Russell Peters leaves Saudi crowd in tears of laughter

Canadian comedian Russell Peters visited the Al-Jadidah Arts District of AlUla Old Town to explore its galleries and sculpture installations. (Supplied)
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Updated 19 February 2022
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Russell Peters leaves Saudi crowd in tears of laughter

  • Canadian comic star expressed his excitement about being back in Kingdom, even if it was just before his wedding on the other side of the world
  • Even three days before my wedding, I still came to Saudi Arabia. I really missed Saudi, I had such a good time when I came before

RIYADH: Canadian comedian Russell Peters performed at AlUla’s Maraya Theater on Friday, days before his wedding in Los Angeles.

“I am just happy to be back, I’m literally very happy to be back. Here’s how you know I am happy to be back: I’m getting married on Sunday and I’m going to be here on Friday,” he told Arab News.

The comedian expressed his excitement about being back in the Kingdom, even if it was just before his wedding on the other side of the world.

“Even three days before my wedding, I still came to Saudi Arabia. I really missed Saudi, I had such a good time when I came before.”

He left Friday’s crowd in tears of laughter during his show from the “Act Your Age” world tour. The show is about getting older and the experiences with the new world and new generations.

“I will be 52 this year, so to call myself middle aged would mean that I am living to 104, and I definitely don’t want to live to 104. It’s about me being closer to dementia than to anything else and dealing with the new world that we are living in.”

He talked about his previous performance in the Kingdom, which was six years ago in Riyadh.

HIGHLIGHT

Russell Peters, who was recently named as one of Rolling Stone’s top 50 best comedians, explained what his mental preparation was before each show to connect with the crowd. He said he was keen to come back to the region, especially the Kingdom, because of his large fan base. He has also performed in the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan.

“I came here in January of 2016, and we did a show in the middle of the desert near Riyadh. It was pretty amazing. And, at that time, women were not allowed to drive, and I came back six years later, and bam, you’re driving. I was sad to not have been here in so long, so when they asked me if I wanted to come back, I immediately said yes.”


He said he was keen to come back to the region, especially the Kingdom, because of his large fan base. He has also performed in the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan.
“Some of my strongest supporters come from the Middle East; they are always there for me, so I will always be there for them.”
He explained that on this trip he would not, unfortunately, have the chance to visit the capital to see the changes that had taken place in the city as his performance was in AlUla.
“I haven’t gone to Riyadh on this trip, but the cool part is I am getting to see parts of the country that I never knew existed. This is a pretty incredible place to be in right now. We are staying in this beautiful resort and we are surrounded by these amazing mountains and rock structures.”
Maraya is covered with 9,740-mirrored panels that reflect AlUla’s historical and natural landscapes.
“I can literally sit there and just stare at it because it’s like staring into the past,” he remarked.
He said he liked to make his shows personal and individual to the country he was traveling to so that his set did not feel like a by-rote comedy video that people were watching online.
“You want it to feel special as a comic who has been doing it for 33 years. It’s just what I do, I like to add a few local references here and there.”
Peters, who was recently named as one of Rolling Stone’s top 50 best comedians, explained what his mental preparation was before each show to connect with the crowd.
“When I leave America, I have to wrap my head around the fact that I have to look at the rest of the world with the same eyes as the people I am performing in front of. I realized I made that mistake a few months ago when I first went back to the region.”
And his references and personal anecdotes cannot be the same for each country. “I was doing the act wrong,” he added. “When I have jokes about (DNA genetic testing firm) 23andMe and Ancestry.com those make a lot of sense in America. Over here, everyone knows what they are.”
He said that if he were to ask the audience if they had ever used Ancestry.com they would ask why as their family had never left the country and had no reason to use the website.
The comedian said he wanted to connect with the audience and create personal connections so that people could enjoy the show even more.
He had time to visit the Al-Jadidah Arts District of AlUla Old Town to explore its galleries and sculpture installations.

When asked if Saudi Arabia could expect future appearances from him, he gave a positively enthusiastic response.

“I definitely want to go back to Riyadh, and I have never been to Jeddah, so I would like to go there as well. I am lucky enough to be performing in AlUla now, so we will knock that out of the park and then come back and dip into Riyadh and Jeddah.”

His performance was part of AlUla’s Art Festival, which began on Feb. 13 and runs until March 31.

 


Etihad Airways flying high with classic cartoon caper

Updated 26 July 2024
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Etihad Airways flying high with classic cartoon caper

DUBAI: An Etihad Airways aircraft has been decorated with classic cartoon characters as part of a collaboration with the film and entertainment giant Warner Bros. World.

The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner will feature favorite Looney Tunes characters on one side of the aircraft and popular DC super heroes on the other.

Passengers up to 10 years of age traveling on Etihad Airways’ longer flights will receive new Warner Bros. World Kids Packs, which include activities designed to entertain and educate, such as drawing their favorite super heroes and engaging in fun tasks throughout the flight.

The aircraft’s maiden flight will be to London Heathrow on Saturday. It will then rotate service to destinations such as Dublin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Bangkok and Manila. (Supplied)

Infants will receive a DC super hero-themed soft blanket, while older children will receive items such as a branded backpack, superhero cape, water bottle and activity kit.

The aircraft’s maiden flight will be to London Heathrow on Saturday. It will then rotate service to destinations such as Dublin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Bangkok and Manila.

Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said in a statement: “Building on the strong reputation we have built as a family-friendly airline, we’re thrilled to take our partnership with Warner Bros. World to the next level.

“Our Looney Tunes and DC Super Hero-themed aircraft will take our brands to destinations worldwide, promoting one of Abu Dhabi’s many attractions. We look forward to welcoming more and more visitors inspired to visit our home, Abu Dhabi, and in particular delighting our little VIP guests while they journey with us.”


Saudi artists shine at Sotheby’s summer exhibition 

Updated 26 July 2024
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Saudi artists shine at Sotheby’s summer exhibition 

  • Selected works from ‘Khamseen: 50 Years of Saudi Visual Arts,’ which runs at Sotheby’s in London from August 12-30 as part of ‘Hafla,’ a celebration of Middle Eastern culture

Mohammed Al-Saleem 

‘Untitled’ 

Al-Saleem was one of the Kingdom’s most significant artists, who has, as the Sotheby’s show brochure notes, “greatly contributed to the growth and evolution of Saudi art in the Kingdom.”

In the 1980s, Al-Saleem developed a style he called “Al-Afakia” (Horizonism), which was “inspired by the gradating skyline of Riyadh from the desert.” This piece from 1986 is a prime example of that style, which balances modernist and traditional aesthetics, and demonstrates why Al-Saleem was widely regarded as the leading abstract artist of his generation in the Kingdom and the wider Gulf region.

“(This work) banishes form and landscape, reimagining the distant dunes of the desert horizon through contained slabs of color, which emerge as if struggling against one another across the surface of the image,” the brochure states. “Its layering and shading suggest a search for subtle accords and variations similar to that with which a composer achieves musical harmony, creating an astonishing sense of energy and dynamism.”

Abduljabbar Al-Yahya 

‘Flask’ 

Another pioneer of Saudi modern art, Al-Yahya’s first solo exhibition was held in 1971, before his “stylistic tendencies” transitioned into what Sotheby’s calls “his recognizable oeuvre, characterized by its ability to convey the beauty and complexity of his country’s landscape, culture and people. In this piece, created in 2000, the brochure states, “Al Yahya depicts a female figure against a kaleidoscopic form that her figure merges into, further bordered by a golden background. Recalling the spirit and silt of Saudi Arabia’s landscape, Al Yahya’s canvases are habitats of earthy hues and architectural flatness, balanced against a figurative abstraction derived from his time in Europe. Ultimately foregrounding these explorations was Al Yahya’s focus on the notion of belonging, to both nature and humanity.” 

Al-Yahya himself once said of his work: “I followed the theme ‘art for life.’ Art is not only a hobby or entertainment. I strongly believe that I have a message I must achieve … (delivering) an idea bringing hope to the human being … I know my humanity through art.” 

Abdulhalim Radwi 

‘Untitled’ 

The late artist (who was also a prolific sculptor and poet) studied in Rome in the 1960s, where he began to take an interest in abstraction. But, as Sotheby’s notes, “though he was absorbed by Western artistic discourses, Radwi never strayed far from local heritage and traditions, and instead invoked his own narrative of the Arab world through cubism and expressionism which set himself apart from his contemporaries. This work was created in 1989 and is, the brochure states, “exemplary of Radwi’s later paintings” and an “attempt to reconcile modernity and artistic authenticity.” 

It continues: “‘Untitled’ is kaleidoscopic in its composition, with a scene that is imbued with the effervescent bustling energy — the vivacity of popular life — in the old towns of his beloved Saudi Arabia. The vibrancy of the city is depicted through a futurist scene blending traditional Ottoman architecture with contemporary influences. Radwi borrows the swift strokes and striking hues of Cezanne and Van Gogh, and similarly imbues his canvas with an effervescent, almost cosmic, energy. The very essence of his works lies not in their physicality but in the emotions they trigger.” 

Abdulrahman Al-Soliman 

‘Untitled’  

The Al-Ahsa-born artist’s works, Sotheby’s says, “convey a deep appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s culture and heritage.” He was particularly concerned with the “erasure of heritage that exists on a personal and collective plane.” This specific “rare cubist” work, created in 1980, was “produced amid a transitional period in Saudi” and can be “set against a backdrop of social shifts, as Saudi society steered towards a more conservative societal trajectory,” the brochure states. “There is a delicacy depicted through the simplicity of Al-Soliman’s subtle use of lines, colors, shadows that convey a certain peacefulness. Furthermore, the subject bears testimony to the artist’s love of his country, a place he calls home. One can engage in a graceful nostalgia delivered through this early cubist work.” 

Mohammed Al-Resayes 

‘Architectural Element 5’  

After finishing high school in Riyadh in the Seventies, Al-Resayes traveled to Cairo to learn more about art. There, Sotheby’s says, his practice focused on “attempting to integrate the brushstroke techniques of Impressionism with the contracted, reassembled space of Cubism, depicting sceneries reminiscent of his rural background.” In the Nineties, having returned to the Kingdom, Al-Resayes “became involved with the emergent expressionist movement of the Saudi pioneers who preceded him,” and became president of the art department at the King Saud University. The 1982 series “Architectural Elements,” to which this work — depicting three vertical forms that could be interpreted as three figures crouching slightly — belongs, revolved, according to Sotheby’s “around exile, pain and misery.”  

Arwa Alneami 

‘Spring Camel’ 

Alneami’s practice, Sotheby’s says, “interrogates themes of acceptance and inclusion within Saudi society” and “reflects her own experiences as a female artist, (having) struggled to integrate in the regional contemporary arts environment.” She can be regarded as something of a trailblazer, having been the first woman to photograph inside the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah (a project exhibited in the British Museum). This piece from 2012, Alneami told the Royal Arts Magazine, is an “homage to the best friend of the desert. Not to that cliché subject ‘camels for tourism,’ but to that loyal companion of humans … Camels as celebration, colorfully festive, welcoming the Springtime, eternal symbols of the endless journey, travelers and travel, silent, hardworking, melancholic and trustful. Again, an artistic subject based on the souvenirs of the past.” 


Saudi-based Dutch photographer Aljohara Jeje showcases work in UK’s ‘The Gallery’ public art series

Updated 26 July 2024
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Saudi-based Dutch photographer Aljohara Jeje showcases work in UK’s ‘The Gallery’ public art series

DUBAI: The Saudi-based Dutch photographer discusses her image that is part of the latest ‘season’ of public artworks from UK-based platform The Gallery, which runs until August 12.  

Aljohara Jeje, Performance. (Supplied)

I was born and raised in the Netherlands. When I was a teenager, my father asked me what I wanted to study and I, his only daughter, said “Art.” He almost choked on his food. He told me I should study something decent, so I studied product design. I also started to travel. 

On trips, I wanted to take beautiful photographs — not just snapshots and souvenirs. What I like about photography, which is freeing, is the light, the technique, and the end product.  

Art is communication. It is not limited to languages or national borders, it’s an international language. My photography always revolves around social issues and I would say that it normally engages deeply with history, culture, traditions and contemporary challenges.  

This image comes from a series called “Performance,” which is about silencing women. What I have found common across the world is that, in general, we women are told not to speak our minds and express ourselves.  

In the image, the pearl that you see between the woman’s lips is a symbol of a woman’s worth. Pearls are cultivated over time and they become treasures. They are shiny and beautiful. The worst part of silencing women is that you are taking away what makes them women.  

With the veil, there is this idea of covering something. It has nothing to do with Islam (in this image) but, of course, it can give an association with Islam. If you look at the woman, her eyes are also covered. If you take away a woman’s ability to think and to talk, then all that is left is a performance. We are giving a performance, because that is not who we are.  

It’s a very aesthetic image with very directed, dramatic lighting. I hope that when people see it, they stand still for a moment and start questioning it: Why can’t the woman talk? Why does she have the pearl? I also hope that people will find their own interpretation.   


Sofia Boutella unveils poster for ‘The Killer’s Game’

Updated 24 July 2024
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Sofia Boutella unveils poster for ‘The Killer’s Game’

  • Boutella plays the role of the protagonist’s love interest
  • Cast includes Dave Bautista, Terry Crews, Ben Kingsley

DUBAI: French Algerian actress Sofia Boutella took to social media recently to share the poster for her latest film “The Killer’s Game,” and revealed that it would hit theaters on Sept. 13.

Set against a bold red background, the poster features her alongside the ensemble cast, including Dave Bautista, Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Pom Klementieff and Ben Kingsley.

Bautista stands at the center of the image, surrounded by his co-stars, each holding various weapons including knives, swords and axes. The tagline “Winning is all in the execution” appears at the bottom.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sofia Boutella (@sofisia7)

Directed by JJ Perry and based on the novel by Jay R. Bonansinga, the screenplay was written by Rand Ravich and James Coyne.

Diagnosed with a terminal illness, hit man Joe Flood (Bautista) decides to take a hit out on himself. However — and here is where the comedy kicks in — the hospital made a mistake and Flood is not dying at all. And now he has to escape a steady stream of hit men who will not be called off.

Boutella plays the role of the protagonist’s love interest, who gets caught up in the mayhem.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sofia Boutella (@sofisia7)

Boutella this week also shared the trailer of the director’s cut of her film “Rebel Moon,” directed by Zack Snyder.

Both “Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood” and “Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness” will be released on Netflix on Aug. 2, Boutella wrote on Instagram.

The cuts are the extended and more intense versions of the initial releases. The new drops will include entirely new scenes, alternate takes, and a different sequence of events.

Boutella plays the role of Kora, a mysterious stranger living on a peaceful moon settlement threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius. Kora, a former soldier of the Imperium, becomes the settlement’s best hope for survival.

She is tasked with finding and assembling a group of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants, and orphans of war — to make a stand against the oppressive forces of the Motherworld.

Her journey delves into themes of redemption and revenge as she leads this diverse group to defend their home.


REVIEW: Book censor falls victim to the malady of imagination in Kuwaiti novel

Updated 24 July 2024
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REVIEW: Book censor falls victim to the malady of imagination in Kuwaiti novel

JEDDAH: Getting lost in a good story is an occupational hazard and a crime in “The Book Censor’s Library,” a dystopian political satire with elements of magic realism. The story follows an unnamed narrator whose life unravels after he reluctantly begins working for an all-powerful government.

With a spellbinding and smooth translation from Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain, Kuwaiti literary icon Bouthayna Al-Essa’s novel warns against the loss of originality and personal freedoms in its depiction of the transformation of a man into a reader and his inevitable fall down the rabbit hole of books and imagination.

Set in the near future “in a place that would be pointless to name, since it resembles every other place,” the novel follows the book censor in the New World as he combs through manuscripts, looking for any offending word or idea that would render a book unfit to publish.He is a “guardian of surfaces,” and his task is to ensure that books that carry depth and ideas should be identified and removed from the shelves because “one curious person who picked up a volume and read a few lines could poison the entire society.”

In a swift turn of events, the protagonist himself is swept away by classics like “Zorba the Greek,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “1984,” his dreams and waking hours engulfed in the siren song of good storytelling.

As the world around him slowly regains color, he falls into the throes of an existential crisis, torn between doing his duty as a simple cog in the machine and the secret society of “Cancers” attempting to restore books to their former glory and preserve the collective memory of humanity.

Drawing from the power of timeless stories, El-Essa’s Orwellian tale delves into the terrifying heart of darkness to remind us that “cancer cells are the only ones that thrive in a dying body.”