Jax Arts Festival presents seminar on ‘The Importance of Constructive Criticism in Art’

French Artist Julien Gardair’s artwork at the Jax Art Festival in Diriyah Biennial Foundation. (Saleh Ghannam/AN)
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Updated 24 July 2022
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Jax Arts Festival presents seminar on ‘The Importance of Constructive Criticism in Art’

  • Art critic Jalal Al-Talib discussed constructive criticism in context of arts and culture

RIYADH: The Jax Arts Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture in Diriyah, wrapped up its program with a seminar titled “The Importance of Constructive Criticism in Art,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The seminar was hosted by art critic Jalal Al-Talib at the Diriyah Biennial Foundation, where the festival was held.

Al-Talib discussed constructive criticism in the context of the arts and culture. He said the work of a critic is not limited to evaluating paintings or art work, but also includes criticizing all types of art institutions, such as cultural societies and literary clubs. 

The Jax Arts Festival, which ran for 10 days and featured a variety of immersive art, concluded this weekend.


Repossi taps May Calamawy for latest campaign

Updated 08 February 2026
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Repossi taps May Calamawy for latest campaign

DUBAI: Italian jewelry label Repossi has tapped Egyptian-Palestinian Hollywood star May Calamawy to star in its Ramadan 2026 campaign.

The campaign, which was shot in Sharjah in the UAE, features Calamawy showing off pieces by the Paris-headquartered label that is known for taking inspiration from architecture and modern art.

Shot inside Zaha Hadid Architects’ BEEAH Headquarters in Sharjah, Calamawy can be seen wearing signature pieces from the Blast and Serti Sur Vide collection, as well as other classic collections by the brand.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by May Calamawy (@calamawy)

“Celebrating Repossi Savoir-Faire, Heritage and Architectural Poetry (sic),” the actress captioned the campaign video, which she shared with her 354,000 followers on Instagram.

Calamawy is known for her roles in the US Netflix series “Ramy” and “Moon Knight” (2022), where she plays dual characters Layla El-Faouly and the Scarlet Scarab.

She made headlines in late 2024 when almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” with fans taking to social media to complain.

Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023.

At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: “While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.”

In January, the star took to Instagram to promote her latest project, which hits theaters in April.

“The Mummy,” a new feature from award-winning Irish writer and director Lee Cronin, will be released on April 17 and features Calamawy alongside Mexican actress Veronica Falcon, Jack Reynor, and Laia Costa. 

The film is produced by Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and New Line Cinema.

“The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare,” the film’s official logline reads.

Calamawy is also known for her activism and regularly takes to social media to support charity initiatives raising money and awareness for Gaza.

In December, she promoted the song “Lullaby,” which the Together for Palestine charity is trying to propel to the Christmas No. 1 spot in the UK chart to raise money for the people of Palestine.