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Dubai Culture Celebrates Emirati Creativity on 53rd Eid Al Etihad

The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
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Dubai Culture Celebrates Emirati Creativity on 53rd Eid Al Etihad

The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM
The scheduled events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is organizing a series of interactive workshops, captivating performances, and cultural experiences inspired by the UAE's heritage and history across its cultural and heritage sites to celebrate the 53rd Eid Al Etihad, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Scheduled from 2nd to 4th December, these events reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to enhancing the presence of heritage and instilling national identity in the hearts of the community, WAM said.

As part of the Eid Al Etihad celebrations, Al Safa Art and Design Library will host a series of artistic and musical performances on 29th November, along with workshops that showcase the creativity of local talent and highlight aspects of Emirati culture.

Visitors can join a ‘Dukhoon Making’ workshop to craft traditional incense by blending raw perfumes with other ingredients.

Additional activities include an Emirati flag-weaving session, Arabic calligraphy workshops, and henna design experiences rooted in UAE heritage.

Artist Hazem Kurdali will create a mural titled ‘Mural of Union: Zayed and Rashid,’ inspired by a historic image of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Chef Soumaya will offer visitors a memorable culinary journey, introducing them to the authentic flavors of Emirati cuisine.

From 2nd to 4th December, visitors to Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood and Hatta Heritage Village are able to enjoy a variety of folkloric and musical performances presented by local troupes. Children will delight in entertainment tailored just for them, while families can taste an array of dishes offered by local restaurants and shops.

Meanwhile, Al Shindagha Museum, the UAE’s largest heritage museum, will light up in the colors of the UAE flag, creating a visually enchanting atmosphere. The museum will host a series of cultural and traditional activities, including interactive workshops inspired by local heritage. Visitors can engage in traditional crafts such as dukhoon and jewelry making, among other creative experiences.

Etihad Museum will come alive with vibrant celebrations honoring the UAE’s founding values, offering a dynamic mix of activities that highlight hospitality, unity, art and culture, tolerance, heritage and tradition, innovation, and sustainability. Guests will be immersed in the rich tapestry of Emirati heritage through interactive experiences, such as crafting intricate patterns inspired by Sadu weaving and a hands-on planting workshop symbolizing the UAE's commitment to sustainability and a greener future. Culinary enthusiasts may indulge in the art of Emirati hospitality by customizing traditional dates with a variety of toppings while exploring a selection of F&B kiosks with local and international delicacies.

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Culture

Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

As Iran faces increasing tensions with the West and turmoil at home, a new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is displaying Western artwork including pieces not seen by the public in at least a decade.
The unveiling of the exhibition “Eye to Eye” has drawn numerous women, their hair uncovered, to the underground galleries of the museum in Tehran's Laleh Park. Their presence, while unacknowledged by authorities, shows the way life has changed inside Iran just in the last few years even as the country's theocracy presses forward with enriching uranium to near-weapons grade levels and launching attacks on Israel during the ongoing Mideast wars, The Associated Press said.
“The first feeling that came to me, and I told my parents, was that I can’t believe I’m seeing these works, which have always been kept far from our eyes,” said Aida Zarrin, a young woman at the museum.
“If such events are held here and we can see artworks like the rest of the world, it’s enough. They are really precious.”
The government of Iran’s Western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former Empress Farah Pahlavi, built the museum and acquired the vast collection in the late 1970s, when oil boomed and Western economies stagnated. Upon opening, it showed sensational works by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock and other heavyweights, enhancing Iran’s cultural standing on the world stage.
But just two years later, in 1979, Shiite clerics ousted the shah and packed away the art in the museum’s vault. Some paintings — cubist, surrealist, impressionist and even pop art — sat untouched for decades to avoid offending Islamic values and the appearance of catering to Western sensibilities. Nearly everything is believed still to be there, though an Andy Warhol print of the empress was slashed during the revolution.
Today, the collection is likely worth billions of dollars. Even with Iran now cash-strapped under Western sanctions, officials with the museum have been able to advocate for keeping the collection, though there have been occasional trades in the past for items from Persian history. Those sanctions may increase under the next administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
As Iranian politics have thawed, re-frozen and thawed again, the collection resurfaces along with those changes.
Among the over 120 works being shown are ones from Picasso, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon, along with celebrated Iranian artists. One of the Warhols, “Jacqueline Kennedy II,” is a silkscreen double image of the former US first lady in mourning after the 1963 assassination of her husband, President John Kennedy. Another Warhol portrait of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also garnered attention from the cellphone photo snappers.
“A lot of these works are important works in the history of art, and that’s why this show distinguishes itself from others,” said Jamal Arabzadeh, the exhibition's curator. ”A lot of people with less exposure to art have discovered the museum for the first time. ... We are seeing a part of the community that are discovering art and the museum and see the potential of this place, and this is something to be proud of.”
The presence of Western art comes as Iran's government has long fought against items like Barbie dolls and depictions of cartoon characters from “The Simpsons.” Such Western influences have been deemed un-Islamic in the past and have been seen as part of a “soft” cultural war against Iran.
With a ticket costing the equivalent of 14 US cents, the exhibition offers a rare government-sanctioned event not involving the country's politics or Shiite religion.
Among the visitors were many women defying the country's mandatory headscarf, or hijab, law. Crackdowns over the hijab have slowed down after Iran's presidential election in July that elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, though individual cases of arrest continue to draw anger.
And for many, the cost of tickets to travel abroad given Iran's collapsing rial currency keep foreign museums out of reach.
“This is very attractive for art enthusiasts because not everyone can go and see museums abroad. It’s extremely exciting to see the works here,” said a woman who only gave her last name, Dolatshahi. “I had no idea I could see works by van Gogh and Picasso here.”