HOLOSCENESErected in the middle of the NYU Abu Dhabi campus plaza, HOLOSCENES is a large-scale performance installation featuring performers engaged engaging in everyday activities inside an aquarium that slowly fills with water. The installation was installed as a harrowing display of the insidious nature of rising water levels and climate change that we remain almost oblivious to as we carry on with our daily routines. The piece also comes into context to a series of installations on Saadiyat, centering on Manarat Al Saadiyat as part of the Abu Dhabi Art festival.For Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at NYU Abu Dhabi, HOLOSCENES serves as, a “vehicle for conversation”. In conjunction with the installation, NYU Abu Dhabi will also be holding panel discussions with speakers from the fields of public policy and arts. Further describing the topic, Bragin said:“A piece like this, with profound scientific and public policy implications is not limited in its interests to people who think of themselves as “arts people”. It is important for us as the Arts Center to present work that can connect to people across the entire campus. Displaying it in the center of the campus, in the crossroads, allows faculty, staff, students to contend with this piece of art, what it means to them personally, and what it means to family back home.,”NYUAD Debate Team Goes to OxfordFrom Oct. 11-13 the NYUAD Debate Union travelled to Oxford, U.K. to compete in the Oxford Open IV British parliamentary debate competition. Senior Rene Kukk and Junior Justin Lee competed as NYU Abu Dhabi’s A team with Junior Thomas Klein and Sophomore Thomas Yates competing as the B team. Senior Dhia Fairus Shofia Fani, Junior Tyler Headley, Sophomore Sally Oh, and Sophomore Penny Peng served as adjudicators at the event.Neither of the Abu Dhabi teams broke at this year’s Oxford Open, both teams missing qualifying by one point for the ESL and Novice brackets respectively. Nevertheless, the competition followed recent successes seen by the team in Hong Kong with two of NYU Abu Dhabi’s three teams there breaking. Commenting on the NYU Abu Dhabi’s showing at Oxford overall, veteran Oxford debater Rene Kukk was still optimistic. In comment to the Gazelle, Rene said, “Oxford is always a good tournament to attend from a learning perspective because of the very high level of debates and adjudication. Also, just seeing the final rounds enables to see some of the current best debaters in the world, and there is a lot to learn from them.”The NYU Abu Dhabi Debate Union is projected to participate in another international tournament next semester. Asia-Pacific NightOn Nov. 17 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CCC (Chinese Culture Club), Dongari (South Korean students club), and some Taiwanese and Japanese students collaborated to hold Asia-Pacific Night at Arts Center Foyer. The idea of this event was to introduce and celebrate Asia-Pacific culture through culinary richness, discussions, and students' performances. The event had six Asia Pacific menu items served in the dining hall where authenticity was ensured by supplying the dining hall with special ingredients. Organizers also served various desserts such as coconut cake, Japanese mochi, Chinese custard buns, Korean bokki, and Taiwanese tea egg at stalls that surrounded the performance stage. There were two different games at the competition: a ramyun-eating competition and a chicken leg game where the audience participated in speed eating challenges. Students performances for the event included K-Pop dance, Chinese classical dance, martial arts, and freestyle slalom skating. NYU Abu Dhabi student Carissa Tehputri said in comment to the Gazelle on the event, “We are hoping to continue this tradition and to hold Asia-Pacific Night every semester to create a better and more widespread understanding and celebration of our culture.” Polish Independence Day CelebrationOn Nov. 14, the Polish Cultural Association celebrated the Independence Day of the Republic of Poland with a variety of events. The main event was the piano recital Celebrating Independence - Celebrating Culture, by the young Polish musician Artur Sychowski. It was co-organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Abu Dhabi and the Music Program of NYU Abu Dhabi. Sychowski, who has received several prices in music competitions, built a special program for his performance at NYU Abu Dhabi. The program was made to commemorate his motherland, and it included some of the most important Polish Classical pieces.As explained in the hand-program of the recital, “His intention is to take his audience to a musical journey through the history of Poland.”After he finished playing the program, Sychowski started playing his own jazz compositions. The next day, the facade of the library —on top of the main building of NYUAD— was lit up with the colors of the Polish flag, white and red, to honor Polish independence.Bodyvoices: Narrating Migration From Oct.18-19 the second annual Bodyvoices Conference was held on campus. This year’s conference theme was Narrating Migration, including speakers from throughout the Middle East and as far away as Ukraine. The conference was organized by a group of students many of whom regularly participate in the NYU Abu Dhabi Attitude SIG. The event was further sponsored by the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center, and NYU Abu Dhabi Office of Student Activities. Some of the modules related to Migration at the conference included a presentation on dance anthropology by senior Xuexin Cai and a panel discussion on dance across borders by many of the conferences dance professionals. Several students also performed at the conference, including freshman Archita Arun who danced to the songs Time by Hans Zimmer and Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin by Sonu Nigam, as played by Senior Garreth Chan and Junior Áron Braunsteiner. This article was written by Thomas Justin Klein. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: The Gazelle