6 things to do in Dubai this week

The next few days packed with art, music, comedy and cinema, with the likes of Armand Van Helden at Q43 and Robin Thicke at Eden Beach Club. Those looking for something a little more classic should check out the Italian Opera Galla and DUCTAC – in fact, DUCTAC have lots to offer this week, with South African comedian Marc Lottering also set for the stage.

Bernar Venet
This will be the first ever solo exhibition in the MENA region for the world-renowned French artist Bernar Venet. The 75-year-old, who will be present for the opening night, has been working since the 1960s, developing his unique style in which he pays homages to science, mathematics and engineering. Indeed, his love of industry was demonstrated in his very first major exhibition when he presented a work in the form of a pile of coal. A protracted visit to New York in the mid-1960s saw him develop a fascination with minimalism, before returning to France for a residency at the Paris-Sorbonne University in which he produced little or no work at all. It was in the late 1970s that he began his exploration of the metal arcs, coils and curves that perhaps best identifies his work. His pieces are found in some of the most important collections in the world.
When: May 19-July 30
Where: Custot Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quos, www.alserkalavenue.ae

Hashtag Lottering
South African comedian and region regular Marc Lottering is all set to share his “hilarious” tales of social media with members of the DUCTAC audience this week. The event will mark his third performance in the region. From AED260.
When: May 25
Where: DUCTAC, platinumlist.net

Armand Van Helden at Q43
One of the biggest names in dance music, with a near-30-year career on the decks, Armand Van Helden brings his uniquely eclectic brand of house music to Media City, which is infused with plenty of disco and hip-hop elements. Born to a Dutch-Indonesian father and a French-Lebanese mother, and raised in Turkey, Latvia and Italy, the multi-cultural DJ and producer ought to feel right at home in the melting pot of Dubai.
When: Thursday, May 26
Where: Media One Hotel

Italian Opera Gala
Classical music fans can expect scene out the 70’s hit film Don Giovanni as DUCTAC helps kicks off Italy’s 70th year of being a republic state. The event will see singers Monica De Rosa McKay and Gian Luca Pasolini as well as piano duo Larisa Capatina and Vitali Mihailiuc perform a string of classical hits to help ring in milestone celebration that officially takes place on June 2. From AED150.
When: May 26
Where: DUCTAC,

The Hub featuring Robin Thicke
They may have said goodbye to their much loved Electronic Odyssey series last week, but Eden Beach Club is still very much keeping the partying going. And, helping them is “Blurred Lines” singer and Grammy Award winner Robin Thicke. The RnB singer will be joined by Italian DJ Tony H and local spinner DJ Shef Codes.
When: Friday, May 27
Where: Eden Beach Club, Rixos The Palm

Cinema – X-Men: Apocalypse
The civil war in this film centres on Apocalypse, played by the suddenly ubiquitous Oscar Isaac, who awakes from hibernation in 1983 and is enraged by the terrible, terrible state of humanity – insert your own mullet and Madonna gags in here. The ancient mutant, whose name is the suspiciously Arabic-sounding En Sabah Nur, decides he must destroy humanity in order to rebuild Earth and manages to recruit Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Elizabeth Braddock (Olivia Munn), Ororo Munroe (Alexandra Shipp) and Warren Worthington (Ben Hardy) to his violent cause.
Standing in his way is James McAvoy’s Professor Charles Xavier and Jennifer Lawrence’s scaly blue-skinned Raven Darkhölme (you have to love the umlaut here), who lead a new brood of young X-Men to face him down and prove that, yeah, we make mistakes, but humans are people, too. And, naturally, there’s an awful lot of incredible CGI-ness to help keep the story rolling until its mammoth, rubble-strewn finale. Frankly, you should know the drill by now.