ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014
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New museum to attract over 250,000 visitors
Canada’s human rights museum shares oral histories
WINNIPEG, Canada, Nov 2, (AFP):
A new museum in Canada’s western
prairies has amassed a unique collection of personal stories from genocide
survivors, human rights defenders
and others, and wants to share them.
Dedicated to the 60-year-old notion
of human rights, a singular but intricate ideal, the Canadian Museum for
Human Rights in Winnipeg,
Manitoba will open its doors on Nov
11.
It was conceived by now-deceased
mogul Izzy Asper, who once controlled CanWest Global
Communications Corp, one of the
world’s largest media empires.
Over the past 15 years, the project
has attracted both praise and protests,
mostly from groups disappointed that
their stories would not be included.
A third of the museum’s staff
including curators quit ahead of its
grand opening, complaining that its
content had been sanitized, while
administrators struggled with staggering cost overruns and funding shortfalls.
But since the museum started previewing a handful of its 11 galleries
can tell.”
Victims
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is viewed Oct 10, 2014 near the
shores of the Red River in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. (AFP)
in September, the criticism has faded.
“We’re not a collections-based
museum. Our main focus is to tell
stories,” spokeswoman Maureen Fitz
said.
“But there are more stories than we
“Most rights museums commemorate specific events,” she added. “Our
focus is on human rights as an aspirational idea, using the stories of
defenders, victims and others to illustrate it.”
The Can$351 million (US$312 million) museum designed by American
architect Antoine Predock is one of
the most anticipated works of architecture in Canadian history.
Built of polished concrete, basalt
rock, limestone and alabaster
wrapped in a wall of glass that
“weaves light through darkness,” it
seeks to frame how an expected
250,000 visitors each year will think
about human rights by “offering multiple perspectives from different
angles, which is also important in
exploring human rights,” Fitz
explained.
The site in downtown Winnipeg
was chosen for the city’s legacy at the
crossroads for labor rights, suffrage,
minority language rights and indigenous people’s land rights in Canada.
Visitors are presented with interactive videos, photographs and text
chronicling Canadian and world history’s “dark and bright spots” as they
meander up a 23-story spiral pathway.
There are 181 oral histories of survivors of mass atrocities and people
who fought rights violations.
Displays cover the Holocaust, the
Armenian Genocide and other atrocities recognized by Ottawa, and identify patterns in them.
Tales are told of the First World
War internment of Ukrainians, of the
Japanese immigrant steamship
Komagata Maru being turned away
from Canadian shores in 1914, and of
the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike.
Artifacts
Along the path, visitors can probe a
smattering of artifacts, including a
ballot box from Nelson Mandela’s
1994 presidential run, wedding photos of gay couples, and the dress
worn by Mareshia Rucker to the first
racially integrated prom at the Wilcox
County school in the US state of
Georgia last year.
They may also peruse one of the
art
NEW YORK, Nov 2,
(AP): New York’s fall art
auctions are about to sizzle.
Coveted paintings by
Andy Warhol and
Edouard Manet — never
before offered at auction
— and works from singleowner collections with
boldface names like
Mellon and Bacall are
expected to fire up bidding at the sales of
impressionist, contemporary and modern art
beginning Tuesday.
“The fall auctions represent a rare opportunity
for contemporary collectors to add not only quality but also pedigree to
their collections,” said
Sarah Lichtman, director
of The New School’s master’s degree program in
the history of decorative
arts and design.
The exceptional quality of
the works could mean a
record-setting autumn,
said Pat Berman, professor of art at Wellesley
College.
“The heights reached by
Edvard Munch’s ‘The
Scream’ or Francis
Bacon’s ‘Three Studies of
Lucien Freud’ — once
beyond comprehension —
are certainly attainable,
and potentially eclipsed
by these rare art trophies,” she said.
“The Scream” sold for
nearly $120 million in
2012, only to be surpassed
a year later by the Bacon
which set a record for the
most expensive artwork
ever sold at auction when
it fetched $142.4 million.
Building on the anticipated excitement among art
aficionados, Christie’s this
week took out an 8-page
wrap-around ad in The
New York Times — at an
estimated cost of $200,000
— highlighting its blockbuster offerings.
The auctions get off to a
flying start with Vincent
van Gogh’s “Still Life, Vase
With Daisies and Poppies”
at Sotheby’s. One of the
few works sold during his
lifetime and painted in 1890
just weeks before the Dutch
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acts of worship, Quranic verses, and the
Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) life. Every
Thursday in November @ 7pm.
English Speaking Class – by Tony
Braun: Come and practice speaking
English. Don’t be shy. Tony, who is the
facilitator, will make it very easy on you!
You will be able to read the conversation
original prints of the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, or
retry pivotal court cases.
On the latter, Angela Cassie, who
has been with the museum since its
inception, noted that the case law
shows “how one’s rights might
infringe on another’s.”
Visitors can also take a bit of their
experience home. The gift shop sells
an unusual array, including jewelry
made from disarmed nuclear
weapons.
The notion of rights believed to
belong to every person is now largely
established, but continues to evolve.
“There are so many definitions of
human rights,” said museum research
manager Jodi Giesbrecht.
“Some things we now take for
granted were not always considered
human rights.”
Contemporary rights issues tend to
provoke the most controversy, but
some historical events also continue
to be contentious.
“We try to offer a lot of different
perspectives, and invite people to add
to the general discussion,” said
Giesbrecht.
This tour does not require prior registration.
■ Diwaniya: The use of natural dyes in
traditional Sadu weaving
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Dr Ali Alnajadah, Asst Professor and
Head of the Department of Interior Design
for the Public Authority of Applied
Education and Training and as a Weaving
Consultant for the Al Sadu Weaving
Cooperative Society.
He has been studying natural dyes for
some time now and in particular the ones
favored and used by the Bedouin weavers
in Kuwait in particular and has participated in International symposiums on natural
dyes. The latest being the International
Forum on Natural Dyes and Weft in
Taiwan from Oct 15-16, 2014 in collaboration with Dr Keirene Canavan of Cardiff
Metropolitan University and a Research
Fellow for the Al Sadu Weaving
Cooperative Society.
This lecture will be followed by dinner.
Advance registration is required at
[email protected]
■ Guided tour: Sadu House
Fee: KD 3 per person
Monday, Nov 24, @ 5:00 p.m.
The Sadu House is the place to discover the Bedouin art of weaving, its styles
and history. Established in 1979 and now
renovated it exhibits a wonderful collection of textiles.
Souvenirs are also available for purchase in the on-site shop. Perfect gifts for
friends and family back home.
This tour includes a Sadu Weaving
Demonstration.
Advance reservations required at
[email protected]
■ Guided tour: Red Fort
Fee: KD 3 per person
Saturday, Nov 29, 2014 @ 9:00 am.
The Red Fort in Jahra is a desolated
palace. Built almost 100 years ago it was
the desert Palace of the Al-Sabah family.
It is also the site of an historical battle in
Kuwait’s history.
Join AWARE’s tour of this desolate fort
to gain an insight into Kuwait’s history.
Bus and refreshments provided by
AWARE
Limited Seats. Advance reservations
required at [email protected]
Nov 7
Vanithavedi’s Sarganjali ’14:
post-impressionist artist’s
death, the painting is estimated to bring $30 million
to $50 million.
Acquired in 1928 by A.
Conger Goodyear, one of
the founders of the
Museum of Modern Art,
it remained in the family
for decades before being
purchased by the current
owner around 1990. It
was on permanent exhibition at the Albright-Knox
Art Gallery in Buffalo for
30 years.
Tuesday’s sale also features Alberto Giacometti’s
“Chariot,” a sculpture of
an elongated figure atop a
wheeled chariot that
Sotheby’s estimates could
bring more than $100 million, possibly besting the
auction record for a
Giacometti of $104.3 million.
Works that belonged to
Hollywood legends also
are on tap.
Bonhams is selling two
Henry Moore sculptures
that once graced Lauren
Bacall’s home on Tuesday.
The bulk of her 700-item
collection will be sold in
March.
The following day, a celebrated Manet portrait of
a Parisian actress is
among the highlights at
Christie’s. “Spring” could
fetch up to $35 million.
First presented at the
1882 Paris Salon, it’s been
in the same American collection for over a century
and on loan at the
National Gallery of Art
for the last two decades.
Photo provided by Sotheby’s
shows
Alberto
Gacomett’s ‘Chariot’, the
sculpture
expected
to
fetch $100mn. (AP)
if you get stuck. This class will help you
increase your English speaking skills.
Cost: 15 KD – Stop by or call to register
Every Sunday at 6 - 7 pm
Gulf Cooking Course - by Aisha AlFarsi
Join Kuwaiti chef Aisha Al-Farsi for a
cooking course that will teach how to mix
your own spices and sauces, how to make
your own yogurt, how to prepare salads,
fish, chicken and meat dishes with rice, as
well as local desserts. Of course, you will
get a chance to share the prepared food
after class. Seating is limited.
Cost: KD 30 - Stop by or call to register
Every Sunday for 6 weeks starting Oct
19 @ 6-8 pm
Manet painted actress
Jeanne Demarsy in a floral dress and bonnet in
1881 as an allegory of
spring.
Christie’s is featuring
property of Academy
Award-winning actress
Joan Fontaine, including
a 1935 painting by Marc
Chagall, “Vase of Flowers
in the Window,” which
could fetch up to $600,000
on Thursday. Other items
from the estate are to be
sold in December and
January.
Single-owner collections,
always a big draw, are at
Sotheby’s too.
On Nov 10, it’s featuring
two Mark Rothko works
from the estate of Rachel
“Bunny” Mellon, the
widow of philanthropist
Paul Mellon and heir to
the Listerine fortune. Of
the two, “Untitled (Yellow,
Orange, Yellow, Light
Orange),” created in
1955, has the higher presale estimate of up to $30
million. The rest of the
collection is being offered
Nov 20-23.
Another Rothko comes
The TIES Center is the social and educational hub for English Speaking
Muslims in Kuwait. For more information, please call 25231015 or e-mail
[email protected] or visit www.tiescenter.net.
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Study in Canada exhibition:
Organized by the Embassy of Canada, the
ninth annual Edu-Canada Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) Tour will be visiting Kuwait from Nov 4-6, 2014.
Representatives of around 20 leading
Canadian universities and colleges will be
available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors to present
the advantages of studying in Canada. On
Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 a Study in
under the gavel at
Sotheby’s the next day.
“No. 21 (Red, Brown,
Black and Orange),” purchased by art benefactors
Pierre and Sao
Schlumberger directly
from Rothko’s estate,
could bring over $50 million.
Lichtman called the
Mellon and Schlumberger
collections “among the
greatest amassed in the
20th century.”
Christie’s rounds out the
sales on Nov 12 with two
Andy Warhol works
never before seen at auction and among the pop
artist’s most famous portraits of Elvis Presley and
Marlon Brando. Each
nearly 7 feet (2.1 meters)
high, “Triple Elvis (Ferus
Type)” and “Four
Marlons” were acquired
by German casino company WestSpiel in the 1970s.
Potential bidders can
expect to pay around $60
million for each.
(Above left): Photo provided by
Christies shows French
Impressionist Edouard Manet’s
‘Spring’. (Right): Vincent Van
Gogh’s ‘Still Life, Vase with
Daisies and Poppies’, the
painting could sell for up to
$50mn when it goes up on the
block at Sotheby’s Nov 4. (AP)
Canada exhibition will be held at the
Marina Hotel, Salmiya from 6:00 -9:00
pm for potential students and their parents
to attend. The Canadian institutions will
also be visiting local schools to speak to
interested students about opportunities to
study in Canada.For more information:
www.kuwait.gc.ca
Nov 6
AWARE events schedule:
Introduction to Arabic calligraphy
workshop.
Thursday, Nov 6, 2014 @ 7:00 pm.
This workshop is scheduled once a
week for 5 weeks; classes are 1 hour each.
Fee: KD 25 (materials included)
Please note: a minimum of 5 students is
Vanithavedi- Kuwait will be celebrating
the 10th anniversary this year titled
“Sarganjali-2014” on Friday 7th
November 2014 at Khaitan Indian
Community School auditorium.
Sajitha Madathil the famous dramatist
and cine artist will be the chief guest. This
is a full day program starting at 9.00 am
with the competition of “Thiruvathira”,
inaugural function and followed by various cultural programs including musical
extravaganza led by Preethy Warrier (Idea
Star Singer - Fame.)
A ‘Play Reading’ by Sajitha Madathil
will emphasize the celebration.
Valsa Stanley (General convener), Dr
Vasanthy S. Nair, Reshmi Suresh (Joint
conveners), Sajitha Scaria, Valsamma
George, Prasanna Ramabhadran, Santa R.
Nair, Charlet Albert, Syamala Narayanan
and Valsa Sam, Tolly Prakash, Subha
Shine are selected for various committees.
For more details about Thiruvathira
competition and other programs, please
contact Tel: 99013640, 66617454,
97114331
Entrance is free to all.
Nov 8
AWL lecture: You are invited to the
American Women’s League (AWL)
Cancer Support Group.
Location: Jumeriah Hotel (Dewan 4)
Date: Saturday, Nov 8, 2014
Time: 10:00-12:00 hr
Speaker: Dr Marium Al-Awadhi
Please RSVP to
[email protected] or 94067999
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required for this workshop. If less than 5
registered, this workshop will be cancelled.
Limited Seats. Prior Email registration
is required at [email protected]
■ Guided tour: Grand Mosque
Saturday, Nov 8, 2014 @ 9:15 a.m.
For a rewarding, spiritual & informative experience.
This is a 1-1/2 tour of one of Kuwait’s
most famous landmarks. Ladies are
required to cover — long sleeves and long
ankle length skirt, otherwise the mosque
will provide a cloak. If you have your
own scarf you’re welcome to bring it.
Cameras are allowed. Children are welcome.
This tour meets directly at the Grand
Mosque
TLC ‘harvest festival’: “Harvest
Festival 2014 (TLC) — will be held in
Kuwait City on The Lighthouse Church
(NECK) Compound on Saturday, Nov 8
— 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. It is a great day of
fun, music, delicious intercontinental
food, scrumptious baked items, bargain
items, indoor and outdoor games for kids
and much more. A fun filled day for the
young & old and all the family. Everyone
is Welcome.”
For details log on to website: www.tlckuwait.com
Nov 9
IEI marks 47th Engineers Day: The
Institution of Engineers (India) Kuwait
Chapter has great pleasure to announce
the celebration of the 47th Engineers’ Day
on Sunday, Nov 9, 2014.
The program shall start at 6:30 pm and
shall continue up to 9:30 pm.
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