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CairoScene
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Everything to Know About Christie's Modern Middle Eastern Art Auction
A famed Samia Halaby painting leads Christie's online auction, along with works from Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and the Levant. May 07, 2025 Christie's online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art is open for browsing through May 8th. The auction features 69 works from across the Gulf, Levant, North Africa, Iraq, and Iran, with media spanning painting, photography, sculpture, and works on paper. Leading the sale is pioneering artist Samia Halaby's 2013 painting 'Water Lilies', estimated between USD 100,000 and USD 150,000. This year, more than a third of the auction's lots are by women artists. Joining Halaby are Etel Adnan, Helen Khal, Huguette Caland, Tala Madani, and Tagreed Darghouth. Additionally, the dedicated 'Saudi Now!' section features 12 pieces by Saudi artists, including Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan as well as younger artists working out of the JAX district in Riyadh. Works by North African artists include late-career pieces by Mohamed Melehi, whose wave motifs reflect the Casablanca School's push for locally-rooted abstraction. Other featured names from the Maghreb include Malika Agueznay, Mahjoub Ben Bella, Khaled Ben Slimane, and Hassan Hajjaj. The sale also presents highlights like 'Eyn + Eyn' by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi and early examples from Marwan's 'Head' series. 'The art market in the Arab and Islamic world is among the most dynamic globally,' said Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Christie's MENA. 'With rising investment in the cultural sector—particularly from the Gulf States—artists are gaining greater visibility and reaching broader audiences. The development of the visual culture is also underscored by the growing demand for modern masters, including a remarkable generation of pioneering female artists.' Christie's first launched Middle Eastern art sales in Dubai in 2006.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Making the case for Jaguas to select a running back in the first round of the 2025 draft
As the 2025 NFL Draft gets closer and closer, the betting odds for Ashton Jeanty get higher and higher. Since April 16th, Jeanty's odds to the Jaguars have risen from +700 all the way to +250. That begs the question, is the running back position even worthy of a first round selection? NFL rushing offenses are back! Last season, passing hit a decade low, throwing for just 217 yards per game. Advertisement The last season with that low of an average was all the way back in 2008. Rushing, on the other hand, posted the second highest yards per game average (119.8) since 1988, just behind 2022's 121.6 yards per game. >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< Most Rushing Yards since 2015 As defenses have shifted towards lighter boxes in order to defend the pass, offenses have responded in kind, going back to old school football. In 2024, the top six rushing teams all made the playoffs. The Ravens and Eagles dominated their competition with some of the best rushing attacks of the 21st century and Saquon Barkley became just the ninth player to hit that coveted 2,000-yard mark. Advertisement Today, you could argue that the running back position is more valuable than it has been in nearly two decades. It's the reason why Saquon Barkley just became the highest-paid running back in franchise history, signing a two-year, $41.2 million deal. If you want a dominant rushing attack, you might just need to draft one highly. Since 2015, 12 of the top-15 rushing leaders were selected in the first two rounds. That figure includes six first round draft selections: Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Christian McCaffrey, Todd Gurley, and Jonathan Taylor. I'll be honest, that's a great group of first round running backs. Each of them have at least 6,000 yards since 2015 and most have played for just a fraction of that time. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Jonathan Taylor, for instance, has 6,013 yards in just five seasons. Among the lists includes three players taken outside the first two rounds. Those players are Aaron Jones (5th Round), Latavius Murray (6th Round), and James Conner (3rd Round). Advertisement There's been plenty of discussion around how much running backs truly matter and whether or not the position's value is worthy of a first round selection, much less a top-10 or top-5. Well, as the list above shows, it might just be worth it if you want a great back. If there ever were to be a great back taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, his name would be Ashton Jeanty, a man who needs no introduction. Jeanty took college football by storm, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way to a second place finish in the Heisman voting. Jeanty is as good as they make them. In 2024, Jeanty's 1,970 yards after contact were more than any other running back had as a whole. He's also a reliable blocker and threat out of the backfield as well. The Jaguars have already invested quite a lot into the running back position with former first round selection Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby as well. It's hard to argue that they should invest even more. Advertisement However, Etienne is entering a contract year and neither are likely to be as good as Jeanty figures to be. With Brian Thomas Jr already in the fold, Jeanty could give the Jaguars one of the most dominant, threatening offenses in the NFL. Between the two, they could easily see 300-350 touches a season. Jaguars' fans would certainly have to feel good about that possibility. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
Arab News
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Hidden treasures: el Seed unveils 'Continuum' in Diriyah
RIYADH: In conjunction with Art Week Riyadh, French-Tunisian artist Faouzi Khlifi — better known as eL Seed — has transformed the side streets of Diriyah into an interactive art experience. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ His temporary installation 'Continuum' uses his signature style, combining Arabic calligraphy and sculpture with vibrant colors and playful elements. This time, he's inviting the public to embark on a scavenger hunt to uncover seven hidden artworks throughout the area. Visitors can access an online map to guide them to each installation. 'The concept of mixing sculpture and painting was something I wanted to for a few years. I did some experiments from 2019, but I never made it real. Until now,' he told Arab News. 'Continuum' is also deeply rooted in eL Seed's ongoing exploration of identity. 'As a kid growing up in France to Tunisian parents, I felt so many times — people made me feel — that there was something missing, you know? That's why I got into Arabic calligraphy, because of this identity crisis that had as a kid in France,' he says. 'I needed to come back to my roots.' Entirely self-funded and built with the help of a tight-knit local team, 'Continuum' reflects eL Seed's commitment to both community engagement and independent artistic expression. 'I'm an artist. This project for me was really about challenging myself,' he says. 'I was not commissioned. It's a passion project. Over the past few months, he scouted various locations, ultimately selecting seven overlooked walls across Diriyah (because, he says, 'six is too little and eight is too many') — spaces that many pass by daily without noticing. 'I call those 'lost walls.' The wall has a story that people don't even look at,' he says. 'People just walk right by. They don't even see it.' Each of the sites features a unique Arabic quote chosen by the artist, sourced from Arab writers whose messages explore themes of belonging. 'The wall speaks to me and I know which quote to use for it,' el Seed says. The sculptural works were produced in collaboration with Rashed AlShashai, a prominent Saudi artist who has a studio at JAX. They fabricated the custom items on site. 'I had a beautiful team of people who helped me to make it happen. The community helped me. The Rashed AlShashai team, they produced the sculpture in a week,' eL Seed says. Planning for the project began back in September. Initially, eL Seed considered a different location — two hours from Riyadh — before deciding that Diriyah offered the perfect balance of visibility and charm. And the project was, at one point, going to be launched in February, but he decided to launch it at the inaugural Art Week Riyadh instead, to give it 'importance.' The installations will be gone in two weeks. Though temporary, they are meant to spark long-lasting conversations around public space, memory and meaning. 'It's a broken wall,' he says. 'But for me, it's about putting a sculpture where you're not supposed to find it, and the conversation (it sparks) with people in the neighborhood… kids, other people… When I was working, a man was walking back home from the mosque. He's like, 'Why are you painting here? It's like a museum now!'' Alongside the public works, eL Seed is also debuting a new exhibition, which opened April 8, that ties into the themes of the outdoor installations. Having been involved with the Kingdom for the past 15 years, eL Seed says he feels a deep connection to the country. 'I think people here appreciate my work and I appreciate the people here. I enjoy being here. I enjoy coming to Riyadh,' he says. He hopes the public will hunt for the pieces, photograph them and engage with the city in a new way. Both on and offline. 'So it's (art) and a treasure together,' he says. 'And the cool part is: If you want to steal them, you can.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How much does pressure matter on defense
Historically, sacks have been the metric used to gauge the effectiveness of pass-rushers. They've really been the only official NFL statistic available to identify the league's top pass-rushers. While sacks can still be used to get a rough idea of the league's top performers, the metric has been relegated by many in favor of pressures as the predominant statistic available to evaluate the position. >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< The main reason for this is that sacks are dependent on such a small sample size of plays and are often attributed not to the player that actually created the sack. If a defensive end pushes the quarterback into his teammate's lap, the teammate is, at least to a degree, wrongfully credited with the sack. Gauging a player's effectiveness by just a handful of plays isn't very honest either. It's for these reasons that pressures have begun to dethrone sacks as the better way to assess pass-rush effectiveness on a snap-to-snap basis. At most, a player will average one sack a game over the course of a season. When looking at pressures, however, players can rack up four, five a game. Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson averaged 5.4 pressure per game this season as he led the NFL with 92 pressures. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] We all know how important sacks can be, but that begs the question, how much does pressure matter? Let's take a look! When looking at the 2024 season, it was quite the disparity, according to Pro Football Focus. To start, average quarterback accuracy dropped from 79.0% in a clean pocket down to 63.8% when pressured. Unsurprisingly, completion rate fell alongside it, plummeting from 72.1% all the way down to 48.9%. To put that number into perspective, only five times has a QB had a completion rate under 50% in the 32-team era (since 2002). When looking deeper into the dichotomy, the gap only widens. Clean pockets saw a touchdown to interception ratio of 2.7 compared to that of just 1.6 when pressured. In total, the average NFL Rating when pressured was that of 101.6 and just 71.4 when under duress. While many quarterbacks perform much better than that figure under duress, just two saw an NFL Rating of 100.0 when under pressure (Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa). Pressure rate allowed is often used to determine the best offensive lines in pass-protection, however, it can be a bit misleading. The average time elapsed on pressured plays was 3.6 seconds, over a full second longer than the average time taken in a clean pocket (1.4). The average time to throw can significantly impact the amount of pressure the quarterback faces. For instance the Jaguars were the fifth least pressured team in 2024, however, they allowed pressure on average in just 2.59 seconds, eight fastest. The Jaguars' quick time to throw shed a brighter light on the offensive line than they probably deserved last season. In fact, average time to pressure allowed might be a much better way to evaluate pass-protection. Of the eight teams that gave their quarterbacks the most time before being pressured, all eight made the playoffs. If you were wondering how much pressure matters, that sole statistic might just tell you right there. Keep your quarterback clean and good things will happen. Conversely, the inverse is just as true. The more a team can pressure the opposing team's quarterback, the better. Whether it's turnovers, misfires, sacks, fumbles, or just a checkdown, pressure is the ubiquitous symptom behind it all [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Leaders
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
'Art of the Kingdom' Exhibition Unveiled, Showcasing Culture, Innovation
The Saudi Museums Commission launched the Art of the Kingdom exhibition at JAX's Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday. This marks its second global stop following a successful debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Featuring 17 leading Saudi artists, the showcase celebrates the Kingdom's thriving contemporary art scene while exploring cultural identity, memory, and modernity. Exploring Themes of Identity and Innovation The exhibition tackles pressing questions: Can contemporary art reflect culture in today's fast-paced digital world? How can it reshape societal narratives and redefine history? Through oil paintings, sculptures, installations, and video art, the works bridge local traditions with global issues like environmental awareness and technological evolution. Two core themes anchor the display: the desert's vastness as a metaphor for life and Saudi Arabia's evolving visual culture. Artists delve into identity, heritage, and the Kingdom's dynamic artistic growth, blending shared experiences with personal perspectives. After debuting at Rio's Imperial Palace during November's G20 Summit, the exhibition drew over 26,000 visitors. The Riyadh edition introduces new works unseen in Brazil, offering fresh insights into Saudi creativity. A Global Journey of Art and Diplomacy Next, the exhibition heads to Beijing's National Museum of China, commemorating 25 years of Saudi-China diplomatic relations. This stop underscores the Kingdom's expanding cultural influence on the global stage. The Art of the Kingdom will run in JAX until May 24. The 'Art of the Kingdom' exhibition reflects the Museums Commission's dedication to promoting Saudi artists and boosting their global reach. It also underscores the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art's mission to nurture innovation and highlight the Kingdom's finest creative works, while the museum solidifies its role as a hub for innovation and cutting-edge artistry. Don't miss this immersive journey through Saudi Arabia's past, present, and future—where tradition meets technology, and local stories spark global conversations. Short link : Post Views: 11
