The Radical Contemporary Podcast

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Adjunct Curator at Large at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project Sandhini Poddar.Sandhini is a London-based art historian and Adjunct Curator at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, where she is responsible for acquisitions, commissions, and research for the future museum. Previously, Poddar served on the curatorial team at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation from 2007 until 2016 as part of its international Asian Art Initiative. During her tenure, she curated ground-breaking exhibitions on modern and contemporary Asian art including, ‘V. S. Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life, ‘Being Singular Plural’, and ‘Anish Kapoor: Memory’. She also organized the Guggenheim’s presentation of ‘Zarina: Paper Like Skin’. Poddar writes on contemporary art, aesthetics, and politics and has contributed articles for magazines such as Artforum, ArtAsiaPacific, and Art India. She has post-graduate degrees from New York University and Mumbai University. Poddar recently curated ‘Indra’s Net’ for Frieze London. She is a Trustee of South London Gallery.Ishara Art Foundation Ishara Art Foundation was founded in 2019 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting contemporary art of South Asia. Located in Dubai, the Foundation supports emerging and established practices that advance critical dialogue and explore global interconnections.Ishara signifies a gesture, a signal or a hint, and is a word common to several languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Swahili and Urdu. Ishara Art Foundation is presented in partnership with Alserkal.For more information visit www.ishara.org.Support the show

Smita Prabhakar, Founder and ChairpersonSmita Prabhakar is an entrepreneur, collector and art patron who has been based in the UAE for over four decades. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Ishara Art Foundation. Smita is also a member of the International Acquisitions Committee at Tate Modern (London), the Middle Eastern Circle of the Guggenheim Museum (New York) and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice). Smita’s collection, The Ishara Art Foundation and The Prabhakar Collection, focuses on South Asian contemporary artworks that reflect diverse voices and shared histories from across the region. Ishara Art Foundation Ishara Art Foundation was founded in 2019 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting contemporary art of South Asia. Located in Dubai, the Foundation supports emerging and established practices that advance critical dialogue and explore global interconnections.Ishara signifies a gesture, a signal or a hint, and is a word common to several languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Swahili and Urdu. Ishara Art Foundation is presented in partnership with Alserkal.For more information visit www.ishara.org.Support the show

This is a 5 minute Visualization Meditation  practice by Nour Hassan that incorporates light breath work and prompts, in order to help you consciously create a positive mindset shift and prepare you for the rest of your day feeling energized and refreshed after taking a moment for you!Support the show

Hello my loves, in this solo episode I go deep into the transition that was turning 30 for me, what has changed and what has stayed the same! It's a great one for the new season and for anyone looking to get some insight and tips on embracing the NOW. I mention the following brands:WHOOPZARAAFKARNA#curatedbynourSupport the show

In this solo episode our founder Nour Hassan talks about the "fun girl" phenomenon affecting girls in their 20's and how to be THE girl instead. Enjoy and DM us your feedback. Support the show

Our founder Nour Hassan spills the tea on MEN vs. WOMEN on social media and how being smart is more difficult that being aesthetic. She does not hold back - Enjoy!Follow @radicalcontemporary on Instagram & Tiktok. Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Chairman & CEO of Nile Porjects Ahmed El Naggar on the openin og contemporary luxury stores Sandro Paris & Maje Paris in Egypt.Since its establishment in 1972 and official incorporation in 1985, Nile Projects & Trading Co. has evolved significantly, transitioning from importing tires and food products to pioneering the introduction of major international fashion brands into the Egyptian market. Initially focused on tire distribution, Nile Projects achieved remarkable success, becoming the exclusive distributor for Bridgestone products and later acquiring rights for Firestone. Expanding into the retail sector, Nile Projects marked milestones with the opening of stores for renowned brands like Charles & Keith, Tommy Hilfiger, Ferragamo, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, and D Store among others with over 120 stores across Egypt. Recognizedfor excellence, Nile Projects has consistently expanded its reach, venturing into neighboring markets and embracing e-commerce to ensure widespread accessibility to its diverse range of offerings.For more information visit @nileprojectsretail. Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Maram Aboul Enein, Egyptian-Canadian Fashion Designer and Creative Director about her eponymous fashion brand MARAM. A brand rooted in energy, spirituality and the wandering soul, MARAM's aesthetic is an idealistic example of fashion for the soul. We speak to Maram about her time at Parsons Paris studying fashion, moving to Montreal to establish her brand, and finally returning to Cairo where she set up shop for a new chapter with deeper goals. The latest collection entitled CYCLE 11 THIS IS NOT A DREAM is a comment on current times, charged with the energy of hope.If you'd like to learn more about MARAM visit www.shopmaram.com or @maram.official.Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Emirati artist and poet Sarah Almehairi.Born in 1998, Sarah a practicing artist from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and an Art and Art History major at New York University Abu Dhabi, class of 2019. Sarah Almehairi’s overarching body of work unfolds a discourse on themes of materiality, systems & interrelations, memory, and language through the intuitive and poetic examination of narrative and abstraction. By engaging with geometric forms, she extracts and defines a structural language read time and time again to suggest a form other than its own – a map, a sentence, a puzzle piece. Through the process, they are broken down, built, and reassembled as continuous iterations of themselves. These elements towards telling a story are not so explicit, lines and layers are used throughout her pieces as a means of exploring clarity and organization of collected information. Latest exhibitions include:2024 “’Encounters' 'لقاءات“', Dubai Collection, Dubai2023“Off Centered Pauses”, JJ Joong Jung Gallery, Seoul“Don’t Overlook the Weather (As Your Thoughts Collect)”, Alserkal Arts Foundation Public Commission. Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE2022 “When the Ground Was”, CARBON 12, DubaiMost recently, Sarah Almehairi is amongst the finalists for this years #LouvreAbuDhabiArtHere and Richard Mille Art Prize. Winners will be announced September 2024.  Sarah is also the co-founder of Jara Collective and a cycling trainer at one of our favorite studios in the UAE CRANK. For more information on Sarah Almehairi's work please contact CARBON 12.Support the show

In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lebanese artist and Creative Director Ali Cha'aban who is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ali's art traverses the liminal lines between our cultural heritage as Arabs and the contemporary world we find ourselves immersed in online. He has worked with the likes of Nike, Fendi, Gucci, Selfridges, Les Benjamins, and more prominent luxury brands, indie regional powerhouses, and sportswear titans to develop pioneering creative or innovative designs that finally speaks to MENA youth. Ali talks talks to us about grappling with identity, being a Renaissance man and how the Arabic language always makes its way into his work.If you'd like to see more of Ali's work check out @alichaaban or https://www.alichaaban.com/Support the Show.Support the show

Our founder Nour Hassan shares the story behind her Instagram bio "Leaves Early" and shares her top 6 leveling up tips to help you map out your day and set yourself up for success. Enjoy! #curatedbyRCSupport the show

Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 4/4:In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Curator Tairone Bastien and Fiza Akram,  Alserkal Advisory Special Projects Director on the Global Co-Commission around the theme "A Feral Commons."The Global Co-commission project, spearheaded by Alserkal Advisory, in collaboration with the Global Cultural Districts Network, unites three cultural districts across three continents: Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, Kingston Creative in Kingston, Jamaica, and Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a collective response to the global climate crisis.. Working with artists in each of the participating districts, the Global Co-commission intends to inspire new narratives of possibility, ultimately creating public art that is both responsible and impactful.The intent of the co-commission project is to harness the power of networked cultural districts to respond collectively to urgent global subjects, and invite participants to renew their current perspectives and learnings. This inaugural cycle (2022-23), curated by Tairone Bastien, asks artists from the participating districts to respond to the central theme of climate change, and more specifically A Feral Commons, urging artists in these locations can rise to new challenges and rethink modes of working, create new models of the commons and new ways of living.For more information follow @alserkalavenue.Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan visits the incredible women of the Mothers Matter Program at one of the Kindergartens of the Nahdet El Mansuria for Development Program in the El Mansuria district of Cairo, Egypt.  The program strives to educate mothers within the short time period of 3 months on everything from the dangers of FMG, Breast Cancer Awareness, proper nutrition plans and balanced diets, raising children from infancy to adolescence, healthy family dynamics and the importance of playtime, promoting lack of violence, tools to combat harassment, and most importantly empowering the women to take care of themselves first so that they can better care for others. This episode will introduce you to the program as we speak to one of  the co-founders and Board Members Nihal Mahmoud Sheta on the immense positive ripple effect the Mothers Matter educational program has had on underprivileged women, their children, their families and the communities at large. We also interview the women from these communities who were brave enough to launch as the first cohort of teachers to spread this knowledge with the guidance of Dr Lilian Hanna, Development Specialist and Psychologist, as well as the Director of the Mothers Matter Program. If you would like to contribute to the Mothers Matter Program please find the donation information below: Nahdet El Mansouria CHARITY Bank AccountAhly Bank of KuwaitSmart village branchAcct name. Nahdet El Mansouria for DevelopmentAcct no. 12766426Swift ECBAEGCAXXXInstapay: +20 109 376 7895This episode is powered by Egypt's leading skincare brand SESH for more information visit @simplysesh or www.simplysesh.com.Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan records a solo from Abu Dhabi. This is a fun and introspective look at the nuances of routine, perfectionism, balancing work and life, if there is such a thing? And what the tangible tools are that Nour uses to get into a state of FLOW.If you're interested in learning how to embrace imperfection, cyclicality and flow especially in Ramadan, this is the perfect episode for you.For more episodes and to keep up with the RC community follow @radicalcontemporary. Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Director at 421 Arts Campus Faisal Al Hassan on the cultural strides that 421 has taken over the past several years in Abu Dhbai, the UAE and beyond, since its inception. Our second guest on the episode is Mays Al Beik, Palestinian Artist, Practitioner and Programs and Community Initiatives Manager at 421. We discuss the 421 ethos on program diversity and how the Arts Campus Program is continuously evolving. 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi’s independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging creative practices, presents its Winter 2024: Entanglements. Running from January 12 to March 20, this season features two major exhibitions and new workshops and special events that focus on community and connection. Opening on February 11 are Network Culture, a group exhibition resulting from the Homebound Residency Program and Counting Fingers, a solo exhibition by artist Hana El-Sagini who is part of this year’s 421 Artistic Development Program. 421 Arts Campus is an independent platform dedicated to emerging artists and creative practitioners in the UAE and across the region. A site for research, learning and experimentation, 421 provides a nurturing environment for emergent creative practices and those who want to harness the arts as an agent for social inquiry and transformation.Located in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed, 421 presents a year-round program of exhibitions, talks, workshops, special events and educational initiatives that offer accessible learning opportunities to the wider community and the general public.  Special thank you to the team at Rouya Consultancy. For more information visit @421.online or www.421.online.Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to various stakeholders across Art Dubai 2024 including Simone Gibertoni Swiss CEO Clinique La Prairie, Sara Naim London-based Syrian artist, Alia Zaal Looteh Emirati Artist and Curator of the Dubai Collection show "Encounters", Hala Khayat Special Advisor for Art & Culture Art Dubai, Emirati Artist Mohamed Kazem, and Dr Christianna Bonin Curator of Art Dubai Modern and Professor at AUS.The episode also features excerpts from various talks at Art Dubai's 17th Edition of the Global Art Forum and the Art Business Conference Chaired by Aimee Dawson including a talk on the importance of Art Publications in telling the stories of Modern Arab artists with writer Mona Khazindar, MISK Institute, and Saudi Arabian Artist Lulwah AlHomoud. As well as the talk on Myrna Ayad's book ALCOVE, featuring a forward by Dr Nada Shabout and Sultan Al Qassemi of Barjeel Foundation on the panel.Art Dubai, the leading international art fair for the Middle East and Global Southtoday opened its 2024 edition. The 17th edition, which runs from 1 – 3 March at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai welcomed over 120 contemporary, Modern and Digital gallery presentations – over 65% of which are drawn from the Global South.Since its founding in 2007, Art Dubai has sought to rethink the institutional role that an art fair can play in supporting the region’s evolving cultural ecosystem. Set against the backdrop of Dubai’s rapid growth, the breadth of Art Dubai’s programming includes significantly expanded partnerships, a wide-ranging education, talks and thought-leadership programme that reflects an increasingly mature local and regionalcreative scene.Art Dubai's partners this year included Piaget, BMW, A.R.M Holding, HUNA Living, and Madinat Jumeirah. For more information visit @artdubai.Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Adib Dada, the founder of  theOtherDada, regenerative Beirut-Based consultancy and architecture practice. The episode dives into Tarabot: Weaving a Living Forum a pavilion designed by  theOtherDada and commissioned by Art Jameel, showcasing innovative materials developed locally and inaugurated at COP28 Duabi, UAE.Tarabot is commissioned by Art Jameel and supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Saudi Arabia. The pavilion tells the story of the UAE’s landscapes through material and design, Tarabot is a pioneering, sustainable and immersive structure hosting talks, presentations and community programmes during COP28 and through April 2024.Jameel Arts Centre serves as a home during COP28 and beyond for multidisciplinary members of the local and the international community working across culture and climate change.Adib Dada, architect and founder of theOtherDada, said: “Tarabot is our first project that meaningfully bridges our work of building habitats for humans with building habitats for other organisms. By re-integrating our place within nature, we are able to offer a shared forum for humans and other organisms to thrive in the city. Tarabot – which means ‘to weave together’, offers a shared space for humans and other organisms to come together as interdependent equals, sharing food, water and habitat.” For more information visit @art_jameel and @theotherdada. Support the show

In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel. The episode dives into Tarabot: Weaving a Living Forum a pavilion designed by regenerative Beirut-Based consultancy and architecture practice theOtherDada founded by Adib Dada, showcasing innovative materials developed locally and inaugurated at COP28 Duabi, UAE. Tarabot is commissioned by Art Jameel and supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Saudi Arabia. The pavilion tells the story of the UAE’s landscapes through material and design, Tarabot is a pioneering, sustainable and immersive structure hosting talks, presentations and community programmes during COP28 and through April 2024.Jameel Arts Centre serves as a home during COP28 and beyond for multidisciplinary members of the local and the international community working across culture and climate change.Antonia Carver commented, “Tarabot is a radical space that pioneers exciting new research and architectural materials and also actively engages the community in thinking-in-public about a shared sustainable future. It illustrates in such a dynamic way Art Jameel’s long-term approach to foregrounding the role of the arts in addressing the climate crisis – from international collaborations such as the World Weather Network, to major grants programmes that fund artists to produce thematic work and institutions to decarbonise, such as the current regional Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform, in collaboration with the British Council, and UAE-based Research and Practice Platform, with Dubai Culture, through to our role convening a regional network of arts leaders and ecologists, with whom we are collectively publishing a bilingual sustainability charters and toolkits for the Middle East.”For more information visit @art_jameel and @theotherdada. Support the show

In this Solo episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks about the idea of building character outside of social media, the importance of  figuring out who who are, the dangers of becoming a social clone and finally she gives three tangible takeaways as to how you can navigate social media and ultimately use it to your advantage.Enjoy xxSupport the show

Introducing The Radical Contemporary Podcast x Alserkal Avenue podcast Sustainability Spotlight mini-series in collaboration with Alserkal Avenue and hosted by Radical Contemporary founder Nour Hassan. These interviews were recorded and released during COP28, UAE, 2023.  The series is focused on #actionism and is entitled "Actionists: Moving from Commitment to Action."Episode 2/4:In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to multihyphenate Alice Audouin the Founder & Chair of non profit organization @artofchange21. Alice is also a Curator, Advisor, Author and Sustainability Advocate.On the occasion of the COP28 Climate Conference, taking place in Dubai, UAE, Art of Change 21 and Alserkal Initiatives are excited to collaborate and present the climate-related exhibition “Melting Point” by the French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière. On view at Alserkal Avenue, the show brings to light rarely seen perspectives of our planet’s polar regions."The ecological transition is also a cultural transition. Art plays a crucial role in accompanying the change towards a lower-carbon society by giving sense and meaning to this new future. That is why we believe in bringing art to the table at the climate COP, with artist Hassan Hajjaj at COP22 in Morocco in 2018 or John Gerrard at COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow. This year, we are thrilled to work with Julian Charrière, a close partner since 2021, who is very concerned by climate change, as well as Alserkal Initiatives, whose expertise and commitment to promoting socially-responsible and forward-thinking art make them a perfect collaborator in this important and unique exhibition." - Alice Audouin, Founder-President of Art of Change 21.Since its creation in 2014 just ahead of the COP21 in Paris, Art of Change 21 has played a key role during COP Climate (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) attending every year and merging art, culture and sustainability. For more information visit @alice.audouin and @artofchange21. Support the show