Art at the edge: Kalba show explores borders & belonging

Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.

A group exhibition in what was formerly the Kalba Ice Factory in Sharjah showcases key works from the Sharjah Art Foundation’s collection exploring themes of physical and metaphorical borders and the transcendent natural element of water. In Dubai, get ready for returning annual Christmas carols and a festival market transporting holiday favorites to the Arabian desert. For jewelry lovers, an exhibition at L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts highlights the significance of birds in jewelry and Islamic art.

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: ‘Of Land and Water’

Jompet Kuswidananto’s “Keroncong Concordia” (detail), 2019. (Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. Photography by Shanavas Jamaluddin)

Marking the first presentation of works from the Sharjah Art Foundation’s collection in the emirate’s eastern coast, large-scale works — rarely displayed to the public — by nine international artists and collectives are being showcased.

Curated by Jiwon Lee, the works presented are, in part, inspired by the coastal setting of the historic town of Kalba, a city and exclave within the emirate of Sharjah. The exhibition features works by Babak Afrassiabi, Nasrin Tabatabai, Taloi Havini, Walid Siti, GCC, Nabil El Makhloufi, Nesrine Khodr, Marwan Rechmaoui, Jompet Kuswidananto and John Akomfrah, and explores notions of physical and metaphorical borders and how waterways offer sources of connection. Created in a variety of media, the works contrast postcolonial ambitions of a nation with the despair of those who have been deprived of their native land. 

Interestingly, the natural element of water emerges as an alternate border in the exhibition that not only defines territories but also offers a passage to a place that is unknown, both physically and in the imagination. Water offers creative possibility and thus hope. The show poignantly asks the viewer to question what ties one to a place and also disconnects one from it. The works explore how humankind can transcend borders to offer a free exchange of knowledge unbound by political, racial or religious ties.  

Dates: Until May 31, 2026

Location: Kalba Ice Factory, Kalba, Sharjah

Find more information here. 

2. Word on the street: Lion in the Sun Dubai

An interior view of Lion in the Sun. (Courtesy of Majestas) 

If you’re searching for a rustic yet upscale African vibe with zesty Mediterranean flavors, the newly opened Lion in the Sun Dubai offers exactly that. The restaurant, which opened on Nov. 25 in the new Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai, draws its inspiration from the original Lion in the Sun retreat in Malindi, Kenya, a property developed by Flavio Briatore and known since its opening in around late 2012 as a celebrity hotspot.

The concept, which reopened in 2022 as part of the new Billionaire Resort and Retreat, blends, as it does in its new Dubai home, Afro-colonial style with Kenyan culture and Italian-fusion dining. It is situated on the 62nd floor at the very top of the hotel, so get ready for riveting views of Dubai’s downtown.

Be sure to try Flavio’s penne or spaghetti served with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, chilli and fresh basil; the spaghetti all’assassina (spaghetti of the assassin), made with homemade spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce and baby squid; and a host of meat and seafood options. 

Location: Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai

Find more information here. 

3. Dubai diary

Van Cleef & Arpels, Eagle brooch, 1972, Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. (Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)

• ’Poetry of Birds’ at L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

Birds have long had a strong connection with the United Arab Emirates, whose national emblem is the falcon. An exhibition staged by L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts dives into the Gulf nation’s strong association with the animal through bird-themed jewels alongside Islamic art that explores the historical regional and global significance of birds in jewelry creation. The exhibition also presents poetry: It begins with a poem by celebrated Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and includes recorded recitations and live readings from Emirati artist and poet Reem Al-Suwaidi.  The exhibition itself is designed as a "poetic journey" inspired by Farid al-Din Attar's 12th-century Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds.” 

“We thought staging an exhibition about birds would make sense for this region,” Sophie Claudel, director of L'ECOLE Middle East, told Al-Monitor. “When we decided to go forth with the idea, we wanted to make it locally relevant and find local lenders. We have pieces from Dubai Culture and also from the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.”

Offering a unique dialogue between the East and West through craftsmanship and poetry, the show presents Middle Eastern artifacts along with rare jewelry creations by the likes of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels and Islamic art, celebrating the birds’ symbolism in nature, heritage and mythology. 

Date: Until April 26, 2026

Location: L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, Dubai Design District

Find more information here.

• ‘Christmas Carols by Candlelight’ at Expo City Dubai

Christmas is around the corner, and the celebration is in full swing in Dubai. The beloved Carols by Candlelight returns to Expo City this year, where the Firdaus Orchestra will perform enchanting carols twice a day alongside live dancers and Christmas-themed projections onto the iconic Al Wasl Plaza. Your favorite Christmas songs — “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells” — will be performed daily, transporting the Christmas spirit to the desert. There’s also a surprise visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. 

Date: Dec. 20-24. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 6:20 p.m. show, and at 7:30 p.m. for the 7:50 p.m. show (tickets include access to Expo’s Winter City)

Location: Expo City Dubai

Find more information here. 

• Festive Market: Madinat Jumeirah Christmas Market

More Christmas cheer can be found at the returning Festive Market at Madinat Jumeirah. The Arabian-themed resort transforms its Fort Island into a winter wonderland — where a holiday market, spanning 1,750 square metres of the souk and featuring a 36-foot Christmas tree — offers plenty to experience and much to shop. There’s also a North Pole train ride, bungee jumping, a snow-fight zone and even a Venetian carousel. These attractions may make you wonder whether you're still in the Arabian desert!

Date: Until Dec. 31

Location: Fort Island, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Find more information here.