Although the whole city is gearing up to the annual art fair tomorrow, it is worth bearing in mind that you can find art in all corners of the city at this time of year.
Last week, we paid a visit to the Alliance Francaise on the Oud Metha road and discovered a charming exhibition by Lebanese painter Marwan Karout.
His paintings, dotted around the cultural centre, explore the loneliness of life and the over reliance on the physical and emotional baggage we take with us throughout our journeys.
A series of oversized suitcases show the powerlessness of human beings and in a second series depicting items trapped in glass bottles, the artist says it shows the futility of trying to pin down our memories.
Titled The Transients, the exhibition appeals to the many different expatriates that live in Dubai as well as perhaps the human condition, in which we exist in a place between life and death.
“I am not saying big things, I am just telling the stories of the people that I know,” Karout counters. “I am inspired by all the things I see around me.”
* The Transients runs until April 2nd at Alliance Francaise, Street 18, Oud Metha
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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