Jump into week 7 of the quarantine with Emirati artist Hassan Sharif in his early 1980s performances in Dubai and London! Finding a few parallels to our methodical and rather mundane day-to-days in self-isolation, we are reminded of Hassan’s carefully constructed activities rooted in Fluxus and British Constructivist thought. We sit down (virtually) with his nephew Mohamed Sharif to discuss the role of performance in his uncle’s practice and Mohamed’s archival work at the Artist’s Estate.

While unraveling time-warped thoughts one month into the quarantine, Suzy interviews Munira Al Sayegh on her experience curating ‘Bayn’ with UAE Unlimited in 2017. Reflecting on this shared ‘in-between-ness’ sensation, their conversation trails from their personal lives growing up in Abu Dhabi and New York and Munira’s takeaway moments of her first-ever curated show.

‘The Quarantine Files’ series presents of the most inspiring stories of the pioneer Egyptian female artist Inji Efflatoun during her time as a political prisoner in jail from 1959-1963. Including first hand accounts from Inji herself, this article is a story of how bravery, perseverance and ingenuity lead to self-discovery and artistic explorations —all while confined and quarantined within a jail cell. Hope is just as contagious these days - read on.

In this interview, uncover the stories of Emirati photography Fatima Albudoor on adapting to college life in Boston as illustrated beautifully and intimately in her artist book ‘Making Cathedrals.’  Exploring the sensations of transience, dislocation and the ‘in-between-ness’ of our life journeys, this emotional read is a must during our quarantine days ahead.

The vivid narratives of Suzy Sikorski’s lengthy photography adventures and artist studio sessions. Both a witness and active player in these memories, Suzy weaves her way into these beautifully captured stills.

Digging into the 2017 archives of the first time I interviewed Ammar Al Attar, we trace the Emirati photographer’s evolution of his four-year-long archival Cinema in the UAE Project. How do we remember what’s lost and give importance to the unwanted and overlooked? Read on!

An essay on the Palestinian photographer Ahlam Shibli in Tribe Photography magazine. Shibli’s hyper-visual images draw deeper attention to everyday life, and shift our understanding of marginalized communities as they are depicted in media images, closing the distance between documentary and spontaneous intimacy, and between critical detachment and compassionate engagement. 

Mid East Art unveils never before seen footage and an interview text of the late Saleh Al Ustad, one of the pioneer fine art photographers of the UAE and Gulf region. This feature documents Saleh’s history from Missouri to Southern California in the early 1980s and the establishment of a fine art scene in the UAE.

One of the early pioneer painters and sculptors of the UAE sits down with me to discuss his life and work. From his formative years in Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, Abdul Raheem Salem recalls the beginnings of the first arts society in the UAE and some of the first exhibitions and important people that marked his career.

Just in time for her Degree Show at Goldsmiths, Kuwaiti/Ukrainian artist Amani discusses the evolution of the dowry in her work "Codes of Conduct."