Global Comment Podcast

Resurgence of Middle East Art - Interview with Sunny Rahbar, Co-Founder of the Third Line Gallery

The GlobalComment.com podcast series returns with another thought-provoking interview. We interview Sunny Rahbar, a major figure in the art scene in the Arab world and Middle East. Sunny Rahbar is a co-founder of the Third Line, a leading Art Gallery based in Dubai that has been representing regional and other artists for over 10 years, and has led on so many initiatives in the ever growing Middle East art scene.    Sunny is interviewed by two guest interviewers.  Nasser Ali Khasawneh returns to the series after his successful interview wirth Omar Ghobash earlier this year. The episode is co-hosted by fellow lawyer and major art enthusiast, Nayiri Boghossian.    Nayiri and Nasser discuss a wide range of subjects with Sunny, covering the “renaissance” of Middle East art since the start of the century. Sunny also takes us through her experiences over the 12 years since the founding of the Third Line. She explains how the gallery went from a start-up to a major player in the region’s art scene. Sunny also discusses some of the major artists that the Third Line have nurtured and represented over the years. The interview also covers a number of major names in the contemporary art scene including: Tarek AL-Ghossein, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Hayv Kahraman, and Rana Begum.    Sunny Rahbar at The Third Line - Photo courtesy of Mohamed Somji and Alserkal Avenue

Global Comment - Episode 1 - Omar Ghobash

In the first interview of the GlobalComment.Com Podcast Series, we interview His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash. Omar has been serving as the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia since 2009. Omar is a patron of a number of literary and art projects in the Arab world. He's a graduate of law from the University of Oxford. Omar has recently published a highly acclaimed book, "Letters to a Young Muslim," published in January 2017 by Picador. The book is a series of letters from Omar to his oldest son, in which Omar gives advice on how to approach Islam and Islamic teachings in these difficult times. Omar addresses Islamic customs and history, and provokes deep questions that need to be explored by Muslims of all ages. The book is also highly valuable for readers around the world who want to understand Islam better and the contest of ideas that aim to define it today. GlobalComment.com invited Nasser Ali Khasawneh, a lawyer and friend of Omar's who has known him since their time at Oxford, to be the guest interviewer in this episode.