among ourselves,” she said.
In Sudan’s cities, she added, some people don’t make it themselves.
“But they still have to offer it for dinner, so they buy it ready-made,” she said.
For Abdel Ghany, the preparation of helo-murr and the holy month cannot be separated.
“All it takes is a whiff of the scent coming out of a home to know that Ramadan is here,” she said.


London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds
Updated 26 March 2023

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum hosts ‘open iftar’ for hundreds

DUBAI: More than 500 people flocked to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Friday for an ‘Open Iftar’ event organized by the Ramadan Tent Project charity.

“Ramadan 2023 marks 10 phenomenal years of the Ramadan Tent Project and our signature Open Iftar events. Over the past nine years, our humble tent on a patch of green grew and grew, before it traveled to landmark locations,” the project said.

Similar events will take place this year at Shakespeare’s Globe theater, Wembley Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium and the Royal Albert Hall.

“The theme to mark our 10-year anniversary is ‘Belonging’. For the past decade we’ve connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds. Our passion in bridging between different communities is rooted in sharing our authentic selves with the world. 

“True belonging shouldn’t require you to change who you are – rather, it’s to celebrate who you are,” read an additional statement on the website.

Since 2013, the Open Iftar events have hosted more than 500,000 people across the UK at some of the country’s most iconic cultural spaces including Trafalgar Square, the BALTIC Museum, Bradford’s Centenary Square and Coventry Cathedral.
 


Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 
Updated 26 March 2023

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad strikes again with second custom look for Taylor Swift on ‘Eras’ tour 

DUBAI: After revealing that he designed US pop sensation Taylor Swift’s showstopping ballgown for the “The Eras Tour” just last week, Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad is back with yet another unique look for her latest stop in Las Vegas.  

The 33-year-old wore a shimmering dark blue outfit, with embellishment and fringe detailing, paired with knee-high boots. 

“@TaylorSwift wore for The Eras Tour Las Vegas Opening Night a custom #ZMCouture midnight blue crystal embellished bodysuit, overflowing with richly beaded fringes and a matching garter,” posted the label’s official Instagram account, sharing a picture of the glittering outfit.  

The Grammy Award-winning singer -- who kicked off her first trek in more than four years at Glendale, Arizona's State Farm Stadium last weekend -- belted out her top hits at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday in a three-hour show  that ran through hits from every era of her 17-year career. 

At the Glendale concert, Swift donned a custom-made gown by Murad in a peachy hue with starburst sequin work across the length of the creation.


Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup
Updated 26 March 2023

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup

Fashion lovers show off race-day attire at Dubai World Cup
  • Saudi Arabia-based influencer Tamaraah Al-Gabbani paid tribute to the Kingdom’s upcoming smart city NEOM with an attention-grabbing headpiece
  • Tunisian model Rym Saidi showed off a red ensemble by Italian label Fendi

DUBAI: Fashion lovers from across the Middle East and beyond descended on the Dubai World Cup on Saturday to take in the horse races and show off their race-day attire.

Saudi Arabia-based influencer Tamaraah Al-Gabbani paid tribute to the Kingdom’s upcoming smart city NEOM with an attention-grabbing headpiece that was inspired by the architecture of the project.

She also showed off a dress by celebrity-loved Lebanese label Azzi & Osta.

“I have attended the #DubaiWorldCup for the majority of my life and I’m so happy to be back again. My hat this year is a heartfelt ode to Saudi Arabia’s project @discoverneom The Line and sustainability. Nazgul Nejmi, my hat designer has always been inspired by the architecture of exceptional developments, and given this year’s emphasis on being the year of sustainability, what better example than Neom’s The Line,” Al-Gabbani posted on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Tunisian model Rym Saidi showed off a red ensemble by Fendi, which celebrity stylist Cedric Haddad paired with a Virginie.O headpiece.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Rym Saidi (@rymsaidi)


Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne
Updated 26 March 2023

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

Georgina Rodriguez stars in advert for Saudi fragrance brand Laverne

DUBAI: Argentine model, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-time partner, Georgina Rodriguez has collaborated with Saudi perfume label Laverne on a new campaign — and she answers candid questions about her time in the Kingdom in the new clip.

 Riyadh-based Rodriguez says “I feel very safe in this country and really appreciate its family values” in the stylish video posted on social media on Saturday.  

“I felt very happy to be able to connect with this heaven on Earth. The power and magic that is in the Saudi desert is incredible,” she said when asked her thoughts on visiting the country’s desert region earlier this year.

The model went on to share her excitement about experiencing Ramadan in Saudi Arabia in the advert that is promoting the label’s latest scent, Blue Laverne.

Laverne ships across the GCC.

On Thursday, the model was announced as the ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses, available in the Gulf region.