In this episode of the afikra podcast, host Mikey Muhanna speaks with His Excellency Rakan Altouq – Vice Chair of the Diriyah Biennale Arts Foundation and Assistant Minister for Culture of Saudi Arabia – and Dr Julian Raby, one of the artistic directors of the Islamic Arts Biennale. Live from the historic Hajj terminal in Jeddah, they discuss the significanc ... Show More
Yesterday
Lebanon's Electricity Crisis is Not New - It Started in 1952! | Prof. Ziad Abu-Rish
The history of electricity in Lebanon serves as a vibrant arena for struggles over political economy, foreign corporate ownership, and the very definition of national sovereignty. Associate Professor Ziad Abu-Rish unpacks this evolution, tracking public utilities from early regio ... Show More
57m 7s
Mar 2022
Seif El Rashidi | Al Burda Podcast
In this episode, we talked to architectural historian and director of The Barakat Trust Seif El Rashidi about heritage projects, community engagement, and cultural preservation in the Islamic world.Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music: The ... Show More
34m 20s
Mar 2025
EP01: Hoor Al Qasimi x Sharjah Biennial 16 curators
Biennial Bytes Season 2 kicks off with a roundtable between the five curators of Sharjah Biennial 16: Alia Swastika, Amal Khalaf, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Natasha Ginwala and Zeynep Öz. During the conversation, moderated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, the cu ... Show More
31m 19s
Apr 2023
Ep 3: Hassan Hajjaj - Music and Ritual
What are the ways in which identity gets stereotyped and commodified in visual media? Can art draw on diverse histories to express solidarities in the present? To find out, listen this episode, recorded before Sharjah Biennial 15 opened, where Hassan Hajjaj is in conversation wit ... Show More
29m 23s
Oct 2024
Making Arabic Art Great Again | Gaith Abdulla, UAE / Lebanon
Discover the vibrant world of Arab art with Gaith Abdulla, co-founder of Bayt Al Mamzar, an independent gallery and art residency in Dubai. In this captivating episode, Gaith shares his journey from art enthusiast to gallery owner, offering invaluable insights on how anyone can s ... Show More
50m 31s