Orography revolution

Editor's Note: What is art? And what does it mean to be an artist? This word has different dimensions depending on the cultures of the world. In our Arab world, I have observed and still do that this word has a narrow horizon that confines the practitioner of this or that art to aesthetic outputs no more, whether visual, auditory, or tactile. Besides the cultural and cognitive depth of many types of arts that are connected to beauty in one way or another, arts have dimensions capable of developing our ways of life on this earth (and in space!), if we give them the space. I mean that we should not confine art and its concepts to a certain mold; otherwise, we will only derive "peels" from it that may remain on the margins of our civilizational development. The main investigation of this issue talks about origami, which originated in the 17th century in Japan. Perhaps questions may have come to your minds about the relationship of this art with the worlds of "National Geographic," and about the usefulness of delving into it, and about its contributions to human material heritage? I say... you will find your answer and more in the pages of this investigation; and then the significance of the famous quote by Albert Einstein will become clear: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination encircles the world." That very imagination is what soared with the wings of origami to settle in one of the most beautiful and important architectural styles in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This concerns the "Sea Towers," whose design was inspired by origami shapes, and they adorned the cover of July 2021 issue. These towers exemplify a clever adaptation of buildings to their surrounding environment through the adoption of sustainable architecture. As I write these lines, the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, that 2023 is the "Year of Sustainability" in the UAE, has come. This comes as a culmination of long-standing efforts founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was not only concerned with the environment but made it one of the main pillars of social and economic development. And today, we see Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed placing this vision among the country's goals for the coming decades. It is a "sustainable" year for the UAE, during which it hosts the "COP 28" summit, and on its track, it affirms its commitment to sustainable development within an international framework and with influence in the region and the world as a whole.