Tag: Dubai Culture and Arts Authority

ART DUBAI + JOHN JONES ART ON PAPER AWARD + SIKKA AND MORE

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I loved 'Aquarium' by Beatriz Milhazes at the Cartier enclave in Art Dubai

The last two evenings have been awesome with me doing whistle stop tours of the galleries at Art Dubai after work.

Its awesome to see so many familiar faces and art enthusiasts lapping it up….my favourite area this year has to be the Cartier enclave. I didn’t want to leave as it was like a mini paradise set up to entice us and although I am not such a great fan of most Cartier jewellery, I have to say they really know how to pull the crowds with the ambience they have created at this years Art Dubai.

One hot news that has emerged is that the judges of the John Jones Art on Paper Award have selected artists Hassan Sharif (UAE) and Luis Camnitzer (Uraguay) as dual recipients of the inaugural award. The two artists are shown on the stand of New York gallery Alexander Gray Associates…. I went to see their gallery amongst others and they have some super talented people this year featured at the stands.

This Award was conceived by master framers John Jones Ltd. and Art Dubai to recognize the potential for excellence and innovation for works made on paper.  Sharif and Camnitzer will be given the opportunity to present a dedicated exhibition in Dubai between March 2012-2013, and in addition to the artists receiving a cash prize, the winning works will be acquired by the John Jones Contemporary Art Collection in London.

I also came across the information on SIKKA and the ArtBus concept which I think is a superb idea for people who really want to see all the art scene that Dubai has to offer without worrying about transport, parking etc….diva likes this idea heaps.

To make it more interesting,  the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture commissioned UAE-based artist UBIK, to design the SIKKA ArtBus. The ArtBus, organised by ArtintheCity and thejamjar, in partnership with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, serves as a convenient guide for visitors to various art fairs, galleries, educational and interactive talks, and other art events taking place in Dubai. Another bus acts as a complimentary ArtBus shuttle, taking passengers to and from SIKKA 2012, until March 24.

SIKKA 2012 is held at the historic Al Bastakiya, the vibrant cultural nerve-centre of Dubai….there is so much more to enjoy in terms of Art in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi that I don’t know where to start and where to stop…..all I can say is that the UAE totally rocks when it comes to the Art scene this month. There is no place in the world I would like to be in right now, my home country Fiji Islands included (Fiji is a paradise and the way the world should be so me saying that in March I reckon UAE is more fun than Fiji means a lot).

 

The Cartier area at Art Dubai


Taiko Legend – Heart beat from Japan

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Japanese drummers in action - absolutely loved the show

This week, the Japan Foundation and the diplomatic team for the Japan Embassy and Consulate celebrated the 40th anniversary of UAE-Japan Diplomatic relations under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. The main attraction was none other than Eitetsu Hayashi, Japan’s premier Taiko drummer and guest player Makoto Takei on a Japanese bamboo flute (Shakuhachi)

Playing a big part in this of course were our good friends from the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (It was a delight to catch up with Bilal and Yasser after a long break).

After much struggle looking for signs to the Mamzar theatre, diva breathed a sigh of relief in discovering that the said theatre where the performance was going to happen was part of the Dubai Culture and Scientific Association building (I can be so ‘duh’ sometimes).

But it was worth the drive for the captivating performance titled The Taiko Legend – Heart Beat from Japan. Hayashi led the Taiko Group to perform ‘The Taiko Legend’. An acclaimed musician, Hayashi is ranked as one of the world’s leading taiko players and a foremost cultural and artistic asset of Japan. His performances range from tranquil to inspirational offering an unparalleled experience for the audience.

People who have lived in Asia may have come across Kabuki before. Until the first part of the 20th century, people in Japan used to play Taiko early morning on the performance days of kabuki theatre.  If you have not seen this before, put in on your bucket list for traditional entertainment.

I was suitably impressed by ‘Mitsumai’ (Three Dances) composed by Eitetsu Hayashi. A motif, reminiscent of matsuri bayashi (Japanese folk-festive music) is the basic phrase of this piece. The piece also featured the characteristics of Shimedaiko (this has a high pitched tone compared to other drums) and had the vital structure of a Taiko ensemble piece. I was told by my Japanese friends that Shimedaiko is traditionally accompanied with other instruments such as the vertical flute and mini tampani to make festive tunes for Japanese street festivals.

Out of the 6 main pieces, the one above was my favourite although the solo performance on the Japanese bamboo flute (Shakuhachi) came close. Ranging from traditional, to the contemporary and experimental, this simple instrument makes audience feel the beauty of sound and depth of expression.

As the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, its awesome to see that Dubai Culture is just as dynamic & committed to strengthening cultural exchange as before, as well as facilitating exchange of ideas by providing Emirati and local artists the opportunity to work alongside international artists. All in all, a fantastic night out in terms of diva being being a culture vulture.