Elias Sime brings ‘Through the Window’ to Dubai
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
Dubai gears up for another busy week with the April 28 launch of the 32nd Arabian Travel Market, set to have a notable presence from Asia. Also on the radar: solo shows by Ethiopian artist Elias Sime and Huda Lutfi from Cairo at Alserkal Avenue, a new Italian spot whose parent eatery hails from Moscow and a photography book on the bodies of Arab women.
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Happy reading,
Rebecca
P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.
1. Leading the week: "Through The Window"
Elias Sime’s Tightrope: Through the Window 5. 2025. (Courtesy the artist, James Cohan and Lawrie Shabibi)
One of Ethiopia’s most renowned artists, Elias Sime, is currently presenting his first solo exhibition in the Middle East at Lawrie Shabibi in Alserkal Avenue. Titled Through the Window (በመስኮቱ ውስጥ), the show highlights Sime’s distinctive technique of transforming technological debris — such as circuit boards, wires and electronic components — into richly textured compositions. From a distance, the works resemble abstract paintings, their surfaces evoking aerial landscapes or organic formations.
Born and based in Addis Ababa, Sime has long explored the connections between technology, ecology and human experience. In Through the Window, his intricate, layered pieces invite viewers to meditate on the materials that shape both our digital and natural environments, blurring the boundaries between the mechanical and the handmade, the industrial and the organic.
Date: Until May 24
Location: Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Find more information here
2. Word on the street: Loona
A view of Loona’s sleek and elegant yet understated ambiance. (Courtesy of Loona)
This elegant new Italian eatery is a Moscow transplant brought to Dubai by three friends — Anton Pinskiy, Artem Losev, and Vitaly Istomin. Featuring a large pizza oven and house-made pasta, the restaurant is known for its commitment to “clean Italian food,” whether in its original location just steps from Moscow’s Red Square or in its new home in Downtown Dubai. Expect Italian classics made with high-quality ingredients, alongside dry-aged steaks sure to please meat lovers. With its understated yet sophisticated vibe, it’s an ideal spot for a business lunch or a relaxed catch-up with family and friends.
Location: Vida Residence Downtown, Burj Khalifa Boulevard, Dubai
Find more information here
3. Dubai diary
Huda Lutfi’s Healing Device. 2023. Collage of recycled paintings on handmade paper. (Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai)
• Huda Lutfi Presents “Unraveling” at The Third Line in Dubai
The intimate, poignant works of Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi are currently on view in her fourth solo exhibition at The Third Line. Titled Unraveling, the show explores themes of healing — both personal and collective — through mixed media pieces from three recent series: When Dreams Call for Silence (2019), Our Black Thread (2020–2021), and Healing Devices (2020–ongoing), all reflecting a deepening introspective turn in Lutfi’s practice.
Also featured are never-before-seen miniature collages that predate Healing Devices — offering a glimpse into the artist’s evolving experimentation with abstraction. A new video work, The Seven-legged Demon of the Night (2025), honors Lutfi’s late mother, a lifelong seamstress whose influence is evident in the artist’s ongoing use of thread and fabric.
Date: Until May 27
Location: The Third Line, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Find more information here
• “Hassan Sharif: The Storyteller” curated by Murtaza Vali
The unique “objects” of the late Emirati conceptual artist Hassan Sharif are now on view at Gallery Isabelle in Dubai — offering an in-depth look at his distinctive approach to installation, often using imported or discarded materials. The title of the show draws inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s 1936 essay The Storyteller — a reflection on narrative, craft and their place in modern society.
In the essay, Benjamin laments the fading role of the storyteller and explores the evolving relationship between craftsmanship and storytelling — highlighting how materiality can preserve memory. Sharif, known for his own love of storytelling, often used anecdotes to explain his work. The pieces on view are accompanied by texts that reflect his enduring focus on material, form, craft and human perception.
Dates: Until May 31
Location: Gallery Isabelle, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Find more information here
• Arabian Travel Market Returns for 32 Edition
Once a year, the Arabian Travel Market makes its mark on Dubai — highlighting the Gulf metropolis’ strategic location between the Far East, Europe, and Africa, and its historic role in trade and travel. This year, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates are in focus — with a 27% increase in Asian participation, underscoring the Gulf’s growing ties to Asia and global tourism.
Themed “Transforming Travel through Innovation and Connectivity,” the event will spotlight how technology is reshaping the future of travel and hospitality.
Dates: April 28-May 1
Location: Dubai World Trade Center
Find more information here
4. Book of the week: “Swallow This!"
A bold new book, marking Gulf Photo Plus (GPP)’s first-ever publication, has just been released, presenting powerful stories that shape womanhood in the Arab world. Through in-depth essays by Rama Ghanem and photographs by Lara Chahine and Reem Falaknaz, the book explores how the bodies of Arab women are influenced and resisted in both private and public realms.
Edited and designed by Jenan Ismail, the book expands on GPP’s 2022 exhibition “Swallow This! Arab Women and Body Politics,” incorporating personal narratives, research, political rage and humor, all juxtaposed with striking images. The result is a compelling invitation to empathize with feelings of pain, misunderstanding and resilience.
5. View from Dubai
Local #1 by Faisal AlRais. (Courtesy of Faisal AlRais)
Emirati conceptual artist and photographer Faisal AlRais captures dreamy scenes of the UAE’s urban and natural landscape. Working as an independent photographer for around 20 years, AlRais often uses light and raw emotion among his subjects to capture complex and challenging scenes. Heavily influenced by American street photography, he is also known for his black and white shots of street scenes and everyday life in the UAE.
6. By the numbers
• There are 5.36 million trees in the United Arab Emirates, according to Statistica.
• 2024 was a significant year for Dubai’s plan to become more “green.” Last year, the city planted over 216,500 trees, marking a 17% increase compared to 2023 and adding to a 57% growth in its green spaces.