Hazem Harb’s new exhibition peels back memories from Gaza
With Eid al-Fitr approaching, Dubai’s cultural and entertainment scenes gear up for celebrations. Tabari Artspace hosts a post-Eid exhibition by Dubai-based Palestinian artist Hazem Harb, while Girl and the Goose — a beloved supper club turned restaurant — opens its doors in Business Bay. The exclusive BoF CROSSROADS conference launches in Dubai, and Oman’s heritage shines in what is being hailed as the first Omani cookbook.
1. Leading the week: “Not There, Yet Felt”
Hazem Harb’s “Peeling #1,” 2025. (Courtesy the artist and Tabari Artspace)
“Not There, Yet Felt,” the upcoming show by the Dubai-based Palestinian artist Hazem Harb at Tabari Artspace, adopts the act of peeling to reflect the layers of memories and histories literally and symbolically embedded into the walls of his Gaza home in Shuja’iyya. This new body of highly abstract, intimate and personal work marks a break from Harb’s previous approach, which focused more on collective narratives largely charting his Palestinian homeland.
“I have long been drawn to surfaces, materials, and artefacts that bear witness to time and summon its weight,” Harb told Al-Monitor. “Previously, my work was often produced at a distance, centered around collective narratives and cultural memory. Here, I invite you into my Gaza home — to observe the peeling walls that embody histories beneath, fragments of spaces that hold memory long after their occupants have gone.”
Harb’s abstract collages guide viewers through his lived environment in Gaza, reflecting his disembodied connection to home. The exhibition also features a neon installation, a striking self-portrait, and the poem “Hope Is Power.”
“My home in Gaza exists in layers, each one concealing and revealing a different moment in time—paint worn down to expose past lives, past choices, past hands that shaped and animated the space,” said Harb. “Not There, Yet Felt is my attempt to articulate the sensation of being tethered to a place that is both intimately familiar and impossibly distant.”
This poignant show examines themes of memory, displacement and the importance of preserving emotional and physical connections to the place one calls home.
Dates: April 12 – May 27
Location: Tabari Artspace, Dubai International Financial Centre
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Girl and the Goose
An interior view of Girl and the Goose. (Courtesy of Girl and the Goose)
Girl and the Goose is quickly becoming one of the most talked about new restaurants in town. At the helm is Nicaraguan chef Gabriela Chamorro, a former cabin crew member for Emirates who in 2019 began hosting dinners that she billed “Girl and the Goose” at her one-bedroom home in Jumeirah Beach Residence.
As word spread about Chamorro’s 10-person dinners, a night at her supper club became one of the most sought-after invitations in town. During a dinner in 2024, Ziad and Rowan Kamel, owners of Couqley and CQ Brasserie, decided they wanted to join forces with Chamorro and transform Girl and the Goose into a restaurant. Fast forward and the former supper club officially opened its doors this month in the Business Bay.
Situated a stone’s throw from the lobby of the Anantara Downtown Hotel, the restaurant exudes an immediately warm, Central American vibe, like Chamorro’s apartment.
Be sure to try the zesty ceviche, tacos and empanadas as well as delicious main courses of meat and fish, like lemongrass Omani cod, a nod to the region, alongside duck confit flautas or the yummy corn salad. For something sweet to round off your meal, try the churros and a concoction that fuses such Central American delicacies as papaya ice cream and dulce de leche with creamy goat cheese and a touch of Palestinian sumac.
Location: The Oberoi Center, Anantara Downtown Hotel, Business Bay, Dubai
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Fireworks light up Bluewaters Island in Dubai. Courtesy of Bluewaters Island
• Eid al-Fitr fireworks
Families and friends in Dubai are gearing up to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with various entertainment activities. Though the start date is yet to be confirmed, it's expected to begin on March 30 or 31. On the first day, enjoy fireworks over the Hatta signboard at 8 pm or head to Nessnass Beach for a show at the same time. On the second day, catch the free fireworks display at Bluewaters Island's beachside boardwalk at 9 pm.
Location: various
• BoF CROSSROADS 2025
Business of Fashion (BoF), the revered platform dedicated to the business of global luxury, fashion and beauty is holding its inaugural CROSSROADS 2025 event in Dubai at One&Only One Za’abeel Hotel. The exclusive conference will focus on shifting customer preferences and slower industry growth in key markets. It brings together creative and business leaders to explore new opportunities in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Dates: April 10 – 11
Location: One&Only One Za’abeel Hotel
Find more information here.
• Film screening: “Lifelong Guest”
Taking place in Alserkal Avenue’s The Yard, “Lifelong Guest,” a film by the Istanbul-born Cansu Yıldıran, explores the daily rituals, lives and histories of the Pontic people, an ethnic Greek subgroup indigenous to the Pontus region. The short documentary reveals the memories, oral histories, silent stories, and disappearing traditions of this population.
Date: Until April 3
Location: The Yard at Alserkal Avenue
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: “Bahari”
Bahari, the beautiful new tome by the British-born Omani-Zanzibari chef Dina Macki, is the first of its kind to explore the unique culinary and cultural landscape of Oman. As the first Omani cookbook written by an Omani chef, “Bahari” — which means “ocean” in Swahili — offers a gastronomical voyage through the rich and zesty flavors and spices, history and culture that have shaped Omani cuisine. As Macki points out, Oman’s cuisine has been shaped by numerous influences — from India, Iran, Pakistan, Portugal and the Swahili coast — stemming from centuries of trade by sea and land with the Gulf nation. She offers more than 90 recipes featuring fish, meat, vegetables and homemade breads with delicious dips and great ideas for desserts and drinks.
5. View from Dubai
Photograph from a fashion shot by Žiga Mihelčič. (Courtesy of Žiga Mihelčič)
Most in Dubai’s fashion and luxury community will be familiar with the breathtakingly bold and ultra feminine fashion photographs of the Dubai-based Slovenian photographer Žiga Mihelčič, whose love of photography began in the early 2000s, when his father gifted him his first digital camera.
Mihelčič’s interest in photography eventually led him to Arthouse – College of Visual Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from which he graduated in 2011. Adventure landed him opportunities in Dubai, where he has been based since 2015. Mihelčič’s work has graced the pages of “Vogue,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” “Elle,” “GQ” “Marie Claire,” “Grazia” and many magazines. Known for his versatile and creative photography, Mihelčič also shoots interiors, still lives, jewelry and portraits.
6. By the numbers
• In 2025, Dubai will celebrate 14 public holidays, the first of which was New Year’s Day, followed by Eid al-Fitr , one of the two most important religious holidays in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha.
• For public sector employees, Eid al-Fitr will be observed for 3 days from Sunday, March 30, through Tuesday, April 1. If the eid begins on March 31, their holiday will extend to 5 days, ending Thursday, April 3, with work resuming on Sunday, April 6.