• In support of women: International female film directors at Cinema Akil
March is widely recognized as Women’s History Month, highlighted by International Women’s Day on March 8. To celebrate, Cinema Akil — Dubai’s homegrown film theater — is showcasing films by international female directors throughout the year. The lineup features acclaimed names like Greta Gerwig, Payal Kapadia and Carol Mansour. Also showing this month is a documentary on renowned Palestinian British doctor Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who talks about treating Palestinian civilians injured by Israeli bombardment.
Dates: March 1-29
Location: Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue
• “The Art Behind the Stars”
This exhibition reveals the paintings of Bahraini artist Jamal A. Rahim. Lively and vibrantly colored, the artist pays tribute to both Hollywood and Arab glamour through 22 striking artworks, including Marilyn Monroe, Umm Kulthum, Fairouz, Marlon Brando and Abdel Halim Hafez, among others. The exhibition is in Kutubna, a multifunctional literary space, so guests can browse books while also enjoying the art on display.
Dates: Until March 23
Location: Kutubna Cultural Center
Find more information here.
• Karim Jabbari: “Vertical Horizon / 361 Degrees”
A fitting exhibition to view during the holy month is Tunisian artist and calligrapher Karim Jabbari’s work that delves into the world of centuries-old Arabic script. If you are looking for a contemplative moment and intricate works of art, his work offers just that. Jabbari experiments with Arabic calligraphy using ink, water, light and tapestry, pushing the boundaries of the traditional form. The exhibition also features images of his large-scale public installations in the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Lebanon, including mesmerizing light calligraphy captured through long-exposure photography.
Dates: Until May 30
Location: Inloco Gallery, Al Khayat Avenue
Find more information here.
Book of the week: “Arts of the East”
This elegant hardcover tome is the perfect Ramadan gift. It features exquisite reproductions from the Bruschettini Foundation, renowned for its Islamic and Asian art collection. Flip the pages to see a fascinating array of textiles, carpets, paintings and precious inlaid metalwork spanning the 13th to the 17th century. Each piece has been handpicked by Alessandro Bruschettini in collaboration with Aga Khan Museum curator Filiz Cakir Phillip.
For over a decade, Greg Adamski has been capturing the UAE with a particular focus on fashion photography. Born in Poland in 1983, Adamski studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw and Film School in Lodz, Poland. Since he began working in Dubai, his alluring images, defined by their haunting and mystical quality, simplicity in colors and forms, have led him to collaborate with leading publications and luxury brands. In his latest book — “No Locations. Dubai.” — Adamski documents the UAE at a pivotal moment in its history, capturing the country during more than a decade of rapid urbanization and social transformation.
• The UAE is home to the world’s largest population of Arabian oryx, with over 10,000 animals living mostly around Abu Dhabi’s protected areas.
• In 2007, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Arabian Oryx Reintroduction Program, making the Arabian oryx the first animal to move from being extinct in the wild to a vulnerable status on the conservation scale.
• Another endangered wild animal in the Arab Gulf states is the Arabian leopard. The United Nations says there may be fewer than 200 Arabian leopards left in the wild.
