Anyone Wants a House Built?

I should acknowledge that I very much enjoy having a company while working at my outdoors studio at Tashkeel. Zeinab is amazing! Her mind is consistently working to develop her ideas,  never satisfied with a very bright but maybe easily consumable thought, so she always pushes it forward or layers it ceaselessly. She is very good with the crosscutter as well and I think she is coming to the point of showing Nasır how to use the machine, when he joins us in the following week! 

Zeinab with her paper tubes.  Photos above are taken by Salama Nasib

The bases have to be really strong to support kilos of coffee and desert sand

We finally went to Satwa yesterday with Khawla and Zeinab; I’m quite pleased. I bought 7 metres of fabric to make the coffee sack for the Istanbul tower. We had the most but most amazing lunch at Ravi in Satwa. Delicious! And then Zeinab and I headed to Tashkeel again, a classic.

Beautiful Iranian Mosque around the Old Souk, Bur Dubai, before we headed to Satwa

This photo is dedicated to Zeinab

Zeinab's grandfather used to live around Bastakiya area, Old Souk. This place behind Ali and her, Zeinab assumes is the exact place of the house, of her old childhood memories.

The Wednesday evening was the time for our freshly traditional artist presentations.  Rami, the founder and director of Traffic, was very kind to be at the space early and ready to absorb information; he was very excited about it all. And then Laura and Nat Muller from Art Dubai joined our night. After watching Fayçal’s and Magdi’s enviable amazing presentations, I was asked by Rami to do mine as well, although it wasn’t my day. This was really flattering, and I tried to do my best.

After all the talks and presentations Nasır and I had a really nice chat about his project on the sofa of number 47. He is considering a performative site specific work for the Sikka show, which sounds really exciting and challenging. He will start building his work at Tashkeel, which means one more person is added to our group outside! I will be more than happy to help him with the build.

After an intense but very productive day; I almost passed out; and couldn’t find the strength to brush my teeth before bed.

Today was relatively easygoing. The work is coming together. I am just rushing to finish at least the wooden parts before Tom’s arrival next Thursday, so he could be a second pair of hands for the mechanisms inside. My poor lovely husband; he will find himself in the workshop as soon as he arrives. I should spare some time for him for sightseeing, I’m so cruel!

Someone threw a cup of coffee to my work at Tashkeel, I swear it's not a pee stain. I first felt really disappointed then I thought it sort of sustains the intentional suburb look that the cement provides; so I decided to keep it.

Fortunately it’s Friday tomorrow. The Friday which is actually Sunday, or vice versa. I will try to have a good sleep, some work material shopping and partying at the Grey Goose!