The fourth edition of the Dubai International Exhibition of the Arabic Calligraphy Art opened on Thursday at the Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association headquarters in Al Mamzar with best works of 21 award-winning contemporary calligraphers from nine countries going on display for seven days.

The annual show, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has been organized by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in cooperation with the Istanbul-based Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), an arm of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC).

At an impressive ceremony, the exhibition was opened by the DTCM Director General, Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, along with Mr. Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi, Member of Federal National Council (FNC), Dr. Omar bin Sulaiman, Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre, and Mr. Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of Dubai Cultural Council.

Also present were DTCM Director Operations and Marketing, Mr. Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, Mr. Ibrahim bu Melha, Chairman of Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association, Mr. Abdullah Al Owais, Director General of Sharjah Culture and Information Department, and UAE poet, Mr. Jamal bin Howaireb.

Earlier, Mr. Hakam Al Hashimi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Dubai International Exhibition of the Arabic Calligraphy Art, and Mr. Ahmed Hassan, General Coordinator, welcomed the gathering.

A total of 70 selected works of 21 renowned Arabic calligraphers from nine countries, including six from the UAE, are on display. Four of the UAE calligraphers are females.

The calligraphers participating in the exhibition are from Turkey , Iran , Iraq , Egypt , Syria , Jordan , Sudan and the US .

Exhibition will be open to the public from 5 pm to 10 pm. The exhibition will remain open exclusively for ladies on Saturday (February 24).

A glossy 80-page booklet showcasing the selected works and details about the calligraphers have been published. A series of lectures by the participating calligraphers will also take place alongside the exhibition.

Also on show are the pens, ink and other tools used by the calligraphers. For the first time, an award for distinguished work of Arabic Calligraphy Art will be presented.

The exhibition is sponsored by National Bank of Dubai (NBD), Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and IRCICA.

Mr. Khalid bin Sulayem said the event has been designed to highlight a traditional form of art popular in the Arab and Islamic world. The works cover verses from the Holy Quran, Arabic Poetry, Proverbs and Sayings.

It is imperative upon the student pursuing working in any form of Arabic typography or calligraphy to study typography at some level. This will greatly give the student an in depth understanding of type and the development of Arabic type and and calligraphy.

Calligraphy must be studied through a qualified teacher and practiced to a high level before attempting to execute full works. It is also recommended that the student studies the traditional scripts before embarking on developing new ones. What is even more important is the need for a strong understanding of Arabic typography structure, style and uniformity.

A good starting point is a researching on Arabic typography and a good book I can recommend is by Huda Smitshuijzen Abi Fares, entitled:

Arabic Typography.
A Comprehensive Sourcebook

by Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares

This is a comprehensive study, and practical reference, of Arabic letterforms and styles beginning with a concise historical overview of the development of Arabic typography through to modern designs and technological advancements. Going beyond the historical facts, this book discusses modern design issues - pertaining to the creation of letterforms and to modern Arabic typographic design - as a communication tool marrying functionality to aesthetic delight.

by Saqi Books

A study of medieval Islamic art has shown some of its geometric patterns use principles established centuries later by modern mathematicians.

Researchers in the US have found 15th Century examples that use the concept of quasicrystalline geometry.

This indicates intuitive understanding of complex mathematical formulae, even if the artisans had not worked out the underlying theory, the study says.

The discovery is published in the journal Science.

THE SUMMER EXHIBITION ON BBC TWO

Following the success of the BBC's collaboration with the Royal Academy with their Summer Exhibition programming on BBC Two in 2006, BBC Two will be revisiting the largest open contemporary art exhibition in the world for a second year.

If you're an artist, this could be your chance to get involved. We would like to film artists of all levels, amateurs and professionals, as they create their work for submission to the exhibition in April 2007. Last year we filmed people aged between 20 to 80, including full time mums, retired teachers turned painters, hopeful students and celebrated Royal Academicians.

So, if you're a painter, printmaker, sculptor or architect and you'd like to share your experiences with us, please contact us at the following email address summerexhibition@bbc.co.uk providing information about your work and your background. Feel free to attach any pictures of yourself and your art or links to your website. Please also provide a daytime phone number.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that you will be included in the programme.

BBC Two is still looking for artists who have not yet completed their work for the Summer Exhibition 2007.

If you are planning to enter the Summer Exhibition, please contact us by the end of February 2007.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/summer_exhibition.shtml

Big 'brands' compete to be first in Abu Dhabi's £14.5bn cultural quarter


It is one of the greatest art collections in the world whose miles of galleries range from the treasures of antiquity to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. But Paris's Musée du Louvre could soon become Europe's biggest cultural export by opening a vast new outpost in the Middle East as part of President Jacques Chirac's desire for greater understanding between east and west.

A French government delegation arrives today in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, to finalise a deal that would see France stamp its influence on the city's quest to reinvent itself as the cultural capital of the Gulf.

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