Miles Greenberg’s Dubai debut
New York-based performance artist Miles Greenberg debuts in Dubai at ICD Brookfield Place.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
As the Eid al-Fitr holiday draws to a close, we highlight the debut of renowned New York-based performance artist Miles Greenberg in Dubai at ICD Brookfield Place, the opening of a new Emirati restaurant by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, a solo exhibition by Iranian artist Hadieh Shafie at Alserkal Avenue and the 19th edition of DIFC Art Nights, just a few of the many happenings taking place in the bustling Gulf metropolis.
Happy reading,
Rebecca
1. Leading the week: Miles Greenberg’s Dubai debut
A view of Miles Greenberg’s “Le Miroir (Acte I)” in February, where it was first performed at the Palais El Badi in Marrakech, Morocco. Photography by Louise Gholam
New York-based performance artist Miles Greenberg is known for his bold, provocative work that blends endurance, self-confrontation and emotional transformation. This month marks his Dubai debut, as his thought-provoking piece “Le Miroir” (“The Mirror”) comes to ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai International Financial Center.
Commissioned by ICD Brookfield Place Arts — the cultural arm of the four-acre business complex at the heart of the DIFC — “Le Miroir” is a multi-channel film and durational performance. Its first act premiered at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in February at the historic El Badi Palais in Marrakech, while the second was filmed earlier this year in a remote Emirati desert near the Omani border.
On April 15, both acts will be presented together for the first time in a single piece, accompanied by a one-time live performance by Greenberg marking his first-ever exhibition in the Gulf nation.
Inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1975 film “The Mirror” (“Зеркало”), Greenberg's work aims to evoke an emotional response from his audience and performers as they continually enact singular, minimal physical actions. The basis for Greenberg’s striking artistic movements is to explore what happens to emotions beyond the spoken word when expressed through repeated and sustained physical movements over the course of many hours. The result is an unforgettable spectacle with the performers, akin to moving sculptures, revealing how violence can evolve into affection, and yearning can shift into contempt.
Dates: April 15 - May 18
Location: ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Gerbou
An interior view of Gerbou. (Courtesy of Gerbou)
This new Emirati restaurant is the latest venture by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, founder and director of art gallery, design studio and residency Tashkeel, long known for its support of the local art scene. In a city flooded with ever-expanding restaurants offering international fare, it can be surprisingly difficult to find high-end dining that celebrates authentic Emirati cuisine in a contemporary setting.
The interior design pays tribute to Emirati heritage with thoughtful details: camel leather chairs, lighting inspired by henna leaves and a twisted trunk from a native Ghaf tree, all wrapped in warm red hues, golden accents and deep wooden tones. The space is the result of a creative collaboration between Atelier House Hospitality, Kristina Zanic Consultants and design consultancy Tasmeem Tashkeel.
The menu, curated by chef Ionel Catau, features a range of traditional Emirati dishes, many with a modern flair shaped by the chef’s personal culinary influences. Highlights include the falafel curry, RAK tuna carpaccio, muhammara and fish madhrooba, a popular rice-and-fish dish beloved throughout the Gulf.
Location: Nad Al Sheba 1 Intersection Street
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Hadieh Shafie’s “You and You” (2025). (Courtesy of the artist)
• “Resonant Turns” by Iranian artist Hadieh Shafie
Online advisory and curatorial platform The Mine presents “Resonant Turns,” a solo exhibition by Iranian artist Hadieh Shafie that explores themes of repetition, movement and the materiality of language, particularly her native Persian. The exhibition draws deeply from Shafie’s memories of her early years in Iran before emigrating to the United States.
Dates: April 9-21
Location: Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 46
Find more information here.
• The 19th edition of DIFC Art Nights
Set within the charming outdoor ambiance of the Dubai International Financial Center, this cultural oasis in the heart of the city once again plays host to a vibrant celebration of art and creativity. Now in its 19th edition, the event features a variety of exhibitions, interactive workshops, panel discussions and live music.
Dates: April 10-13, 5-10 p.m.
Location: DIFC, Gate Village
Find more information here.
• Culture Summit Abu Dhabi: “Culture for Humanity and Beyond"
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi will host the seventh edition of its global platform — Culture Summit Abu Dhabi — later this month at Manarat Al Saadiyat in the city’s cultural district. Held under the theme “Culture for Humanity and Beyond,” this year’s summit will examine the pivotal relationship between culture and humanity in a time of rapid socio-cultural transformation.
Dates: April 27-29
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: "The Arab Gulf States and the West"
For anyone interested in exploring the evolving relationship between the Arab Gulf states and the West, this book offers timely and thought-provoking insights. Edited by Dania Koleilat Khatib and Marwa Maziad and published by Routledge in 2018, it examines the shifting image of the Gulf region in Western discourse during a period of significant regional transformation.
It addresses the often-pressing question regarding the perception of the region in international relations. The book explores how these perceptions are formed and how cultural and political realities in the region can be enhanced through intercultural dialogue.
5. View from Dubai
An untitled photograph by Majd Arandas (2022). (Courtesy of Mohamed Somji/Gulf Photo Plus)
On Nov. 1, 2023, Palestinian photographer Majd Arandas was killed by an Israeli airstrike near his home in Nusseirat, in the central Gaza Strip. Gulf Photo Plus pays tribute to his life and work with “A Memorial in Fragments,” an exhibition showcasing images retrieved by his brother after his tragic death.
Through Arandas’s powerful and intimate photographs, the exhibition contemplates the idea of an afterlife of life — how images serve not only as records of the present but also as enduring testimonies for the future. The show invites viewers to reflect not only on Arandas’ work but also on the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza, and on the role of photography as both evidence and remembrance.
Dates: April 13 to Aug. 13
Location: Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue
Find more information here.
6. By the numbers
• According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, as of November 2024, the number of vehicles on the road during daytime hours has reached 3.5 million, reflecting a 10% increase in registered vehicles over the past two years.
• Despite investing over AED 100 billion (approximately $27.2 billion) in road and public transport infrastructure since its inception, Dubai continues to grapple with traffic congestion — an issue that appears to be worsening this year as the city’s population rapidly grows.
• Dubai motorists lost an average of around 35 hours in traffic jams in 2024, two hours more than in 2023, as the city's population and number of vehicles continued to grow, according to Inrix 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard.