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	<title>Art Archives - identity</title>
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	<description>The Middle East&#039;s architecture, design, interiors + property magazine</description>
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	<title>Art Archives - identity</title>
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		<title>The Black Gold Museum</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/the-black-gold-museum/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jennifer Copley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:14:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black Gold Museum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saudi setting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=44336</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Riyadh’s recently inaugurated Black Gold Museum explores humanity’s relationship to oil through the lens of modern and contemporary art. Housed in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), a landmark building designed by Zaha Hadid, the museum contains a staggering permanent collection of over 350 artworks by acclaimed artists, including Manal AlDowayan, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/the-black-gold-museum/">The Black Gold Museum</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Riyadh’s recently inaugurated Black Gold Museum explores humanity’s relationship to oil through the lens of modern and contemporary art. Housed in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), a landmark building designed by Zaha Hadid, the museum contains a staggering permanent collection of over 350 artworks by acclaimed artists, including Manal AlDowayan, Ahmed Mater, Muhannad Shono, Doug Aitken, Jimmie Durham, Dennis Hopper, Alfredo Jaar, George Sabra, and Pascale Marthine Tayou, among others. Incorporating over 170 preeminent artists from more than 30 countries, the museum’s vision is global and expansive.</p>
<p>The museum is arguably the first of its kind. As Director Jack Persekian explains, “Although other museums dedicated to petroleum exist in the world, the Black Gold Museum is unique, for it is not only concerned with petroleum’s discovery, biochemical composition, and subsequent industrialisation, it addresses the vital aspects of its socioeconomic, political, environmental and cultural impact on humanity, highlighting both the opportunities it created and the challenges it continues to raise.”</p>
<div id="attachment_44351" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-44351" class="wp-image-44351 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="2034" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-300x238.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-1024x814.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-768x610.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-1536x1220.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-02-Welcome-Hall-2048x1627.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><p id="caption-attachment-44351" class="wp-caption-text">Patterns and layouts echo naturally occurring geometrical structures as well as the site’s existing architecture</p></div>
<p>Curatorially and spatially, the museum is organised into four themed galleries. <i>Encounter </i>focuses on the origins of oil, from its geological formation and discovery to its role in ancient civilisations. In <i>Dreams </i>artworks examine the role of oil as a resource fuelling progress, and an almost ‘invisible’ material inextricably linked to mass consumer culture and convenience. A more critical perspective is explored in <i>Doubts</i>, where artists interrogate the environmental and societal impact of oil. Finally, <i>Visions </i>looks to the future by taking an approach that centres on innovation, research and debate. In this context, art becomes a platform for questioning oil dependency, sustainability and energy transition. Curator Christian Janicot describes the museum as “a unique place where art reveals the invisible, and where artists become the narrators of this civilizational adventure. For who better than artists [to] help us see what we no longer perceive? Who better can transform raw material into emotion, questioning, and beauty?”</p>
<div id="attachment_44353" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-44353" class="wp-image-44353 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/فصل-الأحلام-في-متحف-الذهب-الأسود-Dreams-Chapter-at-the-Black-Gold-Museum-4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><p id="caption-attachment-44353" class="wp-caption-text">The museum contains a staggering permanent collection of over 350 artworks by acclaimed artists</p></div>
<p>DaeWha Kang, whose eponymous studio conceived the museum’s interior architecture and design, emphasises the importance of creating a space for visitors to come into a close and immersive relationship with the art exhibited. “Our ambition with the architecture has been to create galleries that enhance the visitor&#8217;s experience of this remarkable artwork &#8211; and to deliver those calm, uplifting moments of contemplation that serve the galleries and the art within them. All of this achieved not by building something new from the ground up, but by transforming what was already there,” explains Kang.</p>
<div id="attachment_44352" style="width: 1994px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-44352" class="wp-image-44352 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1984" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-scaled.jpg 1984w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-232x300.jpg 232w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-793x1024.jpg 793w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-768x991.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-1190x1536.jpg 1190w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Black-Gold-Museum-Daewha-Kang-Design-Credit-Hassan-Al-Shatti-04-Drop-1587x2048.jpg 1587w" sizes="(max-width: 1984px) 100vw, 1984px" /><p id="caption-attachment-44352" class="wp-caption-text">Materials, colour palettes and design elements draw inspiration from Saudi geology, including wadis and canyons</p></div>
<p>Rather than constructing a new building, the studio completely transformed the KAPSARC’s research library through adaptive reuse. Sustainability is at the core of the design, with minimal intervention, demolition and energy consumption involved in the build, and materials chosen for their durability and efficiency. Materials, colour palettes and design elements draw inspiration from Saudi geology, including wadis and canyons. Patterns and layouts echo naturally occurring geometrical structures as well as the site’s existing architecture.</p>
<p>In the current climate, the need to explore shared histories and the future of oil in relation to societies, economies and the environment is urgent. The Black Gold Museum confronts the complexities and ambiguities of this subject by curating a narrative told from multiple perspectives and across disciplines. As Janicot concludes, “I believe we have helped invent a new museum format: a way of telling a universal story through an experience that is at once historical, scientific, and artistic. For me, this cross-disciplinary approach is what defines culture today.”</p>
<p dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><em>Photography: Hassan Al Shatti</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/the-black-gold-museum/">The Black Gold Museum</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>A New Structure for Art Dubai 2026</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/art-dubai-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 06:42:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Dubai]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=44061</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Art Dubai 2026 returns from 15 to 17 May, with a VIP preview on 14 May, at Madinat Jumeirah, where it will introduce a special edition conceived as a spatial and curatorial ecosystem rather than a conventional exhibition format. Supported by A.R.M. Holding and in partnership with Dubai Culture &#38; Arts Authority, the fair will [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/art-dubai-2026/">A New Structure for Art Dubai 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Art Dubai 2026 returns from 15 to 17 May, with a VIP preview on 14 May, at Madinat Jumeirah, where it will introduce a special edition conceived as a spatial and curatorial ecosystem rather than a conventional exhibition format. Supported by A.R.M. Holding and in partnership with Dubai Culture &amp; Arts Authority, the fair will reflect on twenty years of cultural production while advancing new models grounded in collaboration, structure and design-driven experience.</p>
<p>In this reconfigured format, the fair will operate as an interconnected landscape in which galleries, installations and live programmes will be integrated into a cohesive spatial composition. Contemporary, modern and digital practices will be brought into dialogue, foregrounding the increasing convergence of art and design, particularly in their shared engagement with material presence, spatial arrangement and the movement of audiences through space.</p>
<p>Extending beyond its physical setting, the programme will unfold across a wider cultural network throughout the UAE, developed in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection and Sharjah Art Foundation. Through exhibitions, performances, screenings and talks, it will establish a layered rhythm of engagement, privileging immersion and interaction over static display. The gallery programme will feature participants from nearly 20 countries, balancing strong regional representation with international perspectives. Across the fair, presentation strategies will increasingly draw from design disciplines, positioning artworks as spatial interventions that respond to scale, context and audience navigation.</p>
<p>Among the key highlights, institutional commissions will include <i>Made Forward</i> by the Dubai Collection, alongside a presentation of modern Arab art from the Barjeel Art Foundation and the 20th edition of the Global Art Forum, <i>Before and After Everything</i>. Collaborations with the National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia, the Ministry of Culture and House of Arts will further extend the fair’s curatorial and institutional reach.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-44065" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-300x300.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-150x150.jpg 150w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-768x768.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Tabari-Artspace_Hashel-Al-Lamki_Here_Painting-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-44066" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm.jpg" alt="" width="1523" height="2155" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm.jpg 1523w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm-212x300.jpg 212w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm-724x1024.jpg 724w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leila-Heller_Maryam-Lamei_-Birds-are-Gathered-in-God_2021_-85x60-cm-1447x2048.jpg 1447w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1523px) 100vw, 1523px" /></p>
<p>As Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, Art Dubai Group said, “Art Dubai has always been more than a conventional art fair, developing into an international platform for this region’s cultural scene as it matures. This special edition will demonstrate the resilience of the UAE’s cultural scene as well as the power of collaboration, bringing together galleries, artists and institutions at a time when that role of convening feels more important than ever. Art Dubai’s story is Dubai’s story, and producing this special edition would only be possible in Dubai, for an organisation that has grown hand-in-hand with the city, and with the support of our long-term partners. Current circumstances mean that this may not be what we had planned to mark our 20th edition, but the galleries and wider programmes represent what makes Art Dubai both unique and special.”</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-44067" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sudarshan-Shetty-A-Song-A-Story-_-Sculpture-I-A-Public-Space-2016.-Presented-by-Leila-Heller-Gallery.jpeg" alt="" width="1435" height="957" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sudarshan-Shetty-A-Song-A-Story-_-Sculpture-I-A-Public-Space-2016.-Presented-by-Leila-Heller-Gallery.jpeg 1435w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sudarshan-Shetty-A-Song-A-Story-_-Sculpture-I-A-Public-Space-2016.-Presented-by-Leila-Heller-Gallery-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sudarshan-Shetty-A-Song-A-Story-_-Sculpture-I-A-Public-Space-2016.-Presented-by-Leila-Heller-Gallery-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sudarshan-Shetty-A-Song-A-Story-_-Sculpture-I-A-Public-Space-2016.-Presented-by-Leila-Heller-Gallery-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1435px) 100vw, 1435px" /></p>
<p>Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director, Curatorial, Art Dubai Group also added “‘Things we do together’ has been a guiding thread in shaping the programme thinking about how artists, galleries, institutions and audiences come into relationship across the fair. From large-scale installations to talks, performances and more informal moments of gathering, the focus is on creating an experience that feels connected and open. Developed in collaboration with leading cultural institutions across the UAE and the region, the programme brings different forms of practice into dialogue, and invites audiences to spend time, engage, and encounter work in unexpected ways.”</p>
<p>A newly introduced risk-sharing model will reshape the economic framework for galleries, aligning financial structures with curatorial ambition and reflecting broader shifts in cultural production. Complemented by daily talks and public programming, the fair will function as a site of exchange, where ideas, disciplines and audiences intersect. Through this expanded and design-oriented approach, Art Dubai 2026 will position itself as a cultural environment in motion where art and design intersect through shared concerns of space, structure, and experience, and where the fair becomes a continuously evolving framework rather than a fixed event.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/art-dubai-2026/">A New Structure for Art Dubai 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Alserkal to Launch Month-Long Art Programme</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/alserkal-art-programme-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:03:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Exhibitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alserkal Art Month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alserkal Avenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dubai]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43832</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>A new cultural chapter will unfold in Dubai as Alserkal prepares to launch Alserkal Art Month, a month-long initiative running from 18 April to 18 May. Expanding its annual Art Week into a broader platform, the programme will bring together artists, galleries and multidisciplinary collectives in a shared effort to sustain dialogue and creative exchange [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/alserkal-art-programme-2026/">Alserkal to Launch Month-Long Art Programme</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<p>A new cultural chapter will unfold in Dubai as Alserkal prepares to launch Alserkal Art Month, a month-long initiative running from 18 April to 18 May. Expanding its annual Art Week into a broader platform, the programme will bring together artists, galleries and multidisciplinary collectives in a shared effort to sustain dialogue and creative exchange across the UAE’s arts ecosystem.</p>
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<p>Centred in Alserkal Avenue, the initiative will span five weekends, transforming the district into a hub of exhibitions, public art and live programming. The opening on 18 April will see 16 contemporary gallery exhibitions unveiled simultaneously, marking the beginning of a programme designed to evolve through layered experiences and community engagement.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43840" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-300x200.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-768x512.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_OB-690-image-2-original-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43841" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6_GalleryIsabelle-280326-120Installation-Image_Credit-Altamash-Urooj_Courtesy-Gallery-Isabelle-1-408x306.jpg 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
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<p>The programme will be anchored by a newly commissioned public artwork by <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Shilpa Gupta</span></span>, titled “Still A Sky We Hold”. Building on her earlier work, the piece will act as a conceptual anchor, reflecting themes of shared resilience and collective imagination that will underpin the wider programme.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43836" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1139" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016.jpg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016-300x214.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016-1024x729.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016-768x547.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1_galleryisabelle-raed-yassin-deja-vu-2016-1536x1093.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
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<p>From 25 April to 8 May, Concrete will host Déjà vu, a curated group exhibition bringing together artists from 18 leading UAE galleries. Developed collaboratively, the exhibition will explore repetition and the uncanny rhythms of lived experience. Its themes will extend into Majlis Talks curated by Nadine Khalil, creating space for discussion and deeper engagement.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>The programme will extend beyond exhibitions through Blank Space takeovers, where emerging collectives will activate warehouse spaces across disciplines including design, music and visual arts. Workshops led by Dirwaza Curatorial Lab, Chafa Ghaddar, Nora Zeid and Al Reem Al Beshr will further encourage participation and skill-sharing among audiences.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43837" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1922" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-300x225.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-768x577.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9_TreeSchool-408x306.jpg 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Public interventions will shape the rhythm of the month, with Slow Walks, poetry readings, performances and conversations bringing together voices from across the region. The Alserkal Arts Foundation will support this ecosystem through reading groups, open studios and performances, alongside grants of up to AED 10,000 for research-led projects.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>The closing week from 14 to 17 May will coincide with Art Dubai 2026, featuring collaborative commissions and “Moving”, a four-day moving image programme presented across Alserkal Avenue and Madinat Jumeirah. A roundtable led by Alserkal Advisory will also convene key stakeholders to explore how arts institutions can deepen their community impact.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43838" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation-.png" alt="" width="2098" height="1400" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation-.png 2098w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation--300x200.png 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation--1024x683.png 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation--768x512.png 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation--1536x1025.png 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8_Rewilding-the-Kitchen-Alserkal-Art-Foundation--2048x1367.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2098px) 100vw, 2098px" /></p>
</div>
<div>
<p>“For almost 20 years, Alserkal has helped shape the region’s cultural landscape into the vibrant scene it is today and it remains committed to openness and partnership, supporting an ecosystem that continues to adapt, evolve and endure. Alserkal Art Month is a tribute to the resilience and fortitude of the UAE’s arts ecosystem, and to the people who sustain it. Rooted in shared values, this month-long programme creates space for collaboration, dialogue and exchange at a time when that feels especially important,” said Vilma Jurkute.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>As the city looks ahead, Alserkal Art Month will stand as a collective expression of resilience bringing together the creative community in a moment defined by connection, collaboration and cultural continuity.</p>
</div>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/alserkal-art-programme-2026/">Alserkal to Launch Month-Long Art Programme</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>Here&#8217;s what to expect in Abu Dhabi during World Art Day on 15th April</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/world-art-day-abu-dhabi/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:01:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Exhibitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abu Dhabi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louvre Abu Dhabi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manarat Al Saadiyat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Art Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zayed National Museum]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43865</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Abu Dhabi marks World Art Day on 15 April with a curated programme of exhibitions and creative experiences that highlight the city’s growing position as a cultural and design destination. Across the Saadiyat Cultural District and beyond, institutions are opening their doors to a series of events that invite visitors to explore art through multiple [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/world-art-day-abu-dhabi/">Here&#8217;s what to expect in Abu Dhabi during World Art Day on 15th April</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">Abu Dhabi marks World Art Day on 15 April with a curated programme of exhibitions and creative experiences that highlight the city’s growing position as a cultural and design destination. Across the Saadiyat Cultural District and beyond, institutions are opening their doors to a series of events that invite visitors to explore art through multiple perspectives.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Leading the programme is Louvre Abu Dhabi with <em>Picasso, the Figure</em>, on view until 31 May 2026. The exhibition brings together works from the Musée National Picasso-Paris, alongside loans from the Musée du Louvre and regional collections, tracing Pablo Picasso’s exploration of the human form. The show offers insight into the evolution of modern art while anchoring the wider celebrations within a global context.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Building on this, the museum introduces a layered schedule of experiences, including a screening of <em>Young Picasso</em> on 25 April, alongside weekly workshops that translate the artist’s work into hands-on practice. <em>Art in Scents</em>, held every Thursday and Saturday, adds a sensory dimension, encouraging visitors to engage with artworks through fragrance. A broader line-up of sketching sessions, drawing workshops and family-focused activities continues throughout the month.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43869" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1189" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-300x139.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-1024x476.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-768x357.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-1536x713.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-exterior-with-skyline-night-2048x951.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">At Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Art Studio programme shifts the focus towards material exploration and process. Textile masterclasses, mixed media sessions for children and daily drop-in studios create an open environment for experimentation across ceramics, painting and printmaking, catering to all age groups.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In the city centre, Cultural Foundation presents a multidisciplinary programme anchored by Shezad Dawood’s <em>Skin of Dreams</em>, running until 20 September. The exhibition is complemented by a series of workshops spanning Arabic calligraphy, Islamic geometric patterns, collage, textile work and painting, alongside architectural prototyping sessions that bridge art and design thinking.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">To streamline access, the Saadiyat Cultural District Museum Pass connects Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi under one offering, with prices starting from AED 120 and validity for 30 days. With free entry for visitors under 18, the initiative encourages wider community engagement.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Enhancing accessibility, the Saadiyat Cultural District brings together Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, encouraging visitors to explore multiple cultural institutions within one destination.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">As World Art Day unfolds celebrated annually on 15 April in honour of Leonardo da Vinci, Abu Dhabi presents a cohesive cultural landscape where design, creativity and experience come together, offering more than just exhibitions, but a deeper engagement with art in all its forms.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/world-art-day-abu-dhabi/">Here&#8217;s what to expect in Abu Dhabi during World Art Day on 15th April</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Gulf at the Venice Biennale</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/the-gulf-at-the-venice-biennale/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rebecca Anne Proctor]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:31:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Exhibitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[La Biennale di Venezia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Venice Biennale]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43299</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Venice Biennale is gearing up for its 61st edition, an event which will prove to be a monumental and unique affair for its focus on intimacy and anti-spectacular art. The biennale, running from May 9 to November 22, 2026, is being realised posthumously following the passing of its appointed curator Koyo Kouoh and continues [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/the-gulf-at-the-venice-biennale/">The Gulf at the Venice Biennale</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Venice Biennale is gearing up for its 61st edition, an event which will prove to be a monumental and unique affair for its focus on intimacy and anti-spectacular art. The biennale, running from May 9 to November 22, 2026, is being realised posthumously following the passing of its appointed curator Koyo Kouoh and continues the exhibition she planned titled <i>In Minor Keys</i>. Exploring subtle and marginal expressions, the biennale’s theme moves away from the portrayal of global crises toward, what La Biennale called “the emotional, sensory and affective registers of art.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>From the Gulf region Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have confirmed exhibitions at their pavilions. For the former, Saudi Palestinian artist Dana Awartani, known for her multidisciplinary works that reimagine Middle Eastern historical forms and traditions, will represent the Kingdom in a show curated by Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, alongside Saudi Iraqi curator Hafsa Alkhudairi. Awartani will present a monumental site-specific exhibition at the Kingdom’s permanent pavilion at the Arsenal exploring how conflict risks cultural erasure and identity. “My practice is rooted in foregrounding Middle Eastern cultural histories through the revival of craft practices and the preservation of the region’s globally important material heritage,” Awartani explained in the pavilion’s announcement. Her recent work, like the installation <i>Come, let me heal your wounds</i>. <i>Let me mend your broken bones</i>, staged during the last biennale in 2024, reflects on the loss of historical buildings and centuries of heritage due to conflict in the Middle East. Awartani believes that when edifices are destructed not only is the structure abolished, but also a means inhabitants have of identifying themselves with their homeland and their identity. This is cultural erasure and it is often, she believes, overlooked globally.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43737" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-225x300.jpg 225w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Installation-view-of-Sarab-at-Desert-X-Al-Ula-Al-Ula-Saudi-Arabia-2022-Photography-by-Lance-Gerber-1536x2048.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></p>
<p>The National Pavilion of the UAE has appointed Bana Kattan, Associate Head of Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as the curator of the pavilion. While the exhibiting artist or artists for the UAE pavilion have yet to be announced, the pavilion, commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, will highlight the cultural and historical evolution of the UAE’s contemporary art scene. “Having worked extensively in the region and alongside a wide range of multigenerational and transdisciplinary artists from the Arab world, I look forward to contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape while engaging with broader histories, complexities, and conversations,” said Kattan in the pavilion’s opening statement. Kattan, who was born in Abu Dhabi and raised in the United Arab Emirates, is strongly connected to the UAE’s cultural landscape and has used her work to engage the sociopolitical and historical themes of the region while jointly fostering the voices of emerging and established artists from the Gulf and wider Middle East across generations.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43738" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Standing-by-the-Ruins-of-Aleppo-2021-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
<p>Qatar and Kuwait, which have participated in previous editions, have not yet confirmed their attendance. During a challenging time for the region, these artistic presentations aim to offer an understanding of the Gulf’s unique histories, cultures and identities within the context of the greater Middle East region.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/the-gulf-at-the-venice-biennale/">The Gulf at the Venice Biennale</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Clerkenwell Design Week 2026:What to See and Do</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/clerkenwell-design-week-2026what-to-see-and-do/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:02:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aqua Libra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAUX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clerkenwell Design Week 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dynamic Office Solutions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[One Bite Design Studio]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43139</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Clerkenwell is set to come alive with colour, creativity, and design for three days from 19th to 21st May 2026. During these dates, Clerkenwell Design Week transforms this historic district into an interactive playground where design is seen, touched, and experienced like never before. Visitors wander through Clerkenwell Green, St John’s Square, and tucked-away courtyards [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/clerkenwell-design-week-2026what-to-see-and-do/">Clerkenwell Design Week 2026:What to See and Do</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">Clerkenwell is set to come alive with colour, creativity, and design for three days from 19th to 21st May 2026. During these dates, Clerkenwell Design Week transforms this historic district into an interactive playground where design is seen, touched, and experienced like never before. Visitors wander through Clerkenwell Green, St John’s Square, and tucked-away courtyards to encounter immersive Design Interventions that blur the line between art, architecture, and urban design. The festival features a vibrant sensory installation raising awareness of colour blindness, a sculptural clock tower revealing real-time air quality, living artworks evolving over time, and visually captivating pieces inspired by light and pattern. Alongside these, innovative installations and brand activations and thought-provoking talks offer inspiration at every turn.</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;">Explore the Design Interventions:</h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Fountain of Technicolour Beads by One Bite Design Studio transforms Clerkenwell Green into a vibrant sensory experience, raising awareness of Colour Vision Deficiency (colour blindness) through a cascade of colourful beads.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43141" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png.webp" alt="" width="800" height="800" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png.webp 800w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png-300x300.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png-150x150.webp 150w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png-768x768.webp 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Onebite.png-50x50.webp 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The Canary Clock Tower stands as a tall sculptural marker inspired by Clerkenwell’s clockmaking heritage, revealing real-time air pollution levels through analogue dials made from recycled plastics a striking reminder of the invisible dangers in the environment.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43140" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2.webp" alt="" width="1920" height="1920" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2.webp 1920w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-300x300.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-150x150.webp 150w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-768x768.webp 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-1536x1536.webp 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/caf53c5e-e931-4178-a3b8-50f729dc72e5.jpg-2-50x50.webp 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The Pulse of Becoming creates a living sculpture symbolising cycles of life and rebirth, using natural materials and seeds that gradually sprout and change, allowing transformation to be observed in real time.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43142" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png.webp" alt="" width="800" height="800" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png.webp 800w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png-300x300.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png-150x150.webp 150w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png-768x768.webp 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pulse-of.png-50x50.webp 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;">Step Inside Installations and Brand Activations:</h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">BAUX champions sustainable, functional, and beautiful acoustic materials made from stone wool a natural volcanic resource delivering durability, fire resistance, and high acoustic absorption. At Brewhouse Yard, textures, forms, and acoustic impact are explored, emphasising circular design and environmental responsibility.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43143" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale.webp" alt="" width="511" height="700" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale.webp 511w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-219x300.webp 219w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Aqua Libra advances workplace wellbeing through innovative hydration solutions from integrated tap systems to the Flavour Tap supporting healthier, more energising work environments.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43144" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2.webp" alt="" width="2160" height="1215" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2.webp 2160w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2-300x169.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2-768x432.webp 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2-1536x864.webp 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/243df9ae-986f-11ef-b52106bd0f937899-cover-image.jpg-2-2048x1152.webp 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Dynamic Office Solutions leads in UK-manufactured, high-quality workspace furniture, offering modular soft seating ranges with bespoke options and fast-track fabrics. Interiors are enhanced to support creativity and productivity, with the Dynamic Bus showcasing the future of workplace seating.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43145" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-2.webp" alt="" width="700" height="700" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-2.webp 700w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-2-300x300.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-2-150x150.webp 150w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-2-50x50.webp 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;">Engage with Talks and Interactive Events:</h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The [d]arc thoughts talks return to the atmospheric House of Detention for the fourth year, presented by darc the only international design magazine dedicated to decorative lighting in interiors. These sessions bring together industry experts, associations, and leading brands to explore the art and science of lighting design.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Conversations at Clerkenwell champion design-led dialogue with a diverse lineup of global designers, emerging talents, craftspeople, and material specialists sharing fresh ideas and perspectives.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43146" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-3.webp" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-3.webp 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-3-300x200.webp 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/filters-no_upscale-3-768x512.webp 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Design is to celebrate, to challenge, and to inspire throughout Clerkenwell Design Week. From immersive installations that spark curiosity to innovative brand activations and thought-provoking talks, the 2026 festival is set to turn Clerkenwell into a vibrant canvas of creativity and innovation. Across 19th to 21st May 2026, the streets, squares, and studios of this historic district will become stages for ideas that define the future of design.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/clerkenwell-design-week-2026what-to-see-and-do/">Clerkenwell Design Week 2026:What to See and Do</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>Highlights of London Design Week 2026</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/highlights-of-london-design-week-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:43:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chelsea Harbour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design Centre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London Design Week 2026]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43152</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>At the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London Design Week 2026 drew designers and industry professionals into a five-day exploration of interiors shaped by craft, materiality and collaboration. Held from 9 to 13 March, the event brought together more than 135 showrooms and 600 international brands, unfolding as a series of encounters where installations and conversations [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/highlights-of-london-design-week-2026/">Highlights of London Design Week 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">At the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London Design Week 2026 drew designers and industry professionals into a five-day exploration of interiors shaped by craft, materiality and collaboration. Held from 9 to 13 March, the event brought together more than 135 showrooms and 600 international brands, unfolding as a series of encounters where installations and conversations reflected a broader shift towards thoughtful, process-driven design. Across the venue, smaller, material-led presentations offered some of the most engaging moments spaces that encouraged a slower, more attentive way of looking.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43153" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1200" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1.jpeg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bloomsbury-1600x1200-1-408x306.jpeg 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Bloomsbury Revisited presented lampshades, wallpapers and home accessories inspired by the Bloomsbury artists, introducing new spring 2026 designs alongside updated colourways. Produced in-house and supported by a bespoke offering, the collection emphasised narrative and individuality.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43158" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1424" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2.jpeg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2-300x267.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2-1024x911.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2-768x684.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Martin-Huxford-Cissbury-Lamp-3-1600x1424-2-1536x1367.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">At Martin Huxford, sculptural lighting pushed plaster and bronze into bold forms. Floor lamps, chandeliers and sconces were defined by heavily textured surfaces, with references ranging from Fortuny’s pleated textiles to geometric abstraction.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43159" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1201" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1.jpeg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1-1024x769.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1-1536x1153.jpeg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MADRIA-1-1600x1201-1-408x306.jpeg 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Deus ex Gardenia introduced its British Museum collection, reworking 18th-century artworks into 12 wallpaper designs spanning botanicals, repeat patterns and murals, balancing subtlety with expressive detail.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43160" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1067" height="1600" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1.jpeg 1067w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/250821_Fabric_7-1-1067x1600-1-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43161" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika.jpeg" alt="" width="1067" height="1600" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika.jpeg 1067w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anika-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">With a focus on sustainability, Joro drew on its Indian manufacturing heritage to present textiles rooted in craft and conscious production, while Annika Reed Studio showcased woodblock-printed wallpapers and fabrics, where hand-carved designs brought texture and a sense of narrative to interiors.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43162 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1222" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana.jpeg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana-300x229.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana-1024x782.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana-768x587.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/francis-sultana-1536x1173.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Alongside the installations, London Design Week 2026 featured a rich programme of talks, panels and hands-on sessions. Francis Sultana, hosted by <em data-start="337" data-end="353">House &amp; Garden</em>, explored his world-class portfolio, offering insights into creating interiors that blend contemporary and historic design while integrating large-scale art and sculpture.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43163 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kit-kemp-e1774536446685.jpeg" alt="" width="695" height="660" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kit-kemp-e1774536446685.jpeg 695w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kit-kemp-e1774536446685-300x285.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 695px) 100vw, 695px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In <em data-start="529" data-end="545">Design Stories</em>, Kit Kemp shared the philosophy behind her Firmdale Hotels projects, revealing how colour, pattern and bespoke details shape spaces into immersive, character-filled experiences.</p>
<p data-start="731" data-end="1415"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43164" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1.jpeg 1600w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-02-17T112433.296-1600x1067-1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;" data-start="731" data-end="1415">Panels such as <em data-start="746" data-end="759">Super Women</em> celebrated the achievements of leading female designers and antique dealers, with designers including Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay, Anahita Rigby, Tat Charlie Porter and Jennifer Manners discussing their careers, influences and legacies.</p>
<p data-start="731" data-end="1415"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43166" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stark-Loom-Different-Angle-1.jpeg" alt="" width="944" height="1120" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stark-Loom-Different-Angle-1.jpeg 944w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stark-Loom-Different-Angle-1-253x300.jpeg 253w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stark-Loom-Different-Angle-1-863x1024.jpeg 863w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Stark-Loom-Different-Angle-1-768x911.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43168" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MON_Painted_Lincrusta_samples_Focus-25_1-1200x1600-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1200" height="1600" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MON_Painted_Lincrusta_samples_Focus-25_1-1200x1600-1.jpeg 1200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MON_Painted_Lincrusta_samples_Focus-25_1-1200x1600-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MON_Painted_Lincrusta_samples_Focus-25_1-1200x1600-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MON_Painted_Lincrusta_samples_Focus-25_1-1200x1600-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Practical demonstrations invited attendees to engage directly with materials and craft: <em data-start="1079" data-end="1097">Creative Matters</em> led a weaving workshop at Stark Carpet, Lincrusta offered interactive wallcovering sessions where visitors decorated their own samples, and the ‘Human Tassel’ installation by The Creative Dimension Trust celebrated a decade of craft-based learning and skill development, guided by students and industry specialists.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43167" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JASON_DSOUZA-Human_Tassel-1.jpeg" alt="" width="1440" height="960" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JASON_DSOUZA-Human_Tassel-1.jpeg 1440w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JASON_DSOUZA-Human_Tassel-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JASON_DSOUZA-Human_Tassel-1-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JASON_DSOUZA-Human_Tassel-1-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The talks, panels and workshops highlighted the creativity and craft behind today’s interiors, leaving visitors inspired by the ideas, processes and collaborations shaping the future of design.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/highlights-of-london-design-week-2026/">Highlights of London Design Week 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>In Praise of Becoming: the Inaugural Art Basel Qatar</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/in-praise-of-becoming-the-inaugural-art-basel-qatar/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rebecca Anne Proctor]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:45:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Basel Qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qatar Museums]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=42940</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In an art world saturated with fairs, throngs of people and the fast transactions for works of art, the inaugural Art Basel Qatar marked a much welcome new format. Over 600 galleries applied and just 87 exhibitors from 31 countries were selected, with 16 first-time Art Basel participants, including several from the region such as [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/in-praise-of-becoming-the-inaugural-art-basel-qatar/">In Praise of Becoming: the Inaugural Art Basel Qatar</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In an art world saturated with fairs, throngs of people and the fast transactions for works of art, the inaugural Art Basel Qatar marked a much welcome new format. Over 600 galleries applied and just 87 exhibitors from 31 countries were selected, with 16 first-time Art Basel participants, including several from the region such as Hafez Gallery from Jeddah and Riyadh, Saleh Barakat Gallery from Beirut, Tunis-based Le Violon Bleu, Gallery Misr from Cairo and Tabari Artspace from Dubai. The fair was much smaller in size than the four other Art Basel fairs which feature over 200 galleries. It also offered a radically new, highly curated format to the display: Rather than tightly grouped booths offering a range of artists, exhibitors were asked to offer open-format presentations by a single artist that responded to the overall theme of “Becoming,” a curatorial concept overseen by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky serving as the fair’s artistic director for the first edition.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Located in two locations in Doha’s chic Msheireb district – M7 and Doha Design District – the fair encouraged visitors to not only peruse the art on show at a quieter pace but also explore the heart of downtown Doha. The curatorial emphasis of the fair was matched with a deliberate focus on Qatar’s strong institutional offering. Developed in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, the commercial arm of Qatar Museums, Art Basel Qatar is embedded within the broader Qatari cultural ecosystem that has been supported by the Gulf nation’s long-term investments in art and culture.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_43043" style="width: 1290px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43043" class="wp-image-43043 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Farid-Belkahia-procession-the-wings-of-desire-153x240-1985.tiff" alt="" width="1280" height="854" /><p id="caption-attachment-43043" class="wp-caption-text">Farid Belkahia &#8211; Procession‭ (The Wings Of Desire )</p></div>
<p>For Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs, the launch of Art Basel Qatar reflects the fair’s strategic growth and expansion in the Middle East region. “My daily focus is how to make each of the fairs more rooted within the place where they operate, while having the global reach that our brand has for 55 years,” said De Bellis. “I think this [Art Basel Qatar] reflects that. We want to connect the local and international public. Our objective is to support the growth of the private sector in Qatar and the wider region.” After the fair, De Bellis emphasised, Art Basel will be active throughout the year “to develop connections and market opportunities to bring people together that may not have yet been interested in art and eventually lead them to collect art.”</p>
<p>The theme of “Becoming,” framed the event as a cultural journey rather than just a marketplace to buy and sell art. The theme, explains Shawky, served as a meditation on humanity’s ongoing transformation and its impact on our identity, the way we live, believe and create meaning. A strong focus was placed on the rapid evolution of the Gulf region, reflecting the cultural and economic growth in the region as a “living palimpsest,” where traditional and spiritual narratives are interwoven with the rapid rise of modern urban and economic growth.</p>
<p>“I wanted to include as many voices from the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) as possible,” said Shawky. “I wanted to create a dialogue between all the galleries and artists; between artists from the Middle East perhaps not as well-known globally, positioned side-by-side with renowned international artists.”</p>
<div id="attachment_43042" style="width: 2065px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43042" class="size-full wp-image-43042" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2055" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-scaled.jpg 2055w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-241x300.jpg 241w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-822x1024.jpg 822w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-768x957.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-1233x1536.jpg 1233w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Etel-Adnan_ADNA065-image-1644x2048.jpg 1644w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2055px) 100vw, 2055px" /><p id="caption-attachment-43042" class="wp-caption-text">1985; Etel<br />Adnan Untitled, 2014; Minouk Lim</p></div>
<p>The fair presented works by some of modern and contemporary art’s biggest names – Christo, George Baselitz, Jean-Michel Basquiat and even Pablo Picasso (one work by the latter was priced at around $42 million in a private viewing room) – alongside rising and established regional artists, like Saudi artists Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan, American-Qatari artist Sophia Al-Maria, Lebanese Simone Fattal and Bouthayna Al Muftah from Qatar, among many others.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Notable juxtapositions included the works of Gazan-born, Dubai-based Hazem Harb at Tabari Artspace from the artist’s <i>Future Archaeology</i> (2025) series, which used scanned, enlarged and reconfigured fragments from the ruined Gaza International Airport reflecting archaeology related to Palestinian displacement. Nearby were three paintings at gallery David Zwirner from Marlene Dumas’s acclaimed series <i>Against the Wall</i> (2009-2010), including <i>Figure in a Landscape</i> (2010), <i>Living on your Knees</i> (2010), and <i>Olive Tree</i> (2010), exploring themes of conflict and loss, largely drawn from media imagery from the ongoing violence in Palestine. At Indian gallery Nature Morte, Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi presented <i>Opening Word of This New Scripture</i> (2025) featuring several men continuously weaving vibrantly coloured South Asian Charpai, a traditional, handwoven, four-legged bed used across South Asia, with the floor and walls covered in the same boldly coloured woven designs. A few steps away at the booth of Hafez Gallery, Saudi artist Lina Gazzaz’s installation <i>Tracing Lines of Growth</i> (2024), made of discarded palm leaves hand-stitched with fine red and black threads, continued the focus on craft found in Qureshi’s presentation. Gazzaz’s delicate installation, which caused fairgoers to intentionally pause to take in the beautifully fragility of the piece, reflected on notions of time, labour and survival while grounded in Arabian ecologies and spiritual traditions.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_43041" style="width: 2066px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43041" class="size-full wp-image-43041" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2056" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-scaled.jpg 2056w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-241x300.jpg 241w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-822x1024.jpg 822w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-768x956.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-1233x1536.jpg 1233w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/03.-BBM-ML_Shy-Republic-1645x2048.jpg 1645w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2056px) 100vw, 2056px" /><p id="caption-attachment-43041" class="wp-caption-text">Shy Republic, 2024</p></div>
<p>Elsewhere, as part of Art Basel’s nine artworks for its Special Projects, positioned within the fair’s buildings and throughout Doha, Libyan Nour Jaouda presented <i>A House Between Two Houses </i>(2026), an installation on the ground floor of M7 featuring a large, rusted steel frame with suspended, earthly-coloured, hand-dyed textiles, exploring the idea of a “rest house” and themes of decay, transformation, exile and memory.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Perhaps the most evocative work for Art Basel’s Special Projects reflective of the theme of Becoming and the intended cross-cultural dialogue and exchange during a most uncertain time was architect Sumayya Vally’s <i>In the Assembly of Lovers</i> (2026). Artist intent led this first edition of Art Basel Qatar, offering a more relaxed viewing format for appreciating the art on show while also encouraging cross-cultural dialogue and exchange. Vally’s work, which was filled daily with fairgoers, residents and Qataris, was made with moveable components to construct a contemporary Majlis seating area common in Muslim countries. Paying homage to lost communal spaces across the Islamic world, the installation, a form of modular forum, reflected the fair’s mission to gather people together and become an active force in the continual redefinition of human identity.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1"><em>photography: Jeon Byung Cheol</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/in-praise-of-becoming-the-inaugural-art-basel-qatar/">In Praise of Becoming: the Inaugural Art Basel Qatar</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>Beyond the Canvas</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/beyond-the-canvas/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nilufer Najeeb]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:11:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Installations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ludmilla Radchenko]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=43007</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Born in Siberia, refined in Italy, sharpened in New York, and expanded in Dubai, Ludmilla Radchenko on identity, reinvention, and the art of transformation has shaped a creative identity that resists categorisation and transcends borders. Each geography has etched a distinct layer into her artistic language. Rather than belonging to a single culture, she moves [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/beyond-the-canvas/">Beyond the Canvas</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">Born in Siberia, refined in Italy, sharpened in New York, and expanded in Dubai, Ludmilla Radchenko on identity, reinvention, and the art of transformation has shaped a creative identity that resists categorisation and transcends borders. Each geography has etched a distinct layer into her artistic language. Rather than belonging to a single culture, she moves between them, merging emotional intensity with European refinement and a distinctly global ambition.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">What has emerged is not simply a multidisciplinary practice, but a fully realised creative ecosystem a 360-degree universe where art, design, fashion, and personal branding converge into one evolving vision. In this conversation, Radchenko reflects on identity, independence, high-profile collaborations, and why Dubai represents the next powerful chapter in a career defined by transformation.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43011" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="1707" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-scaled.jpeg 1707w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.17.19-1-1366x2048.jpeg 1366w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /></p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">1.⁠ ⁠How has your geographical journey shaped your artistic identity?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Being born in Siberia gave me resilience and emotional depth. Italy gave me aesthetics, culture, and discipline. New York gave me boldness and a global mindset and Dubai represents expansion and reinvention. Each place added a layer to who I am. I don’t belong to one culture, I translate between them.  My work carries that fusion: emotional intensity, European refinement, and visionary ambition. So my identity isn’t geographic. It’s evolutionary. Transformation is the core theme of everything I create.</p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">2.⁠ ⁠You describe your practice as a “360-degree creative system.” Was that strategic from the beginning?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">It evolved organically but over time, it became strategic. I never saw myself as only a painter. I think in ecosystems. Art, design, fashion, installations, personal branding they are all different expressions of the same creative vision. As my career matured, I realised that building a 360-degree system creates independence and longevity. It allows the art to exist in multiple dimensions, not just on canvas. For me, it’s not diversification. It’s building a universe.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-43012" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.41.jpeg" alt="" width="1200" height="1600" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.41.jpeg 1200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.41-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.41-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.41-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">3.⁠ ⁠How does creating for high-profile personalities differ from creating for private collectors?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">When I create for figures like Sebastian Vettel, Jorge Lorenzo, or Jamiroquai, I approach it almost psychologically. I study their energy, their discipline, their public persona and translate that into visual language. With private collectors, the process is more intimate. It’s about their personal space, their emotions, their private world. High-profile commissions carry visibility and narrative impact. Private collectors bring vulnerability and depth. In both cases, the key is listening. That’s where the real art begins.</p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">4.⁠ ⁠Why was Dubai the right next chapter for your brand?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Dubai is a city built on vision and reinvention. I didn’t want to repeat my European chapter, I wanted a new frontier. Dubai is ambitious, fast-moving, and future-driven. That aligns perfectly with my mindset. It’s also a market that is still expanding culturally. I wanted to enter at a moment of growth, not saturation. For me, Dubai is not just a relocation. It’s a platform for scale.</p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">5.⁠ ⁠How are you adapting your creative language for the Middle East luxury market?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The Middle East has a strong connection to symbolism, heritage, and legacy. Luxury here is not only about aesthetics it’s about meaning and presence. I don’t change my artistic language. I refine it. I emphasize themes of power, transformation, and inner evolution which are universal but resonate deeply here. The audience appreciates depth, craftsmanship, and narrative strength. It’s less about adapting and more about aligning.</p>
<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">6.⁠ ⁠What conversations do you hope your work will start within the region?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">I hope my work opens conversations about identity, reinvention, and personal evolution. The region is rapidly transforming, and so are the individuals within it. My “Wings of Power” series speaks about growth through struggle about confronting your own limits and choosing expansion. I want people to see power not as dominance, but as self-mastery. If my work encourages even one person to reflect on their own transformation then the conversation has begun.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-43014 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.40-1-e1773300109469.jpeg" alt="" width="1200" height="995" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.40-1-e1773300109469.jpeg 1200w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.40-1-e1773300109469-300x249.jpeg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.40-1-e1773300109469-1024x849.jpeg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatsApp-Image-2026-02-16-at-15.27.40-1-e1773300109469-768x637.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Across continents and audiences from world-renowned figures to private collectors Radchenko’s philosophy remains consistent: creation begins with listening, and power begins with self-mastery.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Now positioned within one of the world’s fastest-evolving cultural landscapes, she sees the Middle East not simply as a new market, but as a space for expansion. With transformation as both message and method, her work invites viewers to reflect on their own evolution suggesting that identity is never fixed by geography, but continually shaped through growth.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/beyond-the-canvas/">Beyond the Canvas</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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		<title>Monumental Art Returns to AlUla</title>
		<link>https://identity.ae/monumental-art-returns-to-alula/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rebecca Anne Proctor]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:37:37 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AlUla Arts Festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desert X AlUla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://identity.ae/?p=42469</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Saudi Arabia’s ancient vast desert region is becoming a global hotspot for culture and heritage. The returning fourth edition of biannual Desert X AlUla, presents monumental site-responsive artworks that challenge how individuals perceive art within a natural environment. This edition, which features works by 11 artists positioned throughout the AlUla landscape, reflecting a diversity of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/monumental-art-returns-to-alula/">Monumental Art Returns to AlUla</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Saudi Arabia’s ancient vast desert region is becoming a global hotspot for culture and heritage. The returning fourth edition of biannual Desert X AlUla, presents monumental site-responsive artworks that challenge how individuals perceive art within a natural environment. This edition, which features works by 11 artists positioned throughout the AlUla landscape, reflecting a diversity of concepts, materials and traditions, draws inspiration from the literary and poetic works of Lebanese American writer Khalil Gibran who once described dreams as “Space without measure.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Desert X AlUla, which runs until February 28, 2026, is a cornerstone of the annual AlUla Arts Festival, this year marking its fifth edition and which transforms the ancient oasis city of AlUla into an immersive platform for art and culture.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Curated this year by Wejdan Reda, Zoé Whitley, with artistic direction by Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi, Desert X AlUla presents commissioned monumental works by participating artists Sara Abdu, Mohammad Alfaraj, Mohammed AlSaleem, Tarek Atoui, Bahraini Danish, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Agnes Denes, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Basmah Felemban, Vibha Galhotra, and Héctor Zamora.</p>
<div id="attachment_42562" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42562" class="wp-image-42562 size-full" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-225x300.jpg 225w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ibrahim-El-Salahi-Haraza-Tree-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-1536x2048.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><p id="caption-attachment-42562" class="wp-caption-text">Ibrahim El-Salahi, Haraza Tree, Desert X AlUla, 2026</p></div>
<p>“Desert X AlUla is such an expansive context for artists’ ideas to be realised, true to poet Khalil Gibran’s observation that dreams are ‘time limitless’ and provide ‘space without measure’,” said Whitley. “A stone’s throw from a UNESCO World Heritage site, vast history meets the contemporary moment. It’s been a remarkable collaborative process to see how the artworks were each conceived, inspired by and in harmony with the surrounding landscape.”</p>
<p>From monumental kinetic sculpture to sound-based creations located above and below the desert landscape, each commission is rooted in a mission to dialogue visually and thematically with AlUla’s distinctive natural environment. Highlights include Saudi artist Mohammad Alfaraj’s What was the Question Again? highlighting a palm tree made of numerous grafted trunks reflecting ideas of renewal, harmony with nature and the intricate relationships between people and their environment. There’s also the evocative installation Imole Red by Cuban-born, US-based multidisciplinary artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons which channels the land, spiritual heritage and light. Inspired by AlUla’s sunsets and West African Yoruba traditions, the work incorporates coluor and energy, transforming such elements into a flowing, alchemical garden that cherishes the valley’s past and its connection to water. Leading Sudanese modernist artist Ibrahim El-Salahi presents the installation Haraza Tree, inspired by the resilient acacias that grow throughout AlUla’s canyons. The work features a forest of sculptural meditation trees that reflect ideas of unity derived from multiplicity. Meanwhile, Saudi artist Basmah Felemban’s <i>Murmur of Pebbles </i>brings into focus and magnifies the smallest geological elements of the surrounding landscape and transforms them into monumental limestone sculptures, reflecting the ancient rivers that once shaped AlUla’s desert. The pebbles, now in their grandeur, highlight ideas of memory and resilience encapsulated within each stone.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_42563" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42563" class="size-full wp-image-42563" src="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-300x225.jpg 300w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-768x576.jpg 768w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://identity.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sara-Abdu-A-Kingdom-Where-No-One-Dies_Contours-of-Resonance-Desert-X-AlUla-2026-Courtesy-of-Lance-Gerber-408x306.jpg 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><p id="caption-attachment-42563" class="wp-caption-text">Sara Abdu, A Kingdom Where No One Dies:<br />Contours of Resonance, Desert X AlUla, 2026</p></div>
<p>The works presented communicate with AlUla’s landscape and explore Gibran’s meditations on the realm of possibility and the enduring strength of the human spirit.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Feature Image: Mohammed AlFaraj, What Was the Question Again?, Desert X AlUla, 2026</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://identity.ae/monumental-art-returns-to-alula/">Monumental Art Returns to AlUla</a> appeared first on <a href="https://identity.ae">identity</a>.</p>
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