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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi on Saturday unveiled “Between Sacred Cities,” the largest installation at the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 in Jeddah, his art reimagining a historic route that once stretched from Kufa in Iraq to the holy city of Makkah. 

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 provides a platform for new discourse about Islamic arts, featuring contemporary and newly commissioned artworks with historical objects from Islamic cultures. It offers artists a platform to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and the intersection of past and present. This year’s biennale will run from Jan. 25-May 25. 

According to Lotus, a public relations agency, the installation is situated between the iconic Makkah and Madina pavilions at the Western Hajj Terminal. 

“The installation reimagines a historic route that once stretched from Kufa, Iraq, to Makkah,” Lotus said. 

“Designed to aid pilgrims on their Hajj journey, this route served as a network of resting stations and water sources, inspiring Qureshi’s interpretation of an oasis as a sanctuary of rest, reflection, and unity.”

The statement said that the concept of an oasis in the installation is transformed into an interactive and contemplative garden-like structure, central to which is an octagonal design. 

“Drawing on the spiritual essence of the journey between Makkah and Madina, the installation incorporates the holy water of Zamzam and lush greenery reminiscent of Madina’s tranquillity,” it added. 

Qureshi has used vibrant woven strips to symbolize flowing water while the surrounding greenery evokes a sense of life, Lotus said. 

The installation has been commissioned by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and curated by acclaimed artist Muhannad Shono. 

“Between Sacred Cities will be on display from January 25, 2025, to May 25, 2025, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to explore the universal themes of travel, spirituality, and interconnectedness,” Lotus said. 

Qureshi is a visual artist from Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. With a career spanning twenty-nine years, encompassing local and international exhibitions, he has emerged as a prominent Pakistani artist.

In 2013, he created a large-scale, site-specific work for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Roof Garden Commission in New York. The same year he was awarded the Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year and exhibited solo for the first time in Europe at the Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle in Berlin. 

Qureshi’s work has since been shown in numerous solo exhibitions, including the Barbican Center, London (2016), Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark (2016), along with executing site-specific projects at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. (2018) and Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2018), to name a few. 

In 2021 he was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by Pakistan’s government.

DUBAI: US pop star Gwen Stefani is set to perform in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 21 as part of the city’s Saadiyat Nights, marking her first-ever performance in the UAE capital.

The triple Grammy Award winner will take the stage just 24 hours before legendary US singer Lionel Richie closes the event on Feb. 22.

The three-month open-air music series will also feature performances by Egyptian composer Omar Khairat on Feb. 1, British musician Sting on Feb. 3, Lebanese music icon Magida El-Roumi on Feb. 10 and US pop star Christina Aguilera on Feb. 15.

Artists who have already performed include Grammy-winning Michael Buble, Russian band Leningrad, US R&B group Boyz II Men, British singer Robbie Williams and Iranian singer Ebi.

Stefani has achieved global recognition as a songwriter, performer, and frontwoman of the US rock band No Doubt, and as a multi-platinum solo artist. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards, including four MTV Video Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, an American Music Award and a Brit Award.

Stefani has sold over 60 million records worldwide, combining her success with No Doubt and her solo career. Her 2004 debut solo album, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.,” achieved multi-platinum status and included chart-topping hits like “Hollaback Girl,” which became the first digital download to sell over 1 million copies in the US.

Stefani is no stranger to Emirati culture. In 2019, she performed in Dubai at the Dubai World Cup. During her visit, the singer immersed herself in Emirati culture, embracing the quintessential tourist experience by taking a desert safari, dining in a desert tent, watching a falcon show, riding a camel, covering her face and hair with a headscarf, shopping at the perfume souk, and visiting the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Saadiyat Nights is part of the Abu Dhabi Calendar’s year-round schedule of events, which includes music, sports, comedy, family-friendly shows, cultural festivals and art exhibitions.

Held on Saadiyat Island, the concert series is set against the backdrop of the Saadiyat Cultural District, pristine beaches, and luxurious resorts.

The inaugural edition of Saadiyat Nights, which ran from January to March 2024, featured a lineup of artists, including American stars Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Alicia Keys, Iranian singer Googoosh, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.