JULY 2018
DUBAI’S STREET STYLE How the city became a canvas for art
LONDON’S YOUNG JAZZ STARS REDEFINING THE SOUND EXPLORE SHEUNG WAN’S LADDER STREETS
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THE NEW SENSUALITY
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CONTRIBUTORS Iain Akerman, Christopher Beanland, Emma Coiler, Ben East, Gary Evans, Sarah Freeman, Dom Joly, Marina Kay, Vincent Long, Gareth Rees, Tom Saater, Carolyn Stritch, Sean Williams. Cover: Myneandyours
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56
CONTENTS
Cover story Painting a city
JULY 2018
Old school graffiti purists may balk at it, but street art is being adopted on a global scale. Can it be pushed creatively – and is Dubai the right place to do so?
15
53
Experience 16 Stay: From heritage Dubai to quirky Düsseldorf 18 Travel essentials: The pen 26 Dom Joly is hiking Lebanon 28 Dispatch: LA’s al fresco museums 30 Lunch with Homeland director Lesli Linka Glatter 34 Neighbourhood: Hong Kong 40 London’s new jazz scene 46
My Dubai: A place for SMEs Sheikh Zayed’s international aspirations 66 The logistics of a World Expo Cultural bites around the city
Global
73
Dubai
Emirates
54
68 70
Latest news 74 Inside Emirates: Training the best cabin crew in the world 76 Destination: Bali 78 UAE Smart Gate 80 Route maps 82 The fleet 88 Celebrity directions: Kanye West’s guide to Atlanta 90
ABU DHABI SUMMER SEASON 2018 IS HERE!
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13
EDITOR’S NOTE Georgina Lavers, Editor
CULTURAL UPSTARTS
FOLLOW US facebook.com/ openskiesmag twitter.com/ openskiesmag instagram.com/ openskiesmag
When I went to interview Myneandyours, our cover artist for this issue and resident at Dubai arts hub Tashkeel, the place was near-empty. The centre opened ten years ago and is in a peculiar bit of the city: past Nad al Sheba’s neat squares of racing stables, with Ras Al Khor’s flamingos to the left. With artists gone for summer, it hardly seemed a hub of inspiration. Inside, however, was a creative sanctuary. Dye-sublimation printers and laser cutters took up entire rooms. Lithographs, screen prints and fashion sketches littered the walls. “There used to be a skate park, too” remembers Myneandyours. “It’s probably a good thing it went – I’d stay all night otherwise.” This is my first issue editing Open Skies, but one of the things I predict enjoying most about the magazine is our writers’ and photographers’ exploration of practices, phenomena and places that disrupt the norm. Like London’s young musicians, who tear apart jazz and afrobeats, only to stitch them back into something unrecognisable (p46). Favouring performances in East End warehouses over more traditional jazz clubs, they reject attempts to assign their creation to a genre. Their passion proves that creativity doesn’t have to come neatly packaged. It doesn’t have to exist in a traditional hub, or sanctioned setting. It can flourish in the clamour of Hong Kong’s Chop Alley, or a Southbank rehearsal room that smells of bleach. Back in Tashkeel, a small pond in the square shimmers and shrinks under the baking sun, and Arabian cats lounge listlessly outside – perfectly unaware of the creative opportunity just feet away.
Programmes offered are outside Dubai and KHDA bears no responsibility for the same.
Global EXPERIENCE
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STAY
°
DISPATCH
° ESSENTIALS
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NEIGHBOURHOOD
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LUNCH WITH
LA’s lifestyle museums LACMA is the city’s unofficial town square, and the Getty’s courtyard comes alive after-hours with summer concerts. Here’s why Los Angeles’ museums are housing so much more than art. p.30
16 / GLOBAL / EXPERIENCE
The Plan EVENTS TO AIM FOR THIS MONTH WAYS WITH WORDS, JULY 6-16
Ziyad Marar
Why do we judge other people? And does it do us any good? The author of The Value of Being Misunderstood, and upcoming speaker at Ways with Words, discusses INTERVIEW: GEORGINA LAVERS
Judgement. Why was the phenomenon worth exploring to you? Judgement has a real relevance to my history and the idea of who is an outsider and who is an insider. I was born in Baghdad to a Jordanian father and moved to the UK. Having that perspective has always brought up the question what it takes to belong. On top of that, the fundamental fact of human nature is that we are profoundly social animals. We are constantly being judged and judging one another, it’s never-ending: but we are also very poor at it.
How might it benefit us? Quite often people think about confirmation bias, where one favours pre-existing beliefs or availability bias, where one uses information that comes to mind to make
Ziyad Marar will speak at the UK’s Ways with Words festival in Dartington
a judgement – and all of these things are described as problematic. But they are there for a reason. We’re overwhelmed by information and need to reach quickly and make decisions with only partial information. These biases can be handy shorthand to turn our social wheels very quickly, over a short course of time.
Are you seeing the increase of any specific biases in our globalised age? I don’t think the digital age created these biases, but it can certainly magnify them. When you look at Facebook, it increases its community by algorithms that optimise this dimension of relevance and engagement. The paradoxical effect is that it is a micro culture of tribal loyalties, where you get the same feedback you are thinking already. It invites people to
exaggerate their traditions and creates a kind of vicious circle of thought.
Do festivals like Ways with Words help to combat this? Ways with Words has people with a wide range of experiences, from politics to acacademics, and so there are rich forms of conversation. I’ve been to Dartington before and I’m particularly fond of it because its so idyllic, and surrounded by goodwill. The thing I want to get across there is that everyone has been misunderstood at one point in their lives. We’re all in the same boat so we can be a bit kinder to each other. And at the same time, we don’t want to be too known… we need elbow room, to grow and to change. As humans, we are not set in stone. Dartington, UK. wayswithwords.co.uk
GLOBAL / EXPERIENCE / 17
UNTIL OCT 10
AIR DRIVE It looks for all the world like another classic car photoshoot – except for one rather obvious difference. None of these amazing automobiles have wheels. Air Drive is the result of French artist Renaud Marion’s lifelong obsession with futurism, a fascinating and deeply surreal exhibition in which some of the most iconic cars of our time are digitally manipulated to become hovercraft. Dubai, UAE. madgallery.net
JUNE 29-SEP 2
JULY 2-15
JULY 29-SEP 17
OBONJAN
WIMBLEDON
ECHIGO-TSUMARI ART TRIENNALE
A private, previously uninhabited and stunningly beautiful Croatian island that doubles up as a summer-long festival and wellness retreat for adults only: what’s not to like? DJs are booked to play poolside throughout the season, there’s daily yoga outside, and accommodation – in bell tents and lodges overlooking the Adriatic – is simple, yet spectacular. Obonjan, Croatia. obonjan-island.com
Strawberries and cream, picnic hampers, lush green grass: it may be clichéd, but the Wimbledon fortnight holds everlasting appeal. It’s the international sporting event that most resembles a village fete, a chance to experience the delights of a traditional British summer whatever the weather – and to catch some of the best tennis players in the world in action. London, England. wimbledon.com
A remote corner of mountainous Japan full of rice paddies and abandoned schools is an unlikely setting for a cutting-edge contemporary art festival, but Echigo-Tsumari – intended to revitalise the area – has been wowing audiences every three years since 2000. This year’s theme looks at the role of architecture and includes work from Europe and Africa. Niigata, Japan. echigo-tsumari.jp
18 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
SEYCHELLES
4.6796° S, 55.4920° E
PRICE: FROM $614 PER NIGHT
Far more than just a taste of island life, this cluster of villas – nestled in the azure of a surrounding marine park – offers complete immersion into Seychelles living
A tiny paradise WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS
FROM THE CONCIERGE See Moyenne is less than a fiveminute boat ride from the island or, for the more adventurous, a ten-minute kayak or paddle board at low tide. Do Take a boat trip around the National Marine Park to take in the shape and beauty of the surrounding islands – as well as the colourful marine life. Eat Enjoy your meals in the privacy of your villa or wander over to Bounty restaurant, where chef Suman Napit and his team create a range of international and Creole-inspired dishes.
TREASURE ISLAND Heading for a brief escape from the quotidien of daily life, most among us would be content with a palm-fringed beach. But JA Enchanted Island Resort, a JA Resorts & Hotels offering, allows travellers a chance to step into another world. The best way to get to the resort is a fifteen-minute boat trip from Mahé, the largest island of the Seychelles. Round Island, on which JA Enchanted Island Resort sits, is its miniscule baby sister – a three-hectare speck of green in the Indian Ocean.
Jumping off the speedboat, guests will feel as if they have entered a Gauguin painting. The island is situated within the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, which was created in 1973 for conservation purposes. Water skiing and fishing are forbidden, resulting in reams of untouched coral gardens, tropical fish and seagrass meadows. As the island is so small, it is home to only ten villas hidden among the dense foliage, allowing guests the chance for complete seclusion.
Just a kayak away, Moyenne Island has an unusual history. Bought by a Yorkshireman for just $10,000 in the ‘70s, the owner set about making it inhabitable. Part of the process included careful nurture of the resident giant tortoise population, who can live up to 180 years. Come for the reptiles, stay to find the ruby-encrusted Portuguese Fiery Cross of Goa, rumoured to be buried somewhere on the island…
Each villa is equipped with its own private infinity pool, as well as an outdoor shower, a gazebo for al fresco dining and a secret strip of beach. The layout has been specifically mapped out to make the most of sweeping sea views, with king-sized beds carefully positioned opposite the windows. Along with high beam ceilings and spacious walkin wardrobes, the air-conditioned villas have not forgotten modern touches, and come equipped with Bose sound systems and Wi-Fi. Their aesthetic evokes the island’s Creole heritage, and is continued within the wider resort, which contains over 100 pieces of antique furniture typically seen in island homes of the early 20th century. For leisure, the resort offers a fitness centre as well as more laidback activities, from a hilltop spa to a yoga pavilion. Relaxed glamour is the ultimate feeling here. After bathing in a mother-of-pearl outdoor bathtub, taking the winding steps down to your own secluded patch of beach, the hardest thing may be returning to earth. jaresortshotels.com
The ten villas are surrounded by dense canopy
Sainte Anne
Cerf Island
VICTORIA
MahĂŠ
There are 10 weekly flights between Dubai and Seychelles.
20 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
LONDON
51.5074° N, 0.1278° W
PRICE: FROM $295 PER NIGHT
The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone is accurately described as feeling like “the private home of an eccentric relative”
The quirky home from home
WORDS AND IMAGES: GARETH REES
Mark Sainsbury and Michael Benyan don’t do cookie-cutter hotels. One of just two townhouse properties in the hotelier and restaurateur duo’s boutique portfolio, the Zetter Townhouse Marylebone shares several fundamental attributes with its Clerkenwell sister property, whilst still standing on its own two feet. The historical central London neighbourhood has received an injection of vim and vigour in recent years, thanks in no small part to the opening of this 24-room Georgian townhouse. Just a brisk 15-minute walk from Oxford Street, Europe’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, stepping through its inconspicuous grey front door instantly transports you into a dimly-lit, den-like drawing room.
The cocktail lounge-slash-reception has warm red walls, colourful carpets and assorted brica-brac. It belongs to the rakish Uncle Seymour, a character on which the hotel is based, and this playful spirit is at work throughout the hotel. A highlight is Lear’s Loft, a vast loft apartment named for Victorian poet Edward Lear. With its own private staircase leading up to lounge and study areas, a roof terrace with a roll-top bathtub and a view over the Marylebone rooftops, the den is perfect for writers and creatives. If you ever leave your room, Seymour’s Parlour has a cocktail menu created by renowned mixologist Tony Conigliaro. Order The Hunter and the British charcuterie board, and settle in for the night. thezettertownhouse.com/marylebone
MICHELINSTARRED MARYLEBONE One square mile of Marylebone is home to three of London’s 72 Michelinstarred restaurants Locanda Locatelli, known for its command of lesser-known Italian cuisine, is chef Giorgio Locatelli’s London flagship on Seymour Street. Just seconds away is Texture: where Icelandic chef Agnar ‘Aggi’ Sverrisson and his team serve up Scandi fare that concentrates on different consistencies. Or, head up to Blandford Street where Trishna resides. Specialising in Indian coastal cuisine, the laid-back restaurant was first awarded a Michelin star in 2012.
LONDON
Emirates offers 10 daily flights between Dubai and three different London airports: Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow.
The Seychelles Islands
@visitseychelles
www.seychelles.travel
22 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
DÜSSELDORF
51.2277° N, 6.7735° E
PRICE: FROM $104 PER NIGHT
Germany’s coolest hotel chain has landed on the Rhein
A 25-hour bolthole WORDS: CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND
FROM THE CONCIERGE Laura Schwarz, front desk manager Laura’s Deli “I’m not just choosing this because of my name, I promise! This is a great little place where the owner, Laura Koerver, who used to work in fashion, went to New York and got the idea of creating a New York deli. She’s on TV and has her own cookbook too.” laurasdeli.de Medienhafen “Some of Düsseldorf’s main sights are here in the old harbour by the Rhine, where there are now new buildings and lots of interesting architecture and many TV companies based here, like WDR.” medienhafen.de Lorettostrasse “This is definitely the place to go for all sorts of cool things like boutiques and restaurants. It’s a really nice area. There are lots of pavement cafes, so it’s great for people watching in Düsseldorf.” nrw-tourism.com/ lorettostrasse-duesseldorf
A REVITALISED ART CAPITAL Adding to locations in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich, 25 Hours Das Tour brings just what the European hipster hordes need: wacky décor, a florist and coffee shop in reception, and a roof bar with panoramic city views. Despite being in Düsseldorf, the hotel is French themed, with snails in garlic butter on the menu at The Paris Club Restaurant, and ‘Frenchified’ cocktails at the bar – which sells only French spirits. There are huge photos of Tour de France in reception and cycling accessories on sale at the shop,
plus Image Republic prints, art postcards and Izipizi sunglasses. But there are cheeky German touches too: the four reception desks are designed to look like local band Kraftwerk’s unique stage set up, and there are Kraftwerk posters in the rooms – some of which have baths out on the balcony (Germans are very free and easy about such things). The design was masterminded by Swedes Stylt Trampoli. Add lego walls to the setup, and you end up with a hotel perfect for your inner child. 25hours-hotels.com/en/hotels/duesseldorf
Before Berlin was reunified, Düsseldorf was Germany’s art capital. Its art school was where Joseph Beuys taught and made his surreal works, and, of course, art-rock bands like Kraftwerk emerged from the city in the 1970s. Today there are dozens of art galleries like K20 and K21 where you can still enjoy the city’s creative flair. In November 16-18 the huge Art Düsseldorf festival takes over the city (art-dus.de).
Extra touches make 25 Hours unique: Guests can request to rent Minis or bikes during their stay
DÜSSELDORF
Emirates offers multiple daily A380 services to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, and starting 29 October Emirates will be operating all German gateways with its A380 flagship aircraft when the airline’s Hamburg flights are upgraded to the iconic double decker aircraft.
24 / MY DUBAI / WHERE TO STAY
DUBAI
25.2048° N, 55.2708° E
PRICE: FROM $80 PER NIGHT
The opening of a second Zabeel House puts the Al Seef district firmly on the map
Loft living in old Dubai WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Zabeel House by Jumeirah in Al Seef stands at the entrance to 350 retail outlets, on the south banks of Dubai Creek. Created by Meraas, the company behind touristy neighbourhoods such as Kite Beach and City Walk, Al Seef has revitalised a two kilometre stretch of the Creek. It’s a useful jumping-off point to explore the older parts of the city including the spice and gold souks, and the old homes of Al Shindagha.
FROM THE CONCIERGE See Explore the old wind towers, galleries and cafes that make up the Al Fahidi district. Do Head out for a run on the twokilometre promenade that stretches from the hotel alongside the Creek. Maybe there’s something in the water, but accommodation in old Dubai has never been so chic. Kickstarted by XVA, the art hotel that merged heritage with contemporary in the heart of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, the area has undergone a transformation in recent years, not least when it comes to accommodation. This is the second hotel in the Zabeel House by Jumeirah collection – the first, its pocket-sized sister, is just next door. Zabeel House Al Seef promises to be the stylish older sibling, while still delivering on a promise of sharp design with an informal approach and moderate price point. Case in point: the drink you’re offered on arrival. A ginger shot gives a nod to the area’s heritage, flavoured with saffron and Yemeni honey from the souks just across the creek. Upstairs, there are 200 rooms in three different sizes. Hammocks beckon next to
oversized oak tables, and the walls are dotted with contemporary art inspired by the city. The hammocks, as well as free-standing bathtubs, are part of the many playful touches across the hotel. A cluster of human sculptures raise their hats to you as you enter the lobby, and a glow-in-the-dark word search sits above the bed. One of the major draws of the hotel is its creative spaces. Chapters, the lobby bar, welcomes browsing among curated shelves, and there are ample breakout areas – and five meeting rooms – to work from. For the tourist, al fresco and rooftop restaurants, as well as a gym with sauna and steam rooms, will suit. With a quirky style to keep creatives content, and an ideal location for curious travellers looking to see more of Dubai than its malls, Zabeel House should provide a fresh experience in this part of the city.
uat.zabeelhouse.com
Eat Up to you – Al Seef has 90 different restaurants with every cuisine imaginable.
DUBAI
For more on Dubai’s world class hotels check out the Dubai Hotels podcast on ice channel 1905.
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26 / GLOBAL / TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
The fountain pen A picture may paint a thousand words, but the simple pleasure of putting pen to paper should not be discounted The fountain pen is an antiquated notion nowadays. But, worlds away from the Insta story or the Go-Pro footage (that might lie unedited for months), there is a pleasing immediacy, and permanence, about the act of writing on vacation. Perhaps it’s the kinetic ease on which the nib glides across the page, or the lustre of the ink as it first touches the paper. Or perhaps it’s just making yourself stop, for an hour or two, and letting the sights and sounds of the destination wash over you. Whatever the reason, vacation writing is an art that should be treasured. And what better way to document your travels than with a fountain pen carved from the kernels of one of the best writers in
A compass resides on the cap, with a plane motif dressing the clip and barrel
The nib can be ordered in fine, medium or bold thicknesses
history? Montegrappa, the century-old Italian pen manufacturer, has produced a collection inspired by Ernest Hemingway, who was said to have used their pens as he wrote his way from Spain to Italy, Paris to the Florida Keys. Evoking this wanderlust is ‘The Traveller’, adorned with airplanes, maps
(1)
‘The Traveller’ is built in celluloide and sterling silver
and passports and harking back to an era when travel was an adventure. Accompany it with a simple light notebook from Rhodia or Midori, and remember Hemingway’s adage: “You belong to me and all Paris belongs to me and I belong to this notebook and this pencil.” From $3,049, montegrappa.me
(2)
(3)
WRITING HISTORY Be inspired by these famous literary landmarks
1. MONTMARTRE, PARIS
Arguably the most famous artistic haunt of all, this bohemian neighbourhood only took root as Napoleon III ejected swathes of Parisians from the city centre. Free of laws and taxes, artists including Pissarro pushed creativity to its excess, alongside poets such as Paul Verlaine.
2. CAIRO, EGYPT
Cairo has recently become a focal point for new Middle Eastern writers, with Basma Abdel Aziz’s Kafka-esque ‘The Queue’ – inspired by a long line outside a closed government building in downtown Cairo – or Mohammad Rabie’s apocalyptic ‘Otared’, set on Gezira Island in 2025.
3. ALEJANDRO SELKIRK ISLAND, CHILE
Jonathan Franzen escaped here to seek understanding after the death of his friend David Foster Wallace. Robinson Crusoe is said to be inspired by the island’s namesake, a marooned sailor. Head to this island, 500 miles off the coast of Chile, to understand isolation at its truest.
28 / GLOBAL / COLUMN
JEZZINE 33.5408° N, 35.5862° E
The hills are alive When he last wrote, Dom Joly was about to set off on the trip of a lifetime. Has he fallen at the first hill-sized hurdle?
For more humour from Dom Joly, check out Trigger Happy TV, showing in Comedy TV on ice.
Walking is weird. Most of the time that you’re actually doing it (especially when it’s up steep mountains) you are longing for it to be over. Then, when you’ve finished, you feel incredible and want to get cracking again. My plan was to walk across Lebanon for three weeks. When we set off on the first day from a town called Jezzine, spirits were high. Then Nabil, our taciturn guide, started up some crazily steep looking steps. He started to climb them. So did we. I can’t remember much more except that by the time we finally got to the top Nabil was so concerned he actually spoke. “How much hiking have you done before this?” he asked, looking askance at our brand-new rucksacks, stay-dry shirts and middle-aged ramblers hats. “Umm… some dog walking,” we mumbled. “NONE?!” he shouted worriedly. “And you come to Lebanon to walk the mountains? You British are crazy!” We took this in two ways. We were now very worried about whether we were up to this challenge, but simultaneously rather chuffed at being lumped into the glorious tradition of zany British explorers. We decided to try to bluff our way through by laughing in what we took to be a casually brave manner and nonchalantly replying: “Don’t you worry about us.” Six hours later and a thousand metres higher, I was near death and longing for a kind rock to loosen, smash down on my head and end this torture.
We got better as the days unfolded, slowly learning some tricks of the trade. For starters, we got the hang of using our walking poles properly. Next was working out the secret to hiking uphill – it’s to walk very slowly, almost as if in slow motion, while controlling your breathing. The natural instinct is to try and hurry a hill so that you can get to the top bit as quickly as possible. The scenery, however, made up for the pain. I have travelled to over ninety countries and there is no country more topographically varied and stunningly beautiful within such a relatively small area. We trudged through cedar forests, marvelled at monasteries hewn into cliffs, clambered over secluded shrines and posed on rock ledges gazing down at the old sea ports of Phoenicia. And the food… oh God, the food. Part of the plan was that we three middle aged men might lose some weight. Fat chance. Every guest house had a Lebanese matriarch ready to kill us with kindness. The tables groaned with home-cooked dishes and bottles of wonderful Lebanese wine. The civil war finished in Lebanon in 1990, but nobody seems to have noticed. We saw almost no tourists and zero hikers during our entire three-week trip. This is wonderful for the selfish traveller. To have places like Baalbek, the largest Roman temple in the world, entirely to yourself is fabulous. But Lebanon needs visitors. It needs tourism. Come, and you won’t be disappointed.
حدود بال حدود ألننا نقدر أهمية وقتك ومتطلباتك المصرفية سواء في بلد إقامتك أو في الخارج* نضع في متناولك مجموعة من الخدمات والمزايا مع برنامج "عربي بال حدود" ،من بينها: فتح حساب في أي من البلدان التي تتوفر فيها هذه الخدمة االستفادة من ميزة " "Arabi Accessإلدارة حساباتك في أكثر من بلد إلكترونيًا قروض سكنية للمغتربين سحب نقدي للطوارئ خالل السفر خدمة عمالء "إيليت" عبر فروعنا إقليميًا* تطبق الشروط واألحكام .يتوفر هذا البرنامج في :األردن ،فلسطين ،مصر ،لبنان ،اإلمارات ،قطر والبحرين
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Indoor-outdoor living comes easily to Los Angeles’ institutions WORDS: MARINA KAY
IMAGES: VINCENT LONG
Can lifestyle be embodied in a museum? LA thinks so
The Red Sky, an exhibit by Louise Bourgeois, on display at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
Elements of open-air living are inherent in West Coast design, especially in southern California, where the temperatures are mild and the sunshine plentiful. In Los Angeles, nature prevails, and just as residences fuse inside and outside spaces, so do museums – albeit on a grander scale. Existing as more than repositories, LA’s art institutions offer gathering spaces for the public to enjoy at almost any hour of the day without requiring access to ticketed galleries. You could say that Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA) functions as LA’s unofficial town square. The Wilshire Boulevard entrance to the largest museum in the western United States is anchored by a large-scale illuminated installation by the late Chris Burden. Called Urban Light, a collection of 202 antique lampposts from various neighbourhoods in the LA area, it is by far one of the city’s most visited landmarks. You only have to search #urbanlight on Instagram to see how it photographs from day to night. Embodying LA’s past
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and future (a recent Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation grant retrofitted the posts with power-saving LED incandescent bulbs), Urban Light ushers museum visitors and foot traffic into LACMA’s 23-acre park. Here is Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass, a suspended 320-tonne boulder; Ray’s & Stark indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar; and spacious grounds that host exhibitions and public programmes throughout the year including a summer line-up of jazz and Latin music. Lining the Kendall Concourse is an installation of palms created by artist Robert Irwin. He worked alongside Renzo Piano – architect of the newer wing’s Broad Contemporary Art Museum and Resnick Pavilion – to produce a Palm Garden that adds distinctive LA flair to LACMA’s outdoor living room. Prior to his commission by LACMA, Irwin worked with the Getty Center, a complex of buildings designed by ar-
chitect Richard Meier. Perched on a hill in Brentwood overlooking downtown LA all the way to Santa Monica Bay, the museum includes in its catalogue of art works Irwin’s Central Garden. Since the garden’s unveiling in 1997, it has changed continually, as seasonal plants are added and subtracted to the ever-evolving palette. The museum’s travertine exterior stands in stark contrast to this living art piece that is highlighted for its focal pool of floating azaleas and sprawling pink bougainvillea arbors, which provide visitors with places to rest, picnic, and enjoy the sweeping LA views. By the garden’s adjoining lawn, the museum courtyard comes alive after-hours with scheduled annual events, such as Getty’s Off the 405 summer concert series and Friday Flights. The latter invites artists to interact with Getty’s architecture and gardens and “forge new connections with the collections and ex-
hibitions through music, performance, film, and other creative interventions”. From the Getty, a 30-minute drive down the 405 and I-10 freeways leads to downtown LA, where The Broad has revitalised the Grand Avenue corridor (also home to The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Walt Disney Concert Hall). The museum’s eye-catching white honeycomb exterior veils three levels of galleries featuring works from Andy Warhol to Jeff Koons and a storage area containing the philanthropist Eli Broad’s expansive contemporary art collection. It has drawn queues since opening on September 20, 2015. What requires neither reserved ticketing nor waiting in line is its adjacent 24,000-square-foot public plaza. Like The Broad, it was designed by New York architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, who collaborated with landscape designer Walter Hood of Oakland’s Hood
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1. The Broad has more than 120,000-sq-feet of gallery space 2. Visitors at LACMA. The museum has been open in various forms since 1910 3. The Hammer Museum is known for public engagement 4, 6. Artists are invited to engage with The Getty’s outdoor and indoor spaces 5. The Walt Disney Concert Hall
Design Studio. The pedestrian-friendly space, shaded by a canopy of 100-yearold Barouni olive trees, offers green spaces, plenty of seating, and an event lawn. The Broad’s Summer Happenings late-night music, performance and art programme, whose headline acts this year include Baltimore music duo Matmos and EYE (July 28) takes place in this expanse. And there’s also Otium, a standalone restaurant helmed by Chef Timothy Hollingsworth. Steel, glass, copper, stone and wood complete the look of this restaurant that merges the indoors with the outside. Museum restaurants are hardly a new trend, but LA elevates them thanks to its love of art and a healthy living ethos, by sourcing local seasonal produce and dining outdoors year-round. Downtown’s Art District harbours Hauser + Wirth Gallery, situated within the transformed 19th-century Global
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Mills flour complex. Within its configuration is the restaurant Manuela, named after one of the gallery’s Swiss founders. Roasted cauliflower, grilled local yellowtail, and garden mint ice cream are enjoyed in the bustling dining room, all brick, wood, and large glass panes. Designed by Matt Winter, it extends onto the patio that seamlessly blends into a 6,000-square-foot courtyard. Once a covered and abandoned warehouse, the now inviting open-air space is punctuated by sculptures and a 25-foottall live oak surrounded by low-water plants. The kitchen staff doesn’t have to travel far for last-minute provisions as there’s an urban garden with herbs, vegetables and a chicken coop – backed by a mural, no less. Coming soon to The Hammer Museum at UCLA in Westwood will be renovated café and restaurant concepts, key parts of its courtyard. It serves as
a vibrant space for public engagement forums, art installations, as well as a concert venue for radio station KCRW’s Summer Nights. Part of architect Michael Maltzan’s multiyear renovation plan (to be completed in 2020) is to front a full city block of the museum’s existing building with the lobby and gallery spaces. Their sweep of floor-to-ceiling windows will dramatically increase The Hammer’s visibility and accessibility along Wilshire Boulevard, in hopes of ushering the busy world into a place of quiet, beauty, and art.
Emirates operates a daily A380 service to Los Angeles.
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Lesli Linka Glatter
Over caesar salad, the director of Homeland discusses bringing truth to television WORDS: MARINA KAY “I’m always interested in the big picture, what’s going on in the world, and then the micro view – the very interpersonal relationships and how those interface with each other,” explains director Lesli Linka Glatter of her inspiration in television and film. “That always pulls me in, in terms of story.” The final stunning episode of Homeland, written by the show’s co-creator Alex Gansa and directed by Glatter, aired on April 29. In Season 7, the action-packed political drama toggled between Russia – filmed in Hungary – and America. It focused on a White House helmed by a female President, played by Elizabeth Marvel, who ultimately delivered a powerful speech about division and unity. “That’s so Homeland, that people are layered and complicated. Often times you’ll have people in a scene who have diametrically opposite views, and we don’t take a stand of who’s right or who’s wrong, but you have to think about what you feel about that particular issue. And I love that.” We’re by the beautiful Pacific Ocean at Malibu Farm Restaurant. Within five minutes of our sitting down, Glatter has
IMAGES: VINCENT LONG
already run into industry friends. Hardly surprising: throughout her 30-year career, she’s worked with top Hollywood directors and actors on movies and TV shows, including The Leftovers, West Wing, Twin Peaks, Mad Men, and Homeland, on which she also serves as executive producer. Over very LA salads of grilled salmon kale nicoise, and BLT kale caesar, we continue talk of Homeland. Being a producing director means Glatter works over the show’s entire run. As with the start of every season, she and the crew travel to meet with DC’s intelligence community. “Alex Gansa asks: What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest fear? And that’s what the season comes from. Of course, after those meetings we’re all in a panic. We have now learned what keeps all these intelligence officers up. It’s so tense. It’s confidential but not classified and they talk very candidly about their concerns.” With the writers in LA, she’s not only the show’s creative boots on the ground, but also the director on four of the season’s 12 episodes. Every year, Homeland is recreated in a different city with a different crew and a different story.
Glatter was asked to direct in Homeland’s first season, but she was working on Chicago Code at the time. However, when the opportunity arose again, she seized it. “I did an episode – the script was brilliant – it was called ‘Q&A’.” Yet Glatter recalls panicking when she realized 40 of its pages were set in the same room. “For a director, that’s very terrifying. You have nothing to hide behind, everything’s exposed, you can’t do any tricky camera moves. When I realised I was going to be in this room with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, I thought it was going to be OK.” This particular episode in Season 2 shows Danes’ Carrie Mathison breaking Nicholas Brody, played by Lewis. “Here you have a guy who has been interrogated for eight years, he knows how to do this, and you have her, who is a great interrogator. What are going to be all the twists and turns emotionally of that scene? I had never directed something that had gone on for that long in one room. So that was a huge challenge and preparing for the scene, I went through it beat by beat… It’s always going to go back to the material.” The episode garnered Glatter both
SLEEP IS LIFE’S GREATEST PLEASURE.
SLEEP IS LIFE’S GREATEST PLEASURE.
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Emmy and Directors Guild of America Award (DGA) nominations. Glatter’s rise hasn’t charted the typical Hollywood trajectory. She started out as a modern dancer and choreographer and worked for three years with a French theatre and dance company in Paris. “I went to pre-med – and only at 18 could you think it possible – but I thought I was going to be a dancing neurosurgeon. I would operate on brains by day, and do concerts and modern dance by night. It became clear to me that if I was going to dance, it would have to be full-time.” She spent another three years in London, and then got a grant to teach, perform, and choreograph throughout the Far East while based in Tokyo, which ended up being a career turning point. “This sounds crazy, but if I hadn’t moved to Japan, I wouldn’t be a director. I was in Shibuya, and wanted a cup of coffee. There were two coffee shops and very arbitrarily I picked the one on the right.” There she met an older Japanese man, “an incredible guy – he had been a Buddhist monk, a war correspondent, and at the time was head of cultural affairs for the largest newspaper, the Asahi
Shinbum. He and his wife kind of became my Japanese parents.” Over time, he told her a series of stories about human connection that had all happened on Christmas Eve during different wars. “And the stories were so profound and so beautiful that I knew I had to pass them on,” she says. It wasn’t until Glatter relocated to Los Angeles that she started making her first film based on these stories, called Tales of Meeting and Parting. While she taught modern dance and choreography at CalArts, she applied to the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. “I applied totally unqualified because it’s set up for women in the film business who have directed. At this point, in my early thirties, I was having a really good dance career.” She says she miraculously got in: “And then, of course, I panicked because I realised I knew nothing about making a film. But, as with dance, you can’t cheat. So I went and worked doing all kinds of jobs on the sets of 10 of the other women’s films because I wanted to understand the process.” A year later, and after shadowing Australian director George Miller (whom
Malibu Farm is a farm-to-table restaurant and café on Malibu Pier
she’d met in Japan) on his episode of Twilight Zone: The Movie, she was ready to make her short film. It came together as a period piece set in WWII with flashbacks, narration, and one Caucasian character – not conventional commercial Hollywood material. But, that didn’t bother Glatter. To her surprise, it garnered award nominations, including an Oscar. “When I got the call to say it was nominated [for an Academy Award for Short Film], I thought it was a mistake. I had to see it written down somewhere to believe it.” Though it didn’t win, Glatter did hear from director Steven Spielberg. “You could never plan that. He saw the film on a plane, which I thought was the most exotic thing ever.” The two directors met about a TV anthology series Spielberg was developing called Amazing Stories, on which he’d invited his friends: Martin Scorsese;
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Clint Eastwood – as well as three newer names to direct. “That was really my film school,” Glatter notes. “What you learn is that everyone has a style. There’s not one way to do this, so you better find your own way of doing it. And to learn from such great directors! I feel like in dance I had always been a storyteller, so to me it was just a shift of direction in terms of what medium I was going to be telling stories in.” Each episode was a separate story and prepped like a movie; Glatter directed three. “Steven Spielberg is an incredibly brilliant and kind person. And he told me a number of things that come into play all the time when I’m directing. One of those things is that when you’re watching a scene and something’s not working – maybe it’s the blocking, or you haven’t broken down what the scene is about, or there’s something wrong with the dialogue – if you tell your instincts to shut up, they will and they won’t talk to you anymore. That idea of keeping the channel to your own instincts open and clear: what a great thing to be telling a young director.” And then Twin Peaks happened. “I went to the screening of the pilot and was blown away. Twin Peaks was a game changer. To me, it was the beginning of what’s going on in TV right now, of amazing visual storytelling. We’re in a golden age,” she says. “David Lynch is an amazing director, a visionary director. In person he’s fantastic, very down to earth.” She eventually got the call, directed four episodes, and was nominated for her first DGA Award. “From that moment on, I’ve been directing all the time. I try not to make decisions about what the delivery system is. Meaning I’ve done movies, I’ve done pilots, I’ve done TV episodes. It’s about good material,” she says. Glatter’s first movie was Now and Then starring Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, and Rita Wilson. “It was very successful. Then I did another movie called The
Proposition with Madeleine Stowe and Kenneth Branagh, which did not do as well. And I think it’s changed a bit, especially as a woman. If you did one successful movie, you’d get another, but if it was unsuccessful, you’d have to go and reinvent yourself.” “I’ve talked about this with male directors: If a male director does a successful movie, he’ll get maybe five more movies out of it… It’s tough. If you’re going to do it, you have to have the perseverance. I don’t think I ever thought of giving up. It was: OK, how badly do you want to do this? And for me, not doing it was not an option.” Part of The Proposition’s problem came down to PolyGram’s going out of business. “It was bad timing. I felt it was a combination of factors but I certainly looked at the creative and thought: What could I have done better? Like all of us, you just have to get back on the bike and do it again. You can’t let it paralyse you.” It’s no surprise that Glatter, who has a pleasing energy about her, is a mentor to many. “I looked around and I saw how few women there were. It was just not acceptable. There are a lot of strong women and I knew that as a working director, I could afford to grab the hand of the next generation. It’s been amazing that some of the women I’ve mentored I’ve walked the red carpet with. There’s nothing more thrilling than saying: This is my mentor, this is my mentee, and we’re doing this together.”
BILL
1 Kale salmon 1 BLT caesar 1 Fresh mint tea 1 Almond cappuccino 1 Chocolate salted caramel ice cream cake
$25 $14 $5 $6 $14
TOTAL: $64
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NEIGHBOURHOOD
SHEUNG WAN, HONG KONG
22.3964° N, 114.1095° E
A juxtaposition of Chinese and international influences, where ancient collides with achingly hip, makes this Hong Kong neighbourhood attractive for any kind of traveller
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
WORDS AND IMAGES: SARAH FREEMAN
Built in 1844, Hollywood Road, which runs between Sheung Wan and Central, has been around long before sunny California made the name world-famous
As you’ll soon discover, Upper Street (the English name for Sheung Wan) alludes to the ankle buckling ladder streets that bisect the neighbourhood’s steep hills, rather than its coveted zip code. There may be micro-cool cafes and speakeasies, but they stand cheekby-jowl with Chinese herbalists and metalworkers: proof that local trades and traditions are rooted as deep as the hood’s behemoth banyan trees. Sheung Wan’s history is written in its streets. Ginseng-perfumed Des Voeux Road West is the birthplace of one of Hong Kong’s oldest industries; dried seafood, whilst iconic Hollywood Road is where merchant sailors hawked their artifacts from mainland China. Today, quality antiques draw in serious collectors from across the world. If your pockets don’t stretch that deep, there’s
always curio-laden Cat Street (great for souvenirs) that runs parallel to Hollywood Road. From here, you can navigate the near-vertical, street-art strewn alleys and staircases (many, frustratingly, dead-end) to the sub-hood of PoHo – a maze of pedestrianised cobbled streets. It borders onto Blake Garden (the city’s first public park), where elderly locals play mahjong, to the noisy accompaniment of their caged pet birds. As you might expect, the food scene is pretty eclectic too, running the gamut from no frills cha chaan teng local diners, to pricey Japanese tasting menus. This enclave is best explored with comfy shoes and an empty stomach, one ladder street at a time.
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THE FITTING ROOM BY GRANA With its Scandi-looking shopfront and colour-coordinated rails of clean tailoring, Grana could pass for any other high street fashion store. But there is one major difference – you can’t actually buy the Chinese silk joggers, cashmere crew neck sweaters or Irish linen shirts on display. This is fashion e-tailer Grana’s first bricks-and-mortar location, where customers can try offline, then go home and buy online. The man turning the fashion retail model on its head is Australian serial entrepreneur, Luke Gran, who launched the brand in 2014. His travels to Peru in 2012 introduced him to hand-harvested Peruvian Pima cotton, and a newfound passion for quality fabrics like Italian Merino wool and Mongolian cashmere. Grana’s friendly price point, achieved by dealing directly with mills, hasn’t stopped the likes of Gigi Hadid and Jessica Alba flaunting the luxe-look garments. 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, +852 6013 2118. grana.com
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A TWO-MINUTE WALK
MAN MO TEMPLE Man Mo, which houses the gods of literature (Man Cheong) and martial arts (Mo Tai) was built in 1847 during the Qing dynasty, making it one of the city’s oldest temples. Inside, smoke lingers from giant incense spirals suspended
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from the roof (which can burn for up to three weeks) as locals and tourists shuffle between dazzling altars and golden urns. The temple also marks the start of the Central and Western Heritage Trail. This urban hike covers 35 points of historical interest in Sheung Wan, where revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen spent his formative years. 124-126 Hollywood Road
A SEVEN-MINUTE WALK
MRS. POUND There’s every chance you’ll walk straight past this popular Southeast Asian restaurant, staring at Google maps in utter disbelief. Concealed behind an old Chinese rubber stamp shop is a kitsch psychedelic interior and one of the city’s most hyped brunches. Walls plastered with vintage photos tell the fictional story of Mrs. Pound, a burlesque dancer in ‘50s Shanghai. Satisfyingly, the fusion menu is as quirky as the décor, with dishes like macaroni cheese stuffed with Alaskan king crab, ‘sriracha street corn’ and lip-smackingly good avocado fries. 6 Pound Lane, +852 3426 3949. mrspound.com
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A FIVE-MINUTE TAXI RIDE
PMQ
DID YOU KNOW?
Hong Kong’s only surviving street of intact 1950s tong lau (traditional Chinese-style tenement buildings) is Wing Lee, around the corner from PMQ and where award-winning film Echoes of the Rainbow was shot
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Neglected for over a decade, this colonial era police barracks turned design-centric shopping hub was renovated to the tune of US$50 million in 2014, and hasn’t looked back since. The post-war compound’s 18,000-square metres of pop-up galleries, eateries and designer boutiques sell everything from 3D printed earrings and artisanal teaware, to edgy urban threads and hydroponic craft cocktails. And its subsidised artist studios (that you’re free to wander around) have been a lifeline to Hong Kong creatives faced with astronomical rents. Check out their ever-changing calendar for events and night markets held in the glass-canopied central courtyard. 35 Aberdeen Street, +852 2870 2335. pmq.org.hk
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A SEVEN-MINUTE WALK
SEAFOOD STREETS
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A FOUR-MINUTE WALK
HAKAWA CHOCOLATE At this hole-in-the-wall, bean-to-bar chocolatier, you’ll find owners Sally and Mandy either roasting cacao or tempering chocolate, in-between serving up steaming mugs of their decadently thick signature drink. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. 1B, 49-51A Gough Street, +852 6163 3563. facebook.com/pg/HakawaChocolate
Follow the pungent wafts of salty, dried fish to reach Des Voeux Road West (nicknamed ‘Seafood Street’) and Bonham Strand, where vendors have traded since the early 20th century. The 200-or-so stores that spill out onto the streets peddle everything from dried abalone (a banquet favourite) to desert fungi. Step inside (dodging the absurdly expensive yellow discs of maw strung from the ceiling), where glass storage jars of sea cucumbers line the counters, and sacks spill over with exotic herbs. If it’s dried, medicinal and edible, chances are you’ll find it here. Des Voeux Road West Streets, Bonham Strand, Bonham Strand West.
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A TWO-MINUTE DING DING FROM MAN WA LANE STATION
TRAM
WESTERN MARKET Wrap up your Sheung Wan explorations at the city’s most iconic red-bricked building, Western Market, which is also the final port of call on the Central & Western Heritage Trail. Occupying an entire city block, the 1906-built, Edwardian-styled Mall’s first floor, known as ‘cloth alley’, is where locals in the know get their suits or cheongsams made. Satisfy your sweet tooth at one of the Chinese dessert shops or Bavarian-style bakeries, then sit back and admire the dramatic gothic interior architecture. Des Voeux Rd Central, +852 6029 2675. westernmarket.com.hk
7 Ride the length of Des Voeux Road Central aboard a “ding ding” – one of a fleet of vintage 1920s double-decker trams that were Hong Kong’s earliest mode of transport
A THREE-MINUTE WALK FROM BONHAM STRAND
CHOP ALLEY Doing his bit to preserve the 3000-yearold craft of Chinese seal carving is selftaught chop-maker Raymond Chow Kai-Ki, who has been working from a small booth on Man Wa Lane since 1973. For just HK$250 (US$30), Chow personalises marble stamps (engraved with your Chinese script name), that are signed, sealed and picked up, rather than delivered, 48 hours later. Man Wa Lane or Chop Alley (connects Des Voeux Street and Wing Lok Street), next to Sheung Wan station, A1 MTR exit.
Emirates flies four times daily to Hong Kong. Choose from three nonstop daily services and a fourth daily service that makes a stop in Bangkok.
LONDON
A group of musicians has slowly built a scene that has the whole world listening – and they did it without the help of major record labels, big venues or mainstream media. Some say they’ve created a completely new sound, others that it’s the next stage in the development of a great tradition. Nobody really knows what to call it. For now, we’ll call it jazz. London jazz.
SWINGS WORDS: GARY EVANS PHOTO: CAROLYN STRITCH
Crosby performing at The Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, 2013
Moses Boyd has been credited with bringing a DIY approach to jazz
Gary Crosby can shoot the breeze, but don’t mistake it for small talk. On a biting April morning in London, rain lashing the skies, the jazz legend can be found strolling around the Southbank Centre – chatting with everyone from senior executives to young street dancers. Much like jazz, even his seemingly random syncopations have purpose. On the fourth floor, where he runs a youth music programme, Crosby doubles back on himself to chase after a student. He instructs him to enter a prestigious national competition. “I’m not ready,” the young musician says. “You’re ready,” Crosby counters. He’ll shake hands with officials, deliver words of encouragement to former students, and give hugs to old musicians – though no one is exempt from a good-natured insult. The effortlessness at which Crosby mingles with people from all walks of life, fusing them together for a common purpose, can be seen both in this new musical movement and London itself. “It could happen in any city,” Crosby says. “But it won’t.” He stands outside a glass-walled practice room where a group of young musicians are setting up. In these classes, he explains, there could be kids from five or six different ethnic backgrounds, rich kids, poor kids, the academically gifted and those who’ve been kicked out of school. “The role London plays is that mixing of people. When they’re here, they’re all Londoners.” Crosby played double bass in British jazz supergroup Jazz Warriors, and the charity music programme he runs at Southbank is called Tomorrow’s Warriors. The new London jazz scene is made up overwhelmingly of musicians from this organisation, founded by Crosby and partner Janine Irons in 1991. Its success, he says, is built on togetherness. “We take away all these barriers of race and nationality. When we first started there was an emphasis on females and the black community – because we were trying to get that balance – but at present its just kids who want to learn this music. Some swing, some don’t. Some sightread, some don’t. Nobody’s laughed at. We won’t accept that. We have to see ourselves as a community.” Crosby was born in London to Jamaican parents, at a time where he remembers Southbank as a place to avoid
after dark. He believes in no uncertain terms that music saved him and that it can save others. “My thing is: by engaging with art, you enrich your life. My experience of growing up in London in the ‘60s and ‘70s was that those of us who survived the trauma, were those of us that were taught art.” He stops to watch a very big, very loud band led by Claude Deppa, another founding member of Jazz Warriors. Crosby points at various musicians in the band: “That’s one of mine. That’s another one of mine.” Bumping into a street dancer (and former Tomorrow’s Warriors saxophonist) limbering up in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall, “look at him,” comments Crosby. “He’s got muscles in his eyebrows.” Crosby promises to watch his dance performance later that day. He heads down into an underground library that used to be the den for Tomorrow’s Warriors. “Another reason Nubya and all them got to where they are – in this basement, nobody could see us. We could be here all night. And we were.” Upstairs is a performance by String Ting: violinists Rhiannon Dimond and Barbara Bartz, Julia Vaughan on viola, and cellist Miranda Lewis. The Tomorrow’s Warrior’s string quartet is practising for tonight’s gig at jazz club Ronnie Scott’s. They play My Favourite Things, the song from the musical The Sound of Music, which saxophonist John Coltrane famously covered and made his own. When asked what’s different about this new, young wave of London jazz musicians, his reply is succinct. “Not one damn thing,” he says. “The press need to use the words ‘new’ and ‘young’, but since I’ve been conscious about what’s happening in jazz in the 80s, I’ve seen three or four supposed ‘new’ jazz movements. It doesn’t go like that. What really happens is that you make a contribution to a tradition. You add on. This idea that you’re creating something new – I abhor it. Because what they’re doing is setting the young against the old. You can’t create good art thinking like that.” “The mentality is new,” Moses Boyd says. “The approach is new. We can’t invent new notes. But we’re not afraid to mix different things and we’re not trying to claim it’s one thing or another.”
49 ENJOY JAZZ? Check out a great selection on ice Boyd started playing drums at 13, joining Tomorrow’s Warriors a few years later. Crosby would call Boyd and invite him to the pub to work on music: “A great institution,” Boyd says. He counts among his influences the American jazz pianist Duke Ellington, Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and British grime godfather Wiley. Not long after he got into drums, he was working on electronic productions, the two disciplines overlapping to create one of London’s most exciting young musicians. But even he can’t put a name on what he does. Its countless influences, all integrated, complicated in the best possible way. Like London. “When I was in primary school,” Moses says, “my two best friends, one was a Rasta and one was from Iran. I think that could only happen in a few places in the world and London is definitely number one. From as early as I can remember, I’ve had different influences in my life – food, culture. So when you throw music in the mix it’s always going to be an interesting blend.” But what’s it called? “It’s really hard for any journalist to coin a term, particularly for what I do because it’s so varying. It’s music being made by people my age, who come from a very specific point in history and time, when there’s a lot going on socially and musically.” I head down to Ronnie Scott’s in Soho. String Ting mesmerises onstage. Crosby sits at the bar and watches the quartet so attentively you’d think they were his own children. Afterwards, he’s pleased with the band’s debut at the venue. Ella Fitzgerald performed at Ronnie Scott’s. Curtis Mayfield, Chet Baker, Prince – Jimi Hendrix played his last gig here. It’s everything you want from a jazz club – small, dark, a bit plush. But the main act, Tomorrow’s Warriors graduate Nubya Garcia, built her reputation playing very different venues. Her generation of London jazz musicians honed their live acts at places like Total Refreshment Centre, an old West Indian social club in Dalston; the Church of Sound, where an old Clapton church hosts shows that go on into the early hours; and new club night Steam Down at the Buster Mantis bar in Deptford. “It’s more about who’s in the audience,” Garcia says. “I’m honoured to play Ronnie Scott’s, but if the audience
including new and classic albums from artists such as Tony Bennett, Melody Gardot, John Coltrane, Gregory Porter and many more, plus a collection of playlists specially curated for Emirates by Quincy Jones.
doesn’t want to be there, or they haven’t come to see me, that isn’t a gig that’s the same as playing in a warehouse where your people are, your musical family, they’re with you from the beginning until the end, they’re not a passive audience. Each venue has its own vibe. I’m looking forward to it. But I hope that people are present in the audience.” Tomorrow’s Warriors, free for everybody, helped Garcia with practice space, find gigs, and get into college. She learned to play with other people, how to be in a big band, and arranging and composition But it was more than that. The basement in the Southbank was somewhere to hang out. Crosby made it feel like it was their place. The importance of that, Garcia says, shouldn’t be underestimated. “Kids need a place to go,” she says. “They need an outlet to focus on, they need perseverance, all of these goals and
From top: String Ting members rehearse at Southbank; Tomorrow’s Warriors riff in and around the rehearsal space
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FIVE MINUTES WITH SIMON COOKE
The managing director of Ronnie Scott’s gives us the lowdown on London jazz What’s new about this “new jazz movement”? They are a thriving group of players from a new age group who have caught the imagination of the audience through the innovation of their sound, their style and through good use of social media to promote
themselves. It’s great for the future of the live scene here in the UK. What role does London as a city play in this movement? London is the epicentre of jazz for the UK, fuelled by the mix of nationalities living here and the support the population gives
guides in life to make it somewhere.” Like Boyd, and most of their peers, Garcia plays in several bands alongside her solo work: “Most of the people I play with now – nearly all of them – came through Tomorrow’s Warriors. It was very diverse, ethnically diverse, which is not always what you see when you’re a kid. If it’s in an expensive course, it brings out certain types and people, and other people are put off by it.” Onstage, with her saxophone and band, Garcia sometimes seems to disappear to another place. She closes her eyes, smiles often, snarls occasionally, dances constantly. The set is laid-back, now its groovy, now its getting more aggressive. Her connection with keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones drives everything forwards. He’s up off his piano stool and back down again. He sweats. His face twists with concentration. With little looks and nods and smiles, Garcia and Armon-Jones urge each other on, build momentum, create tension. There’s a push and pull to it all: You hear how jazz influences, say, hip hop or house music, and how hip hop, house music and UK club culture in general are now influencing jazz. Garcia has those things you can’t teach or learn – believability, presence. If any of the audience isn’t present it’s not down to her.
to the live shows. How has the club thrived for so long? I guess it’s down to authenticity, and the philosophy of the founders – Ronnie Scott and Pete King – who made a jazz club for jazz musicians and jazz fans. We still stick to that principle,
with perhaps a little more business savvy thrown in. Are you actively trying to attract a younger audience? This new wave of young British players are bringing a new audience with them. Here at the club, we work to keep ourselves current through
promoting the new young acts when they are ready as headliners. We also programme up-and-coming artists for Late Late Show specials, as well as championing new talent through our gigs in our upstairs bar, which are purposefully kept affordable and accessible.
Though Crosby’s protégés often perform at Ronnie Scott’s, the musicians have found their most devoted fans playing in less traditional venues
“Labels are rarely given to the music by the people who are creating it,” Garcia says. It’s not that we’re disassociating from it. It’s that we’re questioning what does that actually mean. I love bebop and I love trad jazz and I love New Orleans swing. All of that. It’s a part of what has brought me here today. But so has dub, so has soca, so has calypso, so has reggae. “You can’t put it into words what it is. Everyone’s been trying. But you have to go and be there live to fully feel it. Why is live music still here? We need it. Humans need that connection. It’s exhilarating. You’re completely bare to everyone.” Trying to put a name on this music is perhaps missing the point. It has too many influences, was built by countless
waves of immigration and integration, loads of different cultures and subcultures all tangled up as one. Labelling it would be a simplification and it doesn’t come from a simple city. This music’s lineage is so beautifully messy it’s hard not to see it as a metaphor for life in modern London. Perhaps the real question is how did this music happen? Perhaps Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, String Ting, and the rest, would’ve made a life in music without Crosby’s help. But picture this: Every city has a Gary Crosby, somebody who’s given money and space and time to do magic, so any kid from any background has the chance to be told something life-changing. Something like: “You’re ready.”
Dubai MY DUBAI
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STREET ART
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SHEIKH ZAYED
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EXPO 2020 DUBAI
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CULTURAL BITES
Artisanal eating Originally conceived as a gallery district, Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue has become a magnet for independent eateries, from vegan cafes to bean-to-bar chocolatiers. p.70
From creative startups in D3 to tech platforms in Internet City, here’s how Dubai – and the wider MENA region – is opening its doors to the next generation of entrepreneurs PHOTO: CAVAN IMAGES
UAE STARTUP SUCCESS
12th
UAE WORLD RANKING FOR SMES
40% SME contribution to Dubai GDP
2nd
UAE WORLD RANKING FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
$560m
Investment made in 260 startup investments across the MENA region last year
SOURCES: GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT 2017-2018; MAGNITT; DUBAI SME; WORLD COMPETITIVENESS YEARBOOK 2017; DUBAI DED; DUBAI FDI; FSCA
E-COMMERCE SUCCESS
$800m: Amazon’s acquisition of UAE’s Souq.com $151m: Emaar Malls Group’s 51% acquisition of fashion retailer Namshi
SMEs are responsible for 43% of the total workforce in Dubai UAE-based startups account for 74% of total funding in MENA’s top 200 funded startups
$7.4bn
Inward FDI to Dubai in 2017
7,000+
Number of investors registered with SME lending platform Beehive
43%
74%
20,000
New businesses licensed in Dubai in 2017
$131m
Awarded by Dubai Municipality in 2017 to Emirati entrepreneurs
PA I NT I N G A C IT Y ANATHEMA TO GRAFFITI PURISTS, BEEN EMBRACED THE WORLD IN DUBAI. BUT CAN IT BE PUSHED
STREET ART HAS OVER, PARTICULARY CREATIVELY?
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A piece by Fathima Mohiuddin, aka FATS. The artist also has her own agency in Dubai, The Domino, which works on brand campaigns, community outreach programmes and outdoor murals It started, as most cultural movements do, with an act of defiance. Street art was born in New York City in the late 1960s, when kids would scratch their names into walls. Soon, those scratches became paint, and crude tags became works of art. Some of the early taggers in that chaotic period turned into world famous artists, like Keith Haring or Lee Quiñones, whose work now hangs in galleries rather than on street corners. Many New Yorkers at the time saw the burgeoning movement as nothing more
than vandalism. They would be shocked at the global acceptance it has now won. The art has spread out from New York’s five boroughs to become a global movement, embraced everywhere from São Paulo to Shanghai. But it has been Dubai’s takeup of the practice that has perhaps been the most unusual. From the relatively new City Walk to the long established streets of Karama, it’s hard to travel anywhere in Dubai in 2018 without coming across pieces of large scale outdoor art. Take the Dubai
Street Museum, where sixteen large murals cropped up around 2nd December Street, created by a host of global artists including German maestro Case Maclaim, and the Russian Julia Volchkova. City Walk, a hip outdoor complex in Al Wasl, has also embraced the art form. Its developer Meraas brought in 15 international street artists to produce work as part of another initiative, Dubai Walls. The breadth of the work showed the possibilities this art form offers – from Blek Le Rat’s whimsical stencils to D*Face’s
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Work by acclaimed New Zealand artist Gary Yong. Known as Enforce1, he created art for BoxPark in Dubai and was part of the longest graffiti scroll in the world at Jumeirah Beach Park large-scale pop art. One of the most interesting pieces is from American Beau Stanton. He described his lenticular mural, which used the angular blocks of a building to create three separate perspectives, as one of the most challenging pieces he has ever created. The common thread running through these pieces? They were all commissioned. Aside from the odd tag here and there, street art in Dubai is very much a sanctioned activity – from the tourist board, perhaps, or brands hoping
to to co-opt their coolness. For the artists, they get a blank canvas (how blank depends on the tightness of the brief) and, crucially, they get paid. It’s not just in Dubai that this is happening, and it can make for strange bedfellows. In 2012, the European Central Bank gave €10,000 to a group of local artists to paint a fence that surrounded the renovation work on its new Frankfurt headquarters. Soon, the art began to criticise the ECB: outlandish caricatures of the ECB’s president and Angela
Merkel appeared alongside critiques of the Eurozone and capitalism. Despite the inflammatory nature of the work, the ECB reacted positively, even buying one of the panels to hang inside its headquarters. The fence garnered huge media reaction, became a tourist attraction and showed the bank in a different light. Much of this, of course, is anathema to the purists, who still view the art form as something that should be a rage against the machine, rather than enabled by it. Listen to the world’s most famous street
61 artist, Banksy, who in an interview with Village Voice, said: “Commercial success is a mark of failure for a graffiti artist. We’re not supposed to be embraced in that way. When you look at how society rewards so many of the wrong people, it’s hard not to view financial reimbursement as a badge of self-serving mediocrity.” It’s easy, of course, to treat artists as somehow on a higher plane than the rest of us. But, like the rest of us, they need to eat too, and brands – in Dubai at least – provide a platform for artists to create and get paid. You would be hard pushed to find an artist who didn’t welcome the city’s embrace of the art form. For Gary Yong,
a Dubai-based, Malaysian-born artist, the city’s willingness to push street art makes sense. “Dubai has a strong consumer culture and it’s no surprise that brands will use street art to reach a certain demographic. It’s not a bad thing as it sustains artists, and they sometimes get to say something to the audience as well. It’s really up to both brand and artist to use the platform wisely.” For Fathima Mohiuddin, a Dubai-born artist who runs creative artists services company The Domino, that means turning down a few jobs. “We do turn down a fair bit of work we get offered from brands. We try to avoid copying other artists’ work, painting
just logos, working for free in exchange for ‘exposure’, that sort of thing. We try to make sure there is an actual original and creative requirement in the projects we take on. We do work to a lot of briefs but that isn’t always a bad thing because it does push you as an artist as well. So we look at projects that meet a client’s criteria but still inspire and challenge us creatively.” And whether the work you see in Dubai was originally conceived in a brand manager’s office or the mind of a young spray painter, it’s hard not to be impressed. From City Walk to Satwa, Alserkal Avenue to Karama, street art serves multiple functions: at the most
basic level it brightens the place up and helps keep the residents happy. It acts as a tourist attraction, and says to the world: we get it. A city that embraces street art (rather than simply painting over it) is a city that understands youth culture and the fact that what is defined as such, is constantly changing. What hasn’t changed is the battle between commercial realities and the pure artistic sense of the people doing the creating. That, according to Mohiuddin, is inevitable. “In other major cities there’s
public funding for local artists and projects around street art as part of community development projects. That hasn’t really happened in Dubai yet, though there’s talk about it, so the people spending the money on these projects are the corporates. What we try to do in working with commercial entities is to push for substance and integrity to stay intact.” According to Rollan Rodriguez of the Brown Monkeys, one of the region’s oldest street art collectives, it’s up to the artists to set their own boundaries.
LOCAL PLAYERS… eL Seed A French/Tunisian artist born in Paris, eL Seed is one of the most successful street artists in the Middle East.
Fathima/FATS Founder of the The Domino, Fathima Mohiuddin is a visual artist and entrepreneur, who has created some of the most striking street art in Dubai.
Brown Monkeys A seven-member collective hailing from the Philippines, Brown Monkeys have been bringing their own particular take on the world to Dubai since 2007.
Sya One A graffiti rather than street artist, UK’s Sya One specialises in colourful old school lettering.
62 ART IN THE WILD Alserkal Avenue The home of Dubai’s cutting-edge art scene, Alserkal Avenue hosts galleries such as Grey Noise, Ayyam, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line and Carbon 12. A great place to purchase work by the region’s leading street artists and soak up the city’s new breed of culture.
Dubai Street Museum Twelve artists from around the world painted 16 huge murals on several buildings along 2nd December Street in Satwa, each highlighting the artist’s own culture.
Karama Long known for its sartorial bargains, Karama is now known for its public art with 24 huge murals brightening the sides of 12 apartment blocks and shops in the district. Both local and international artists created the pieces, which reflect the diverse nature of the district.
City Walk Fifteen street artists from around the world have created pieces for the City Walk development, from Ron English’s old school ‘wildstyle’, to RONE’s ethereal portraits or Blek Le Rat’s quirky stencils.
The city is starting to become known for its distinct street style: colourful, sometimes futuristic and often in 3D
64 … AND THE GLOBAL Mentalgassi
SpY
JR
Anthony Lister
A trio of German artists who paste large, often manipulated photographs onto public spaces. They have created work across the world, often focusing on activism and they teamed up with Amnesty International for a series of work focusing on prisoners languishing on death row. @mentalgassi
Hailing from Madrid, SpY appropriates the urban everyday. Witness his natural grass circle in the centre of Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, or his large scale ‘Error’ painting in Norway. His work is filled with humour and he is one of the most exciting artists working today. @spyurbanart
JR is a NY photographer who focuses on social change through the art he creates. He specialises in large-scale, spectacular projects. To give just one example, his ‘Inside Out’ project saw thousands of portraits of locals and tourists being erected on Times Square. @jr
The Australian has gained a reputation as one of the most naturally gifted of the current crop of artists, using everything from spray paint to charcoal, oil to acrylic. Incorporating both high and lowbrow culture, a twisted sense of humour can be seen throughout his work. @anthonylister
“Commercialism can be good in that it promotes artists and pays them, but usually the person paying decides on the subject matter. It’s up to each artist to decide what they are comfortable with and go from there.” The Brown Monkeys hark back to the graffiti crews of the late seventies and early eighties and, according to Rollan, “trust and brotherhood”
drives the group. “When we get a new project, we instinctively know to whom the project will fall. We all select projects based on what excites us.” It was inevitable that street art moved from the street to the gallery. Tucked amidst the white-washed villas and Bougainvillea of Jumeirah 1, the Street Art Gallery is the first in Dubai to
focus on street art. Opened by Stephane Valici, a fifty-something French entrepreneur in 2013, the gallery is filled with work by the likes of Mr Brainwash and prints by Damien Hirst. With work costing from $600 to $10,000 plus, it’s not cheap, but it’s a good indicator of how far the genre has come, not least in Dubai. So what of the future? Mohiuddin believes that a focus solely on the bottom line isn’t healthy. “We have to ask what art can ‘do’ beyond money and that goes back to community development, outreach, education, awareness,” she says. “Street art projects shouldn’t just be about flying in the biggest name or marketing strategies because it’s trendy. There needs to be more of an emphasis on what the community needs, and support for that, so there isn’t as much pressure to work with corporates and initiatives with more substance and social value can happen.”
SWEAT AND TEARS
Our cover image this issue, The Greatest of Mysteries, is an immersive mural from artist Myneandyours that fills an entire carpark in design hub D3 “This was one of the most physically enduring and time-consuming pieces I’ve ever done. We decided it had to be a 360 degree experience, so we painted on the walls and the ceiling to really allow for that immersion. The first hurdle was getting the massive scissor lift into the carpark. We had to work at night when there were less cars, so we did a 7pm-7am day – I’d have breakfast at 5pm. But it was kind of fitting, as we were painting the night sky. When it comes to a ceiling and painting above you for hours on end… it was super painful. We tried to calculate how many stars we painted and it was around 50,000. Having said all that, I think this is one of my proudest pieces.”
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Above: “Destroy the ocean and the ocean will destroy you” was the manifesto behind Myneandyours’ We Breathe the Sea, which tackles marine conservation
Below: Dubai artists are starting to build up their own recognisable motifs. Here, artist Myneandyours works on his clouds, seen dotted around the city
THE YEAR OF ZAYED / 67
At the summit of OPEC in Algiers, Algeria, March 1975
Sheikh Zayed, a statesman and renowned humanitarian, had a vision that stretched far beyond the UAE’s borders
An international stage WORDS: SHEIKH ZAYED: LIFE AND TIMES / BOOKSARABIA.COM
WORDS TO LIVE BY “The success of the greater Arab nation in making itself known to the world and in supporting our solidarity does not depend on the Arab nation alone. Our solidarity also requires that the entire Islamic community works for the good of the Arab nation, as the Arab nation works for the good of the Islamic community.”
A total of 10 Emirates aircraft carry a special ‘Year of Zayed’ livery for 2018. These ‘Year of Zayed’ aircraft have circled the globe to over 90 cities on more than 1,800 flights.
Sheikh Zayed’s first trip abroad was in 1953, at the age of 35. After accompanying his brother Sheikh Shakhbut, then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, to the UK and France, he later recalled how impressed he’d been with the schools and hospitals there. After that trip, he developed strong ties with many countries. Today, the UAE hosts nearly 110 embassies and consulates, compared with just three in 1971. The country has 40 embassies abroad, as well as five consulates and two Permanent Missions to the UN in New York and Geneva. Heads of state, VIPs and other dignitaries regularly visit the UAE. Reconciliation, tolerance and solidarity within the Arab World were a constant theme of Sheikh Zayed’s speeches and he always strived towards harmony between all Arabs, stressing the need for dialogue to resolve any differences. The UAE has played a leading role in the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (AGCC), which was founded at a summit conference in Abu Dhabi in 1981. The AGCC has faced major crises in its existence, such as the conflict between Iraq and Iran during the 1980s, and the August 1990 invasion by Iraq of one of its members, Kuwait. Sheikh Zayed was one of the first Arab leaders to offer support to Kuwait and units from the UAE armed forces played a significant role in the international alliance that liberated the country in 1991. Prior to the Iraq War that started in 2003, the UAE supported the international condemnation of Iraq and the sanctions imposed by the UN but, showing its humanitarian approach, consistently expressed serious concerns about the long-term impact of those sanctions on the Iraqi people and provided an extensive amount of humanitarian assistance to alleviate their suffering.
Indeed, a hallmark of Sheikh Zayed’s reign was his willingness to share the wealth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, accrued through oil revenues, with other less fortunate countries, and to this end the UAE pursued a vigorous foreign-aid programme. As far back as 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development (now the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development) was established on the directive of Sheikh Zayed, with capital of $500m. Its aim was the provision of loans, grants and technical aid on easy terms to Arab, Muslim and other developing countries to help them build their infrastructure, including houses, schools, hospitals and roads. The Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, established in 1992, also continues to play an important role in the country’s aid work. The UAE also provides support to the Palestinian people in their efforts to regain their right to self-determination and to establish their own state. This includes help for the building of a national infrastructure, as well as refurbishing religious sites, both Christian and Muslim, in Jerusalem. Lebanon is another Arab country that has benefited greatly from the generosity of the UAE. Much of the assistance is channelled through the UAE Red Crescent Society, and the state is also a major contributor to the United Nations Relief Works Agency, UNICEF and other UN agencies. Still on the world stage, the UAE plays an active role in the Arab League (founded in Cairo in 1945), the Non- Aligned Movement, the Islamic Conference Organisation, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).
68 / MY DUBAI / EXPO 2020
Expo’s freight expectations The Expo 2020 Dubai logistics network is already creating new bridges of opportunity
A pair of jumbo jets has been deployed to ensure the best possible service for millions of visitors and participants at Expo 2020 Dubai. Expo 2020’s Official Logistics Partner UPS now has two Boeing 747-8 freighters to better connect Dubai to the world and the world to Dubai, as an exceptional World Expo readies to welcome millions of global visitors. The freighters will service a new around-the-world flight that covers 12,400 kilometres from Louisville, US to Dubai, UAE,
before flying on to Shenzhen, China and Anchorage, Alaska. This long-range route, operated five days a week, complements a direct flight between Cologne/ Bonn, Germany and Dubai. As well as addressing increased air service demand driven by Expo 2020, the extra capacity will benefit businesses of all sizes across the Emirates before, during and after Expo 2020. The UAE trades with all 50 US states and has grown to become the country’s largest export destination in the Middle East.
The new route is also helping to bring to life Expo 2020’s subtheme of Mobility – the bridge to opportunity through making connections between people, goods and ideas, and providing easier access to markets, knowledge and innovation – even before the global destination opens on October 20, 2020. Ahmed Al Khatib, Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “UPS will use its smart global logistics network to deliver exceptional service to Expo 2020, its visitors and participants. By working together, we aim to offer a glimpse of what the logistics of tomorrow will look like and this new route is just one of many network enhancements that will support Expo 2020.”
For more, check out the Expo 2020 podcast on ice channel 1901.
70 / MY DUBAI / TASTE
C U LT U R A L B I T E S A R O U N D T H E C I T Y
Aseelah
WORDS: SUDESHNA GHOSH
A taste of the Emirates
3 CULINARY HOTSPOTS IN ALSERKAL AVENUE
Aseelah blends heritage cuisine with modern European elements
There are few better ways to truly experience a culture than through its food, and in Dubai, a meal at Aseelah provides the perfect immersion into the local cuisine. A labour of love from one of the city’s venerated chefs, Michel Uwe, this elegant creekside restaurant offers a thoughtfully curated mix of classic Emirati dishes and modern Europeaninspired interpretations of traditional flavours and ingredients. Think maleh salad, lamb thareed, and fish machboos on one hand, and a delicious pan roasted stuffed quail breast and rocket salad; chicken roulade with dates and bezar spices; and camel sliders, on the other. You can wash it down with interesting cocktails also created with indigenous ingredients, and shisha is available too. The muted sand-toned interiors, with a jute-draped ghaf tree centrepiece, provide an ideal backdrop. Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai, Deira Creek. radissonblu.com/en/hotel-dubaideiracreek/restaurants
Where to refuel when getting your culture fix at this Al Quoz arts precinct MIRZAM CHOCOLATE FACTORY The bean-to-bar chocolatier also serves up artisanal pastries, coffee, and other cocoa treats, alongside their beautiful selection of Arabia-inspired chocolates. The artist-created packaging of their chocolates means they make great gifts.
HAPI From bone broth to gourmet burgers and organic soft-serves, you can find handcrafted food with healthy undertones at this casual canteen-style eatery/ yoga and parkour studio.
WILD & THE MOON This earthy, Insta-friendly café specialises in cold-pressed juices and nut milks, smoothies and soups, as well as other vegan and free-from foods that will leave you feeling virtuous.
Kohantei
Discover a slice of authentic Japanese culture in the heart of Downtown Tucked away by Dubai Opera, this discreet restaurant recreates a traditional kaiseki experience from start to finish. Leave your shoes at the door, take a (low) seat in one of the three minimalist private or semi-private rooms, and indulge in a degustation meal, which starts at around $100 for six courses. Multiple courses of intricately prepared dishes feature premium seasonal ingredients, which are all reverentially treated
by the all-Japanese crew, with Wagyu beef playing a starring role. What you’re served depends entirely on the fresh produce that is flown in directly from Japan, but it could be dishes such as marinated deep fried seafood with shallot and paprika, with canola flower, topped with bonito flakes; and grilled A4 grade Japanese Wagyu with deep fried potato and shisito peppers, and citrus soy sauce. Dubai Opera. kohantei.ae
Emirates NEWS
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INSIDE EMIRATES
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DESTINATION
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UAE SMART GATE
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ROUTE MAP
Best-in-class training Emirates refers to their new recruits as ab initio, a Latin term for ‘from the beginning’. Last year, they prepared 38,719 of them for service. This is how to train the most dedicated crew in the world. p.76
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New A380 services to Osaka and Hamburg
Emirates is set to launch A380 services to Osaka, Japan and Hamburg, Germany. The new services will begin on 28 and 29 October respectively, with the iconic double decker aircraft representing a capacity increase of 38 per cent to Osaka and over 22 per cent to Hamburg. With its existing multiple daily A380 services to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, the new Hamburg service means Emirates will be operating all German gateways with its A380 flagship aircraft. In Japan the flagship aircraft already operates daily from Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The new A380 service to Osaka
will replace the 777-300ER aircraft currently operating on the service to and from the city. Rich in history, the Kansai (West) Region is home to many well-known attractions like Arima Onsen – one of the famous and oldest hot springs and Nara, the former historic capital. Discussing the launch of A380 services to Hamburg, Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice President North and Central Europe, said: “Enabling an increase in passenger numbers will also result in additional tourism revenues for Hamburg and its wider region, which in turn will mean boosting the local economy and job creation.”
From Osaka airport, Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto is only 75 minutes by train
VINTAGE WINES, NEW SPIRITS Emirates has launched the Emirates Vintage Collection – a selection of fine wines from its cellar in Burgundy that have been stored for up to 15 years. The four wines included in the collection are the Château Cheval Blanc 2004, Château Haut Brion 2004, Château Mouton Rothschild 2001 and Château Margaux 1998. Since 2006, Emirates has been buying wines for long term storage, many of which were purchased ‘en Primeur’ or when they were still in the barrel. The collection represents the most prestigious of these wines, a rare selection that is difficult to source. Emirates has also refreshed its spirits offering across all classes with a range of premium brands. The new range, which includes over 30 new spirits and liqueurs, has been made by an in-house team of experts who spent two years working directly with suppliers to curate the airline’s selection.
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SKYCARGO RAMPS UP UK TRADE LINKS Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, will add London Stansted and Edinburgh to its global network, in a move that will see an additional cargo capacity of over 500 tonnes per week for exports and imports for the UK market. London gateways account for the biggest portion of the air cargo carrier’s total UK cargo volumes, and the daily service to London Stansted will provide additional choice and capacity for customers in the region. Emirates SkyCargo has seen a robust growth in the transport of pharma out of the UK, especially from London. Following the launch of Emirates Pharma, its specialised transportation solution for temperature sensitive pharma cargo,
3,2,1: ice GOES LIVE Live TV is being rolled out across an increasing number of aircraft as Emirates ramps up its inflight entertainment offering. More than 170 aircraft are now fitted with live TV, including Emirates’ Boeing 777 fleet, which is nearly 100 per cent live TV-equipped. So far more than 20 flagship Airbus A380s also offer the service, with more being fitted. The airline’s onboard live TV service includes up to eight channels of live news and sport, including top international broadcasters such as
Emirates SkyCargo has worked with UK manufacturers to transport a variety of pharmaceuticals, ranging from vaccines to anaesthetics. The air cargo carrier’s new service to Edinburgh will allow businesses, including exporters of Scottish Whisky and salmon, more direct air transport connections to global destinations, avoiding the need to truck their products to hubs elsewhere in the UK.
BBC World News, Sky News Arabia, CNN International and CNBC. Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra broadcast live sport on ice, Emirates’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system. The channels will provide coverage of all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. To watch Live TV on your next flight, look for an ice TV live icon on the entertainment home screen. You can also ask your cabin crew for more information. Be sure to pick up your copy of the ice guide in July, available in your seat pocket.
FOUNDATION RECEIVES ACCOLADES The Emirates Airline Foundation has been recognised by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for its outstanding humanitarian and outreach projects and work that spans the globe. The awards ceremony honoured donors, humanitarian and charitable institutions across the UAE for their long-standing contributions to providing much-needed aid around the world. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; presented the award to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, The Emirates Airline Foundation is a nonprofit charity organisation that provides humanitarian, philanthropic aid and services for children in need. Launched in 2003, it supports 35 projects in 18 countries.
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Best in show
Over a decade ago, we opened the Emirates Aviation College Cabin Crew Training Facility. Here’s what’s happened since then, plus what goes into training some of the most dedicated crew in the world
2007 Emirates training facility opens with 8,000 cabin crew employed
2018 Emirates now employs almost 23,000 cabin crew members
Recruited from over 135 countries
Speaking more than 60 languages
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL TRAINING SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE FOR NEW CABIN CREW? Over eight weeks, new recruits receive training in:
Induction: Information to assist the crew in their transition into their new environment, as well as Dubai.
Safety & emergency procedures: Aircraft equipment, fire-fighting, in-flight emergencies and evacuation.
Group medical training: Topics include: CPR, managing bleeding, burns, and emergency childbirth.
Security: Managing acts of unlawful interference, disruptive behaviour, hijacking and sabotage.
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Image and uniform training Crew are given the skills and knowledge to project a professional image in line with the Emirates brand, covering uniform standards, skincare, make-up, hair care, nail care and a healthy lifestyle.
DID YOU KNOW? EMIRATES RECEIVES ON AVERAGE 15,000 APPLICATIONS FOR CABIN CREW EACH MONTH NEW RECRUITS ARE CALLED ‘AB INITIO’: A LATIN TERM FOR ‘FROM THE BEGINNING’ IN THE LAST YEAR, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CREW TRAINED WAS 38,719
Career path: With experience, crew can advance to the Business and First Class cabins.
Onboard leadership Cabin crew who are promoted to onboard leadership roles, Cabin Supervisor and Purser, complete a 6 month learning journey.
Service training: Cabin crew learn about the airline’s inflight products and services, including food and beverages. They also learn about Emirates’ service personality and how to deliver the unique Emirates experience to customers.
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Bali
A lush, spiritual stay to ignite the senses
Bali is known as the ‘Island of the Gods’. It’s not difficult to see why. With stunning beaches washing into aquamarine seas, terraced rice paddies and temples that lie across the feet of smouldering volcanoes, and a rich and diverse culture; Bali has it all. No wonder the millions of tourists who visit every year consider it paradise. Part of transcontinental Indonesia, the island has an excess of natural and cultural riches. From Mount Agung and hillside temples such as Pura Luhur Batukaru, to Bali Barat National Park and the island’s cultural capital of Ubud, Bali offers a level of diversity that can surprise. There are offshore islands such as Nusa Lembongan, the joys of Seminyak and Petitenget beaches, the party capital of Kuta, as well as the island’s more relaxed and traditional eastern side. No matter where you are, the warmth and generosity of the Balinese will only add to your experience. The majority of the population adheres to Balinese Hinduism and there are thousands of temples peppering the landscape like confetti. The most dramatically located of these are Tanah Lot and Pura Luhur Uluwatu, the latter perched atop a cliff 70 metres above the sea. Offering a unique combination of spirituality and natural wonders, this is island living at its best.
Last month Emirates launched its new Dubai-Bali-Auckland flight, providing the only year-round nonstop daily service between Auckland and Bali, giving passengers an opportunity to visit or stop over in one of the most popular islands in Indonesia.
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BRIDGES
MAMA SAN
Set across seven floors overlooking the Wos River, Bridges is casual fine dining at its most accomplished. Located in the town of Ubud, head chef Wayan Sukarta’s team serves culinary treats to revel in. Expect perfectlycooked mains, from soy-braised wagyu beef to fresh-from-theboat barramundi. bridgesbali.com
With an industrial feel, marbled mah-jong tables and oversized tan leather Chesterfields, Mama San is as much an interior design experience as it is a culinary one. Specialising in South East Asian food, it serves delights such as crispy lemongrass chicken with papaya som tum and sweet chilli sauce. mamasanbali.com
ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU
COMOSHAMBHALA ESTATE
If dramatic locations are what you seek, look no further. Designed by award-winning architectural firm Woha, the villas cling to limestone cliffs 100 metres above the Indian Ocean. Quite simply one of the most spectacular destinations in the world, each villa has own pool and requisite coastal views. alilahotels.com/uluwatu
Situated roughly 15 minutes’ drive from central Ubud, the Como Shambhala Estate is a destination spa with a global reputation. Pitched as a wellness retreat, the nine hectare estate revels in its tropical location, employing resident yoga teachers, as well as Ayurvedic doctors and dieticians. comohotels.com
GUNUNG KAWI
PURA LUHUR ULUWATU
Bali’s very own “Valley of the Kings”, Gunung Kawi is an 11th-century temple complex and one of the island’s most ancient monuments. Just 30 minutes from Ubud, the complex includes 10 shrines cut out of the rock face thought to be dedicated to Balinese royalty. Overlooking the Pakerisan River, it is a truly impressive site.
An awe-inspiring cliff-top temple, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of several important sites dedicated to the spirits of the sea. Also one of the island’s nine key directional temples protecting Bali from evil spirits, it is located on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula and is best visited at sunset.
NASI AYAM KEDEWATAN IBU MANGKU Forget the name; this is as simple as it gets. This basic eatery in Ubud offers just two dishes, both of which are a variation on nasi ayam. Essentially chicken and rice, go for the bigger option with chicken thighs, skewers, beans, coconut, salted peanuts and chillies.
MAYA UBUD A collection of villas and rooms cocooned in a tropical Balinese setting, Maya Ubud is both a resort and spa overlooking the Petanu River Valley. A celebration of Bali’s cultural heritage, its design resembles a harmonious village and provides an array of wellbeing classes, including yoga and tai chi. mayaresorts.com/ubud
SNORKELLING With an abundance of marine life – there have been nearly 1,000 species of fish identified in its waters – it would be rude not to grab a snorkel and take to the seas while in Bali. Two of the best places to do so are Amed and Tulamben, with coral reefs in Jemeluk Bay and the wreck of the USAT Liberty two top snorkelling attractions.
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Be smart!
NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES
Use UAE Smart Gate at Dubai International Airport Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International by using UAE Smart Gate. If you hold a machine-readable passport, an E-Gate card or Emirates ID card you can check
in and out of the airport within seconds. Just look out for signs that will direct you to the many UAE Smart Gates found on either side of the Immigration Hall at Dubai International Airport.
USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY
1
Have your machine-readable passport, E-Gate card or Emirates ID card ready to be scanned.
2
Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, place your E-Gate card or Emirates ID card into the card slot.
3
Go through the open gate, stand on the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan. When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim.
REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY
To register for Smart Gate access, just spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer and that’s it. Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you have landed.
IF YOU’RE A UAE RESIDENT
Remember to bring your Emirates ID card next time you’re travelling through DXB – you’ll be able to speed through passport control in a matter of seconds, without paying and without registering. Valid at all Smart Gates, located in Arrivals and Departures, across all three terminals at DXB.
*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)
UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY: • Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards • Emirates ID cards
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NEW ROUTES
Routes shown are as of time of going to press
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GLOBAL ROUTES
Emirates Santiago: five times weekly service via São Paulo starts July 5 Edinburgh: daily service starts October 1 flydubai Helsinki: daily service starts October 11
KEY Emirates flydubai
TRAVEL TO ADDITIONAL DESTINATIONS WITH OUR CODESHARE PARTNERS With 22 codeshare partners in 25 countries (21 airlines and an air/ rail codeshare arrangement with France’s SNCF/TGV Air), Emirates has even more flight options, effectively expanding its network by over 300 destinations.
Visit emirates.com for full details on our travel partners
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MIDDLE EAST KEY Emirates flydubai
Routes shown are as of time of going to press
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AFRICA
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ASIA & PACIFIC
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
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AMERICAS
KEY Freighter destinations
Routes shown are as of time of going to press
EMIRATES SKYCARGO
INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT YOUR DOORSTEP MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST OPERATES SIX HOSPITALS, OVER 20 CLINICS AND MORE THAN 700 INPATIENT BEDS ACROSS DUBAI, ABU DHABI, AL AIN AND THE WESTERN REGION.
EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST. A MEDICLINIC INTERNATIONAL COMPANY www.mediclinic.ae MOH MH52817-30.9.18
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Emirates Fleet
Our fleet of 273 aircraft includes 260 passenger aircraft and 13 SkyCargo aircraft
AIRBUSA380-800
This month:
1 arriving
106 IN FLEET All aircraft
up to 3,500+
Up to 489-615 passengers. Range: 15,000km. L 72.7m x W 79.8m
20+ aircraft
BOEING777-300ER
140 IN FLEET
This month:
1 arriving
All aircraft up to 3,500+
Up to 354-428 passengers. Range: 14,594km. L 73.9m x W 64.8m 100+ aircraft
For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet
BOEING777-200LR
10 IN FLEET All aircraft
3,000+
Up to 266-302 passengers. Range: 17,446km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m
EMIRATES / FLEET / 89 HERE’S WHAT CONNECTIVITY, ENTERTAINMENT AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE ON BOARD EACH AIRCRAFT TYPE
Live TV, news & sport
Wi-Fi
Mobile phone
Data roaming
Number of channels
First Class Shower Spa
*Onboard lounge
**In-seat power
USB port
In-seat telephone
* First Class and Business Class; **Available in all rows in Economy Class, and in all seats in First Class and Business Class
BOEING777-300 3 IN FLEET All aircraft
1,800+
Up to 364 passengers. Range: 11,029km. L 73.9m x W 60.9m
AIRBUSA319 1 IN FLEET
2,000+
The Emirates Executive Private Jet takes our exceptional service to the highest level to fly you personally around the world. Fly up to 19 guests in the utmost comfort of our customised A319 aircraft with the flexibility of private jet travel. Further information at emirates-executive.com
EMIRATES SKYCARGO
BOEING 777F 13 IN FLEET
Range: 9,260km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m
The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparably-sized cargo aircraft. Along with its wide main-deck cargo door, which can accommodate oversized consignments, it is also capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo non-stop on 10-hour sector lengths.
Aircraft numbers accurate at the time of going to press
Up to 19 passengers. Range: 7,000km. L 33.84m x W 34.1m
YEEZY’S
GUIDE TO ATLANTA Each month, the great and the good curate a travel itinerary exclusively for Open Skies. This month, the ever-quotable Kanye West breaks down why his birthplace is one of the most important cities in the US Atlanta is a special city – but it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Musically and politically it is one of the most important cities in the country, in regards to the people it’s produced. Rightly so, the city honours Martin Luther King and everything that he has done. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park has his birthplace and the church where he delivered his first sermon. If you want to shop, Lenox (Lenox Square Mall) is where I go when I’m back in the city. They do have an Adidas store, so you might get lucky on the Yeezy front. For food, hit up Waffle House – I love those places. They are huge in the South, and open
ATLANTA
24 hours. So it don’t matter what time you get out the club, you can always go and get yourself some waffles and bacon. Speaking of nightlife, go to Compound for sure; we have had some big nights there. It’s always on point. And the next morning, I would probably go back to Waffle House. A great family day out in Atlanta is to go and watch the Falcons (NFL) at the MercedesBenz Stadium or the Hawks (NBA), who play at Philips Arena. Speaking of, for a main site you shouldn’t miss in the city I think Philips Arena is one of the best venues to perform live in the country. If there is somebody on you want to see there, you should do it.
33.7490° N, 84.3880° W
HISTORY MLK Park SHOP Lenox Square Mall
24HR EATS Waffle House NIGHT Compound
FAMILY Mercedes-Benz Stadium GIG Philips Arena
Discover Atlanta and over 70 other destinations in the US, Caribbean and Latin America, with Emirates and Jet Blue. Members of Emirates Skywards earn Miles on JetBlue flights. Members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty programme can also earn points for Emirates-operated flights.
ATLANTA
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