7 cool cultural things to do this weekend

Whether you are in the mood to catch a movie, attend a photography workshop or visit some incredible exhibitions, there’s so many amazing cultural events and experiences going on this weekend in the UAE.

All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group

NYUAD Art, Abu Dhabi 

Until 7 June 7 

Featuring paintings, sculptures and artefacts, this incredibly cool exhibition examines the radical legacy of the Baghdad Modern Art Group and its enduring influence on contemporary Iraqi art. Taking you from the 1950s to the present day, you’ll come away with a whole new understanding of how Iraqi artists shaped their own identity through periods of change and upheaval.

Visit: nyu.edu

Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Bouquet and the Wreath 

Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai

Until 8 March

There’s only two more weekends left to catch the Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Bouquet and the Wreath exhibition before it closes, and it really deserves a slot in your busy schedule. Bringing together artworks that the renowned Thai artist, writer and professor has created over the past 45 years, desire and mortality, difference and curiosity are recurring themes, while images of flowers, beds, and dogs (she cares for many strays at her home in Thailand) also feature heavily throughout. Part of a two-tier exhibition that is also showing in Chiang Mai, you can buy a special edition book about Rasdjarmrearnsook’s work while you are there, too.

Visit: jameelartscentre.org

Father Mother Sister Brother, Cinema Akil

Aserkal Avenue, Dubai. 

Saturday, 28 February, 8pm onwards

There are so many interesting indie films and timeless classics showing at Cinema Akil this weekend, and one of the most unmissable is Father Mother Sister Brother. Directed by Jim Jarmusch, it follows three stories about adult siblings who are navigating complex relationship dynamics with their parents.

Visit: cinemaakil.com

Home, Again by Sahar Ghavami - FN Designs

Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai

Until 28 February 

If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you get over to FN Designs to see Home, Again by Sahar Ghavami before it closes on Saturday, February 28. An impassioned homage to the rescued pets that the artist grew up with, the colourful paintings blur fantasy and reality, while the childhood-bedroom inspired setting creates a sense of whimsical nostalgia. UAE born-and-raised visitors will also be particularly charmed by the reimagining of a vintage Baqala store. 

Visit: fndesigns.com

Home Is Not a Place by Émilie Dubois, Bassam Freiha Art Foundation 

Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. 

Until 26 March 26 

Centred around a life-sized painted living room that you can walk into, touch and even take a seat on, Home Is Not a Place by Guatemalan artist Emilie Dubois is one of the quirkiest and most out-of-the-box exhibitions ever displayed at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation. Far more than just a cool photo opportunity, it examines what it feels like to move to a different country, and the idea that home is an internal concept that can be built anywhere in the world. Hugely relatable for the Middle East’s diverse and international, it's bright, bold and fun, but at the same time deeply moving. 

Visit: bassamfreihaartfoundation

Mountain Boy, Etihad Museum

Jumeira Street, Dubai

Saturday, 28 February from 8.30pm

Set and filmed in the mountains of Fujairah and different locations in Abu Dhabi, few UAE-produced films are as iconic or powerful as Mountain Boy. Telling the story of a young Emirati boy with autism, the free screening is followed by an exclusive Q&A with the director, writer, producer and some of the cast members.

Visit: theplotpicturess

The Image after Dark: Light, Perception and Collective Looking – Sharjah Art Foundation

Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah

28 February 9-11pm

Photographers, artists and creatives of all levels are invited to come together this Saturday at Sharjah Art Foundation for a group discussion about how lighting can impact the power of photographs. Designed to highlight how sequencing, omission and silence can subtly reshape the stories and messages portrayed in a photograph, participants are also invited to bring their own photographs to use as conversation prompts.

Visit: sharjahart.org