Read, sing, watch: A roundup of what’s happening in Dubai

We all like to enjoy art forms in varied ways and across unique platforms. Whether it’s between pages of a book, over soothing music, or on the walls — we bring to you, a round-up of what’s happening in the city. Pick up a book that is part of the land’s vision to document Emirati achievement in art, enjoy a meal over nostalgic tunes from the golden days of Beirut, or admire the works of 42 artists and designers in a homegrown space.

Read: an ode to document Emirati achievement in art

Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) recently launched two unique publications, Portrait of a Nation II and Art of the Emirates II, in Dubai to celebrate the work of the national and resident artists and art proponents who have contributed to the UAE’s rise in the art scene. H.E. Huda Ibrahim Al Khamis, Founder, ADMAF and the Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said, “Publications remain at the heart of our values and rewarding the creative excellence of the artists and protagonists who have contributed to our nation’s exceptional progress has been at the forefront of the Foundation’s mission since its inception nearly three decades ago. Art of the Emirates II and the companion book to our landmark exhibition, Portrait of a Nation II are a tribute to the nation’s impressive rise in the art scene and those who have inspired it.” Portrait of a Nation II documents the more than 100 prominent artworks, including 17 commissions, in the fields of painting, photography, 3D installations, and audio-visual creations by the over 60 artists who have shaped the artistic and cultural landscape of the nation. Prefaced by a group of renowned art and culture figures, the book carefully showcases the art masterpieces in vibrant images, each followed with a description note by curators, writers, and the artists themselves. The Art of the Emirates II maps the UAE’s exceptional booming art scene, and its leading global position as an artistic and cultural hub. The story is told through interviews, roundtable discussions and essays by the people who have built the UAE’s visual art scene and infrastructure from the ground up since the nation’s founding. From the director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi to the UAE’s most well-known living artists, Art of the Emirates II is an unprecedented conversation with the people who are writing the history of art in the Emirates as we speak.

purva@khaleejtimes.com