Episode 72: Can art really cut through the turmoil?

In a special episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews host the show from Art Dubai, the city's annual art fair that is taking place this week. They share some of their recommendations for what not to miss at the event this year – including regional, international and digital art. The hosts speak to Mirjam Varadinis, the curator of the Bawwaba section at Art Dubai, about her vision for the exhibit to imagine new forms of coexistence amid an era of turmoil. Between political upheaval and the impact of climate change, artists from all around the world bring their artistic commentary to the section. Mirjam talks about their use of different materials and textures in their works and how they reflect the ability of cultures to transcend borders. Renowned Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem tells the hosts about the inspiration behind his installation, a new immersive work titled Directions (Merging). The piece features GPS co-ordinates from around the world, against a backdrop of digital waves in motion, with Dubai at the centre point of convergence. He speaks about his relationship to water and how its features in his work as a metaphor for fluidity and challenging fixed borders.