Hello and welcome to this week’s Inside Indie!
We’ve got some exciting stuff for you – read on:
- Louvre Abu Dhabi announces first major prize for contemporary art
- Rare David Bowie artworks ‘The Arcane Series’ on display in Dubai
- Beirut International Women Film Festival returns after cancellation last year
Credit: Hufton + Crow via The National UAE
The Richard Mille Art Prize is the first major prize for contemporary art announced by Louvre Abu Dhabi. It is organised in participation with internationally renowned Swiss watchmakers Richard Mille.
Submissions are open for any UAE based artist until Tuesday August 31, with the shortlist and winnnders to be announced through an open call and jury selection. The inaugural theme is Memory, Time and Territory, and it invites artists to reflect on the changes the UAE has underwent since its founding until today as well as personal stories and recollections, and ideas of the future.
The winner of the $50,000 prize will be announced at an open call in November, in time for the UAE’s 50th anniversary celebrations, and the show will run through March 2022. Furthermore, four to six shortlisted artists will also receive an exhibition – titled Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 – in the Forum, a dedicated contemporary art area at the museum.
Courtesy Masterpiece Art Gallery
David Bowie fans rejoice!
Some of the icon’s artistic work is on display at Taiko at Sofitel Dubai, The Obelisk until Sunday, August 8.
The 50 silkscreen prints, which were created in the 1970s, are titled The Arcane Series and were inspired by the Thoth Tarot Deck by British occultist Aleister Crowley. Bowie incorporated dark, moody colours with symbolic elements drawn from tarot, kabbalah and the occult.
They are presented by Masterpiece Dubai, an art dealership from the UK that recently opened its gallery in the UAE. The collection was once in the private collection of an RCA label executive who was given the works as a gift by Bowie in the 1970s. They were exhibited in the gallery’s London space in February last year.
The past year and a half have been tough for Beirut, but one event is hoping to do its part to help the efforts to revive the city’s arts and culture community: the Beirut International Women Film Festival.
Last year’s event was cancelled due to the start of COVID19 lockdowns but it has now returned to once again honour seminal figures from the local cinema and arts scene by showcasing 90 shorts, features, documentaries and animations from around the world will be screened at Beirut’s LFA-Cinema Abraj, alongside seminars and masterclasses.
The event, which will run until July 23, will also honour Aimee Boulos, founder of Beirut’s Monnot Theatre. Boulos has been an important figure in Beirut’s Fondation Liban Cinema , as well as being instrumental in bringing alternative cinema to more mainstream audiences through her curation work at Vox Cinemas City Centre Beirut.
Upcoming Events
Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 46, Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31
Aura Art Fair is a small-scale event showcasing local talent in the UAE, including artists, musicians, poets, performers, designers and more. The programme includes live performances by bands and musicians in Dubai, including the K-pop inspired dance group thepixiesdance and singer Elliee.
There will also be an open mic session for poets, singers and musicians, as well as stalls for artists to sell their works.
Sharjapan 3 – Remain Calm: Solitude and Connectivity in Japanese Architecture
Sharjah Art Foundation, until Friday, October 1. Tickets required.
Reflecting on the intimate role architecture plays in our lives, Remain Calm explores the work of notable Japanese architects and an artist who use traditional concepts to create physical spaces with both modern and contemporary resonance. The exhibiton will include sculptural models, multimedia installations, drawings and photographs of various architectural projects in Japan.
CREATIVITY UNDEFINED 