Compulsive reading – Lee Miller: A Life with Food Friends and Recipes

December 04, 2023 by Lisa Reinisch in art, anecdotes, books, food, history, photography, recommendations

When this book arrived on my doorstep, I held off on unwrapping it until the day’s work was done. I waited until I could finally take it all in, everything the promotional blurb had promised: a whopping 350 pages containing “over a hundred of her recipes and material from the cookbook that Lee Miller was secretly hoping to publish at the end of her life”. That evening, I, bona fide Lee Miller fangirl and collector or cookbooks, greedily devoured the book. Here is why I couldn’t put it down until late, late that night.

The personal versus the universal at the Louvre Abu Dhabi launch

November 16, 2017 by Lisa Reinisch in art, architecture, anecdotes, Abu Dhabi, construction, design, launches, master plans, UAE

There is this thing I do whenever I drive across the bridge that links Abu Dhabi to Saadiyat Island, the emirate’s cultural tourism megaproject: I look over towards the stretch of shoreline where the master plan envisages five major cultural institutions (Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a performaing arts centre and a maritime museum) to take shape. I did it back when there wasn’t anything to see except an empty patch of sand. I did it when construction on the first of them, Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi, finally began. And I do it now, that the museum has been open for almost a week.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens in two months and I'm still here

September 07, 2017 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, art, architecture, construction, design, events, history, journalism, launches, master plans, UAE

Having followed the twists and turns of the Louvre story for eight years, I found myself walking into yesterday's press conference, at which the museum would reveal its opening date, in a state of giddy anticipation. As they addressed an auditorium full of journalists, publicists, curators, officials and dignitaries, the speakers seemed to share the sentiment. When the first address, by HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, was over the opening date suddenly appeared on a large screen. An awkward, short ripple of applause went through the crowd. 11 November 2017. On deadline and just over two months away. And so, voilà, just like that, le chat was out of the bag.

Art Dubai 2015: Best solo artist booths

March 18, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, launches, UAE, art fairs

The ninth edition of Art Dubai opens today and I am happy to report that ‘the most global of art fairs’ lives up to its tagline: this year's programme includes work by more than 500 artists and 92 galleries hailing from more than 40 countries. More galleries than ever are presenting high-concept booths focused on just one or two names, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the work of individual artists more fully than is usually possible at events as busy (and commercially driven) as this. Here are three galleries at whose booths I couldn’t help but linger.

Design Days Dubai 2015

March 16, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, design, UAE

Exploding furniture from Dubai. Sick robots from Doha. Stuffed crochet weasels from London. Dubai Design Days has corralled an eclectic bunch of designers for its biggest and most charming line-up to date. Inside the now familiar tent-dome at the foot of Burj Khalifa, objects of artistry and wit await at every turn. This time around, I am especially taken by whimsical projects that inject a sense of fun and wonder into the often über-sleek world of collectable design.

Sharjah Biennial 12: Take One

March 09, 2015 by Lisa Reinisch in art, events, launches, UAE, Sharjah

This year, the launch of the Sharjah Biennial, now in its 12th iteration, marked the opening salvo of the UAE art season's busiest period. At the press preview, excited throngs of tote-bag carrying guests drifted back and forth through the narrow alleyways of Sharjah's old town, keen not to miss any of the artworks now occupying parts of the labyrinthine historical neighbourhood. Until June 5th, SB12 presents works by over 50 artists from 25 countries, loosely riffing on the theme The Past, The Present, The Possible. Here are some impressions from opening day.

Snapshots from Quoz Arts Festival 2014

November 11, 2014 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, photography, UAE

On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours exploring this year's edition of the Quoz Arts Festival, which turned out to offer exactly the kind of immersive, sprawling cultural whistle-stop tour I wanted that day. In a bit over two hours I somehow managed to see four exhibitions, watch a photography demo as well as part of a movie, listen to several DJs, giggle at witty, locally designed t-shirts and spend way too much money on a tiny (but oh so pretty) bottle of organic lemonade. Here are some of my favourite moments from a leisurely stroll around Alserkal Avenue's hive of galleries, food stalls and retail spaces during Quoz Arts Festival 2014.

Visit Palestine poster remixed by Larissa Sansour

September 10, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in art, Dubai, events, israel, launches, recommendations, UAE

Last night I came across this poster at the eminently busy season opening at Al Serkal Avenue. It caught my eye because I have the original version, bearing the words "Visit Palestine" and the silhouette of the Dome of the Rock, hanging in my front room. With that random connection to my humble dwelling, I was captivated and, undoubtedly, so will be multitudes of others. Such is the power of pop culture references, which come in many shapes, most of them addictive. It's all very tongue-in-cheek, as was much of the art on display last night. Humour, it seems, is not just the safety vent of political and social subversion; it is also a sharp hook for the slippery attention span of the viewer.

The crocodile and the canard

April 11, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in journalism, Dubai, UAE, media, uae media watch, art, photography

This morning, I was about to chuck away the free copy of 7Days that lands on my doorstep every day, when the cover story caught my attention: "Is there a nile croc loose in Dubai Creek?" read the headline, set above an image of an open-mouthed specimen of the species. When I flipped to the page with the 'amateur snapshot' the story was based on, I saw that Duncan Hare, the reporter who wrote it, had fallen for a hoax.

Saadiyat: closer than you think?

February 08, 2013 by Lisa Reinisch in Abu Dhabi, art, history, architecture, master plans

Most days I drive past this billboard on Saadiyat Island showing Jean Nouvel’s design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi under the slogan “Closer than you think” and “Opening 2015”, and I can’t help feeling a pang of irritation. After all, my being in this city has something to do with this grand cultural vision and somehow I take the delay of its realisation more personal than I probably should.