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Art & Cinema

Welcome to DoinDubai's section on ART and CINEMA. You won't read about mainstream movies here, but you will read about top picks from Dubai's well established Film Festival that happens in December every year with red carpet galas held at the Madinat Jumeirah. It's a fabulous festival and well worth booking tickets for. ART Dubai is also now well established on the Dubai's event calendar and is now a well attended international show with something for everyone. DoinDubai has a special interest is Bollywood movies so you will find reviews of some of the more unusual offerings from India that I think have universal appeal. A great idea to see some of these when the weather is hot!

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ART DUBAI 2015

What is Art Dubai?

Welcome to Art Dubai 2015. ย This important event, now in it’s 9th year is a permanent fixture on the Dubai International Events Calendar. Welcome also to corporate entertainment, parties, glamorous locations and the chance to meet some very arty people from all over the world. Read on, take a closer look.

Where was Art Dubai held this year?

This year as in previous years, Art Dubai was held mainly at Madinat Jumeirah and the Mina A Salam hotel, part of the same complex. Design Days Dubai, also part of Art Week was held in the Downtown area of Dubai.

How many rooms of art were there at Art Dubai?

There were 2 large ย gallery rooms in the Madinat Jumeirah and one large gallery room at the Mina A Salam hotel, it was easy to walk between the two venues. The 2 galleries next to each seemed busier than the one at Mina A Salam.ย 92 galleries representing 42 countries all exhibited this year with a focus on the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

What would you expect to see at Art Dubai?

Expect to see art exhibits from the sublime to the faintly ridiculous! After all, how do we define Art? Especially modern, contemporary art? A small shower tray with some soapy water and some of the artist’s hairs reminded me of Tracy Emin’s famous unmade bed that was on display at Selfridges window in London. I’ve put some works that stood out for me here.

Bruce_Lee_Art_Dubai_2012

What is Design Days, also part of Art Dubai?

Design Days Dubai has only been running for the past 2 years and is mainly focused on furniture related items that could be works of art in themselves. I loved this exhibition and would highly recommend you visit next year if you are at all interested in Interior Design, lighting or arty homes.ย ย It even has unusual handmade jewellery.ย Design Days Dubai comprised of one large hall set up opposite the new Opera District of Dubai. It would be sensible to get a taxi there to drop you right outside the entrance as parking wasn’t that easy.

What would you expect to see at Design Days?

International and local exhibitors bring a selection of their best pieces and display them to great effect in this limited space. There were items that ranged from Italian designed falcon stands (complete with real falcons) to evil eye dressing tables with secret compartments and lights that swayed when you walked by.

Should you invest in art from Art Dubai or Design Days?

Most definitely yes. Some of the jewellery for sale at Design Days was Dhs 500 and I haven’t seen this type of jewellery anywhere in Dubai. Similarly some pieces of furniture, lighting and rugs were affordable. Obviously some of art costs hundreds of thousands of Euros so perhaps invest isn’t the right word unless you really are confident of what you’re buying. But if you really love something, know precisely where it would go in your home, you can afford it and you don’t care if it doesn’t increase (or decrease) in value then go for it!

What price ticket did you notice attached to the piece of art work made of yellowย felt stickers?

You have to put it together yourself! It comes to you in a box with instructions, it can be between 6 to 9 feet in diameter (so the owner has some creative authority over the work!). It is the 5th in a series of works by an Indian artist originally from London.

Answers in a comment please…

Thank you

Monica

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ART ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Why am I writing about Art Activities for kids?

Art_Activities_For_Kids_Paint

A company based in Denmark alerted me to their arrival in Dubai. They thought my blog would be a good place to showcase ย their Art Activities for Kids range.

I agreed to attend a local demonstration before I would commit to writing a review.

I learnt the Art Activities for Kids products were of a very good quality, versatile and safe for kids. I felt reviewing the product would be useful to my readers as these items are not widely available in the shops as yet, so you may not hear about them.

The demonstration of the products in the home allows for real hands on play with the available range; consider this option if the products appeal to you, it is so much more fun!ย 

As a bonus ToPlay is offering 2 DoinDubai Subscribers the opportunity to WINย a set of these high quality Art Activities for Kids products. ย The kits will be delivered directly to your door.

Just answer the competition question at the end of the post

What are the Art Activities for Kids products?

The product range is basically made up of paints, pens, pencils, paper and clay. There are 2 types of PAINT, basic and effectย  paint. I really recommend the effect paint because although you use it like any other paint, the end result is much more vivid, as though you had been painting with an HDR switched on!

Art_Activities_for_Kids

Each of the paints can be MIXED with various additives turning the basic colours into textile, glass, acrylic and glitter paint. You can paint designs on to T shirts with the textile mixed paint and use the glass mixed paint on a Christmas bauble or glass jar. I was also shown the Deco Fabric paint which gives kids the opportunity to paint designs on to their school bags, jeans etc.

Art_Activities_Kids_textile_paint

I was impressed with the GLITTER PENS which arenโ€™t sticky at all. The brilliant ย FELT TIP PENS wonโ€™t dry out even if you leave the lids off them. I also liked the ย AIR DRY CLAYย that is made completely of straw! I thought the idea of wrapping the clay around any cheap glass jar and then decorating it with paint was very effective, it would be great as an Easter activity. The clay doesnโ€™t need to be baked in an oven in order to harden.ย There is also a box of extra ย long-lasting WATERCOLOURS.

Art_Activities_Clay_Modelling

In addition the range includes a high quality canvas PAPER that means Little Masterpieces will last longer. I had never come across MAGNETIC PAPERย which can easily be put through your home printer. So print out mini photos, invitations, dressing up clothes, fruits, vegetables and connected vocabulary in any language on this paper and create magnets ! I am sure you can think of many versatile ways to use this paper; apparently at Dhs 13 for an A4 sheet, the price is competitive.

Art_Activities_for_kids_Magnetic_paper_Dubai

Where are the products made?

The Art Activities for Kids products are European produced โ€“ mainly in Italy,ย but they areย distributed by a Danish company based in the Abu Dhabi for any UAE customers.

Whatโ€™s special about these Art Activities for kids products?

I would say that the most special thing about these products is their flexibility in creating a product that will work on most surfaces and yet is safe for kids.

The Art Activities for Kids range wasย developed together withย anย Italian supplier who manufactures high quality products with an environmentally friendly approach. I agree, all the products seemedย of a high quality and were demonstrated with good versatility of use, whilst I understood they were safe for kids. ย The paint is easily washed from the skin, clothes and most washable surfaces.

How much are these products?

Paints can be bought individually or as a set. To give you some idea of the price; one 150 ml tube of paint is Dhs 25, or Dhs 250 for a set of 12. The air dry clay costs Dhs 65 for 1kg!

Art_Activities_for_kids_Paints_for_kids_Dubai

How do I get these Art Activities for kids products?

These products are not available in the shops in Dubai as yet, but you can order them direct from the supplier (based in Abu Dhabi) or when you decide to hold an arty party in your home!ย You can buy as much or as little as you like and they will deliver the next day.

Supplier details

Anita Tel 050 818 8579 or 02 444 7501

or look at their Facebook page

If you need to tempt YOUR KIDS AWAY FROM THEIR DEVICESย for a while, get them a set of these up market art supplies and let their creativity run riot!

WIN Aย FAB Art Activities for Kids Kit!

DoinDubai Art Activities for Kids Win

 

ToPlayย has kindly offered TWOย DoinDubai Subscribers the opportunity to win a set of Art Activities for Kids kits which include pearly watercolours, marker pens, pencils and lots more goodies but each kit is worth Dhs 345.00.

YOU could win one of these Art Sets for FREE !

Watercolours-Dubai

 

All you have to do isย make sure you are a Subscriber to DoinDubai, and then TELL MEย in the blog comment box or the Facebook comment box at the end of the post:

What are the 3 Primary Colours ?

 

I will call the winners on the 21st of March;ย just in time for the Easter holidays. The prize will be delivered direct to your door!

Do share this post so others can benefit from these products.

This post was brought to you in conjunction with ToPlay (Systems Middle East).

 

 

Thank you,

Monica

*DoinDubai willย consider writing product reviews ย when relevant to our readers and only after experiencing the product.

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QUEEN BOLLYWOOD MOVIE IN DUBAI

LIVING:

Queen Bollywood Movie in Dubai. A feisty and independent heroine Kangana Ranaut (of Tanu Weds Manu) reminded me of Judy Garlandโ€™s Dorothy with her thick braided hair and innocent smile, but sheโ€™s in Rajori a suburb of Delhi, not Kansas.  We canโ€™t get enough of the Big Fat Indian Wedding on celluloid, this time, done โ€œMiddle Classโ€ (read average income family) Punjabi style in a simple but loving household, with aunties, old grannies and podgy kid brother who becomes more endearing as the film progresses, I loved his tough, hand gesture at Raniโ€™s smug fiancรฉ, an equivalent of kicking him where it hurts when he gives his sister the big brush off.

Bollywood Movie Queen

But Rani decides completely against tradition to go on her paid for honeymoon (it wasnโ€™t easy getting a passport!) on her own and be an intrepid explorer. Cue location shooting in Paris and Amsterdam with a fair share of sanitized sordidness, red light districts, maids working on the side, wild parties and youth hostels, all done with a sprinkling of saccharine but not sickly sweet at all. Our heroine grows in confidence, resolve and fighting spirit, she blossoms, not in the shadow of her overbearing and stupid fiancรฉ but in her own space and eventually Thanks him for giving her the opportunity to live a little.

Catch this runaway, low budget Bollywood success story and feel good. Would love to know what you thought of Queen, let me know by leaving me a comment in the box below. Does this storyline remind you a similar movie? Let me know and well done to Kangana Ranaut, Queen of the Screen. This Bollywood movie has English subtitles and is rated 18.

Love to the residents of Rajori

 

 

 

PS  If you’re looking another entertaining Bollywood movie to watch at home this time, then read the related posts below to make a more informed choice.

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METRO MANILA – URBAN THRILLER BY SEAN ELLIS

LIVING:

The Scene FIlm club of Dubai (click to see the trailer) showed the urban thriller Metro Manila yesterday at it’s conference centre in Knowledge Village. The Scene club is of the few places that show full length feature films without any cuts, so if you walked out of Wolves of Wall Street for that reason you may want to become a member here.

Metro Manila at the Scene Club Dubai

Metro Manila was directed and produced by Sean Ellis, a British film director but was made entirely on location in the Philipines and stars Philipino actors and is completely in Tagalog with English subtitles.

It is a gripping, edgy thriller with a great twist at the end and it excels at putting the audience onto the streets of a dangerous and ruthless Manila.

The story focuses on a migrant family who come to the big city in search of a better life but instead are faced with a far worse existence filled with corruption, greed and squalor. It is the kind of film that will make you grateful for just being able to have a shower in your own place regardless of how big or small it is….

Here is the lead actor speaking at the Scene club last night:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exnrJM9E_v8&w=560&h=315]

It’s on general release from the end of the month in Dubai, go and see it and value what you have. It won the World Cinema audience award at the Sundance Film Festival and was named British Independent Film of the year.

Thanks for sharing with friends…

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