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UAE: Upcoming art, design and photography events you cannot miss

Dubai - The art calendar in the coming weeks speaks design, photography, and more

There’s a chill in the air (are we imagining it?), and pleasant weather translates to a busier art season. The vibe in the city changes during this time of the year, and becomes a tad brighter, artier and creative, of course. This week, we take a look at the exciting, upcoming events.

For young lens makers

Anthony Lamb, an international award-winning fine art photographer, is an experienced teacher for landscape photography. He has won 40 international photography awards. He will be conducting a free-to-attend creative photography class for children between the ages of 10-15. In the two-hour session, the young participants will learn about basic methods of approaching a subject while clicking a picture — framing, shooting high and low, close and far, and how to search and spot a good photograph. They will also be introduced to different types of photography equipment. Then, as a group, they will explore the Umm Al Emarat Park looking for suitable subjects.

6 Nov, 3pm-5pm, Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi

For the love of NFT

Over an Italian meal, admire two NFT (non-fungible token) artworks, at Isola. The first-of-its-kind integration into a restaurant, the art pieces are from the “In Pursuit of Utopia” series from artist Nabil Anani, a key founder of the contemporary Palestinian art movement. Anani paints the picturesque hills of Palestine without the ever-increasing Israeli settlements, bypass roads, roadblocks, walls, and watchtowers that are typically visible in every corner. Instead, he creates the Palestine of his dreams, a utopia inspired by his memories as a child growing up on the hills of Halhoul. Both the physical pieces and NFTs are available for purchase as well!

Isola Ristorante, Jumeirah Islands Clubhouse, Dubai

Discover the latest in design

The region’s largest creative festival, Dubai Design Week, with over 200 free-to-attend events, will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. A few of the highlights at the event include the UAE Designer Exhibition 2.0 unveiling the works by 25 emerging and undiscovered creative talents, based in the UAE and producing locally; the Mena Grad Show showcasing the 50 best social impact innovation projects from the brightest minds coming out of the region’s universities; a programme of 50+ talks featuring regional and international industry leaders; and more. Responding to this year’s theme of regenerative architecture and restorative design, the festival’s headline commission Abwab has been awarded to Dubai-based Ahmed El-Sharabassy for his proposal titled ‘Nature in Motion’, an architectural pavilion referencing the Dubai desert’s constant motion and emulating the city’s continuous development.

8-13 Nov, Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai

Beyond the skies

Dubai Festival City Mall and DC Aviation Al-Futtaim have partnered to launch the Al-Futtaim Festival of Arts competition, inviting emerging artists across the country to express their creativity and transform their innovative ideas into practical reality. Under the theme ‘Flight into Innovation’, the inaugural edition of the festival, will be split into four categories — calligraphy, fine art, photography and design. Submissions will be accepted for wall-based art only from participants residing in the UAE aged under 30 until the end of November. The panel of judges will be led by Patricia Millns, who has a Middle East-based practice centred on women’s studies, identity and cultural significance defined through clothing, adornment and old factory heritage of the region. Four winners will be selected, one from each category, who will get the chance to display their work at an art gallery in Dubai Festival City Mall, as well as an exclusive mentorship with the judges and a business startup programme supported by Al-Futtaim. The grand prize winner, selected by the judges, will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of having an interpretation of their artwork featured on the Dassault Falcon 2000 LXS aircraft owned and operated by DC Aviation.

al-futtaimmalls.com/home/partner-with-us/festivalofarts

purva@khaleejtimes.com