Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Abridged

Watched a play after 3 long years. For some reason, although we did watch more than a couple of ballets, operas, music programs and stand up comedies in Egypt, we never really had an opportunity to watch a play in English.

We had heard good things about this play: Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Abridged which was to cover all 37 of Shakespeare's plays in 97 minutes, so we were really excited to hear that it would be playing at the Madinat Theater.

Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield's script did not disappoint. It was brilliantly funny. The acting by Nick Barclay, Chris Hampson and Peter Brooke, was masterful and it was an out and out comedy.

My favourites were Othello being performed as a rap song and Hamlet being performed in reverse in 30 seconds. The other highlights were Titus Andronicus as a cooking show and the entire histories as a game of American football!

Chris Hampson's two minutes or so of nothing but expressions, just before the interval were theatric brilliance.

But what truly moved me were the 2 speeches. The fact that they could move an audience that was rolling in the aisles with laughter into a serious, pensive mood, just by a change in lighting and dialogue delivery was stupendous.

I'd love to go on, but that would ruin the play for someone who hasn't seen it yet.

Its a must watch. We caught it on the last day, but if it does come back to Dubai, grab your ticket, fast!

Article on the man behind the "Arabian Saluki Center"

Yesterday's Friday, had an interesting article on the man behind the "Arabian Saluki Center".

In a region where dog's are not the most favorite of animals, the Arabian Saluki, a constant companion to the bedouin is considered more than an animal, it is a part of the family.

The article on Hamad Ganem Shaheen Al Ganem, director, breeder and registrar general of the Arabian Saluki Center; board member, Emirates Falconers' Club; and consultant to the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi. is an interesting one, worth a read.

It ends with a wonderful anecdote:
"When I met the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan he held my hand and told me: 'The saluki has different uses; not only hunting for you, but also feeding you and protecting you and your camels and sheep. They are an important part of our hospitality as they guide your guests to you.' It was then that it dawned on me that in the olden days people were lonely and used to welcome guests to their tents. Travellers came upon a saluki and knew there would be a house nearby, so they would follow them home. That to me is the ultimate story about the saluki."

Doha museum stakes cultural claim

From The BBC

The museum is part of plans to make Doha a cultural capital of the world

By Lawrence Pollard BBC News

A few years ago, prices in London auction houses went through the roof - not for the classic modern or contemporary art, but for works from the Islamic world.

Fabulous jewels, manuscripts and ceramics were fetching 10 times their estimate and more, and it soon emerged this was thanks to the al-Thani family, rulers of Qatar, the tiny gas-rich Gulf state.

They had tempted the veteran architect I M Pei - the man behind the glass pyramid at the Louvre - to design one last statement building, a spectacular museum on a purpose-built island in Doha, which would house only the best Islamic art.

Then they went shopping for their collection.

And this weekend the museum opens, a dramatic pile of white limestone shapes inspired by Islamic architecture and full of 800 of the finest examples of Islamic art.

Many of these things, as well as being objects of beauty have functional usage, but then hidden beyond that is the sense of transcendence Navid Akhtar Designer and writer

Not long ago, the idea of culture being a reason to visit the Gulf would have made other Arabs laugh. No longer.

The Syrian cultural historian Rana Kabbani sees a political element to the museum, putting Doha on the cultural map.

"I think all the rulers in the Gulf see what they really lack is culture on a grand scale, as a kind of imperial identity. It's a political-cultural lack. They have the means, and they're going for it."

The hope is that - like hosting a Grand Prix or buying a football club - a fabulous collection of art will bring prestige, attract tourists and create a brand.

That's why along the coast, two museums are planned for Abu Dhabi - branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim.

New conversation

But what exactly is the Islamic art in the collection? What can ceramics from southern Spain have in common with metalwork from the Silk Route city of Samarkand?

One thing which links them is the misconceptions about Islamic art held by both east and west.

Designer and writer Navid Akhtar explains: "The conversation tends to go: 'How come you don't paint people? Because its forbidden.'

"There's little understanding of the scriptures or commentaries, or the concept of art, so we're left with a limited conversation.

"There's a lot of figurative Islamic art. And the geometric patterns aren't just pattern."

There's not enough research and that's a mistake of the Muslims. There has to be a reawakening - they have to start studying their own history Reem al-Faisal Saudi artist-photographer

The Koran has no comment on the visual arts.

The prophet was firmly against idols, but then so were Jews, orthodox Christians and puritan Anglicans at various times.

Many religions mistrust images but their cultures still end up using them - Islam however has had less use for them.

"The Koran is not a narrative like the old or new testament, it doesn't tell a story, a narration you can illustrate," says professor Doris Abouseif, author of Beauty in Arabic Culture.

"The Koran is precepts, it guides but doesn't narrate."

Any museum will show Persian and Indian miniatures, or Arab pottery with figures of animals or people.

They won't be from a mosque, but the figure isn't banned from wider Islamic culture.

'Whole language'

One element Islamic objects have in common is intricate geometric patterns.

Some scholars think this is a craft habit, pure and simple, but to many younger Muslim artists the geometry holds something else.

"Pattern is a whole language of colour, form and shape," says Reem al-Faisal, a Saudi artist-photographer.

"Each colour symbolises a state of the soul or being. It's poetry translated into material elements."

Mr Akhtar agrees: "Many of these things, as well as being objects of beauty, have functional usage, but then hidden beyond that is the sense of transcendence that they create."

The chief curator of the new museum, Oliver Watson, is British, as are many of the staff.

The museum houses 800 artistic and historical works from three continents

The study of Islamic art is a western creation, which Ms Faisal says is not a problem so long as more Muslims now take up the study.

"I don't care if it's Muslims or Westerners - the problem is that there's not enough research and that's a mistake of the Muslims.

"They should have studied their own civilisation far more, they've been in hibernation for 500 years. There has to be a reawakening - they have to start studying their own history."

Qatar's museum will be just a glittering collection of greatest hits unless it manages to become, as promised, a centre of education and research into the history of this beautiful art.

Dubai firm launches Muslim image bank

Dubai firm launches Muslim image bank
by Lynne Roberts on Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Muslim Heritage Consulting has launched the world’s first Muslim history image library online.

The library, at www.MuslimHeritageImages.com includes manuscripts from the 10th Century as well as contemporary images of people, architecture and museum artefacts.

Collections telling the story of Muslim civilisation have been brought together from museums, archives and private collections across the world.

Many images recreate pivotal moments in history such as pioneering early surgical work carried out in the Middle East centuries before similar treatments were available in Europe.

Samia Khan, spokesperson for Muslim Heritage Images said with interest in the Muslim world growing, it was important to have a definitive and reliable source of images.

'One of the biggest challenges for museums, publishers and production companies has been trying to relate these stories from the past using imagery which is extremely difficult to find. Muslim Heritage Images has brought together thousands of images of manuscripts, and photos of Muslim culture, history and people and made it accessible using a simple online format,' she said.

A note of caution : I visited www.MuslimHeritageImages.com While the pictures are beautiful, they are all copyrighted. Only the minor thumbnails are clear, slight enlargement shows pictures with large watermarks which take away the beauty of the picture. I guess this is a site for commercial distribution of the images.

I am not against copyrighting, but it can be done tastefully like those at http://www.worldpressphoto.org (Refer my previous article : CIC World Press Photo 2007 Awards Exhibition) so that surfers who would just like to enjoy the beauty of the pictures can do so without any hindrance. But if you try to copy the image by any means, it disallows that and a polite message requesting you not to copy the picture pops up.