The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens in two months and I'm still here

September 07, 2017 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, art, architecture, construction, design, events, history, journalism, launches, master plans, UAE

Having followed the twists and turns of the Louvre story for eight years, I found myself walking into yesterday's press conference, at which the museum would reveal its opening date, in a state of giddy anticipation. As they addressed an auditorium full of journalists, publicists, curators, officials and dignitaries, the speakers seemed to share the sentiment. When the first address, by HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, was over the opening date suddenly appeared on a large screen. An awkward, short ripple of applause went through the crowd. 11 November 2017. On deadline and just over two months away. And so, voilà, just like that, le chat was out of the bag.

Art Dubai 2015: Best solo artist booths

March 18, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, launches, UAE, art fairs

The ninth edition of Art Dubai opens today and I am happy to report that ‘the most global of art fairs’ lives up to its tagline: this year's programme includes work by more than 500 artists and 92 galleries hailing from more than 40 countries. More galleries than ever are presenting high-concept booths focused on just one or two names, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the work of individual artists more fully than is usually possible at events as busy (and commercially driven) as this. Here are three galleries at whose booths I couldn’t help but linger.

Design Days Dubai 2015

March 16, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, design, UAE

Exploding furniture from Dubai. Sick robots from Doha. Stuffed crochet weasels from London. Dubai Design Days has corralled an eclectic bunch of designers for its biggest and most charming line-up to date. Inside the now familiar tent-dome at the foot of Burj Khalifa, objects of artistry and wit await at every turn. This time around, I am especially taken by whimsical projects that inject a sense of fun and wonder into the often über-sleek world of collectable design.

Sharjah Biennial 12: Take One

March 09, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, events, launches, UAE, Sharjah

This year, the launch of the Sharjah Biennial, now in its 12th iteration, marked the opening salvo of the UAE art season's busiest period. At the press preview, excited throngs of tote-bag carrying guests drifted back and forth through the narrow alleyways of Sharjah's old town, keen not to miss any of the artworks now occupying parts of the labyrinthine historical neighbourhood. Until June 5th, SB12 presents works by over 50 artists from 25 countries, loosely riffing on the theme The Past, The Present, The Possible. Here are some impressions from opening day.

Snapshots from Quoz Arts Festival 2014

November 11, 2014 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, photography, UAE

On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours exploring this year's edition of the Quoz Arts Festival, which turned out to offer exactly the kind of immersive, sprawling cultural whistle-stop tour I wanted that day. In a bit over two hours I somehow managed to see four exhibitions, watch a photography demo as well as part of a movie, listen to several DJs, giggle at witty, locally designed t-shirts and spend way too much money on a tiny (but oh so pretty) bottle of organic lemonade. Here are some of my favourite moments from a leisurely stroll around Alserkal Avenue's hive of galleries, food stalls and retail spaces during Quoz Arts Festival 2014.

Vampires and pomegranates, or: why my brain almost imploded with joy the other day

October 29, 2014 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, anecdotes, cinema, events, Movies, music, recommendations, UAE

Last weekend, two films at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) blew me away, although they could hardly have been any more different from each other: one was the 1968 Soviet/Armenian classic, The Color of Pomegranates, by Sergei Parajanov; the other, Ana Lily Amirpour’s directorial debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, aptly described in the catalogue as ‘the world’s first Iranian vampire Western’. Discovering a surprising link between them felt unfeasibly exciting and pleasantly short-circuited a whole bunch of synapses in my cultural grey matter.

Adihex 2014: guns, gadgets and… conservation?

September 16, 2014 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, events, UAE, trade fairs

On the labyrinthine marketplace that is Adihex (Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition), exhibitors from all over the world tout anything from live falcons and remote-controlled tents to equine treadmills and designer rifles. You never know what you are going to find. As usual, I walk away with an utterly random, firmly non-hunting selection. This year's pick: an enamel teapot, a satellite phone, a dressage whip and, not to forget, some memorable impressions from my first visit to the fair's weaponry section.

New beats in town: indie nights out in Dubai

September 16, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in Dubai, events, UAE, music, nightlife, parties

And suddenly, just like that, Dubai has real DJs throwing real parties. No red-carpets, no dress codes, no processions of magnum bottles with sparklers on top. Just some music-loving people hiring a bar (or a boat) to play ace tunes for small crowds. Who would have thought that budget hotels in dusty Al Barsha would be where it's at one day?

Visit Palestine poster remixed by Larissa Sansour

September 10, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, israel, launches, recommendations, UAE

Last night I came across this poster at the eminently busy season opening at Al Serkal Avenue. It caught my eye because I have the original version, bearing the words "Visit Palestine" and the silhouette of the Dome of the Rock, hanging in my front room. With that random connection to my humble dwelling, I was captivated and, undoubtedly, so will be multitudes of others. Such is the power of pop culture references, which come in many shapes, most of them addictive. It's all very tongue-in-cheek, as was much of the art on display last night. Humour, it seems, is not just the safety vent of political and social subversion; it is also a sharp hook for the slippery attention span of the viewer.

No joke

June 23, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, events, UAE, comedy, lebanon, israel

No country for funny men, this. The entire Middle East leg of Russell Brand's world tour The Messiah Complex, which was meant to open in Abu Dhabi on August 15, just got cancelled because of threats from extremists. How dreary. How tedious. How disappointingly predictable. Update (24 June): Come to think of it, if this outcome happens to have been part of Brand's PR plan all along, I'd like add this: how lame. How manipulative. How defeatist.

IDEX Envy 2013

February 24, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, UAE, events

Another two years gone by, another edition of IDEX I have watched from the outside, like a would-be party crasher: full of grand visions of what it would be like to get in; held back by nerves and the lack of an invite. Ever since reading Robert Fisk’s account of his visit to IDEX 2001, I’ve been harbouring an intense curiosity regarding what goes on at this biennial show of global defense gadgetry.