Latest news with #Salloum
Calgary Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
How do we share space socially? Contemporary Calgary exhibit called Presence invites visitors to think about it
Article content The final pieces that visitors to Contemporary Calgary's new exhibit, Presence, are two tables filled with the photography of Jayce Salloum. Article content The artist is one of seven participating in the exhibit, but his artwork is the first and last pieces visitors will see. One table offers a collection of dozens of colourful photographs of flowers, presumably from around the world. The next one is full of old tanks and other armaments left behind in war zones such as Afghanistan. Most are abandoned, some have been left in pieces. Some look like they are about to be enveloped back into the desert. Article content Article content At first blush, the two series seem to have little in common. Article content Article content 'These are tanks from various zones of conflict that he has been to,' she adds about the second collection. 'It depends on which way you are looking at it. Are they destructive or are they protective? It's the same with the flowers. They last for only so long, so there is a sense of mortality but also beauty.' Article content Salloum did not attend last week's opening of Presence because he is currently in Gaza. But he has provided hundreds of photographs with a wide array of themes that are grouped together on walls throughout the exhibit. They are from his series location/dis-location(s): gleaning spaces/not the way things ought to be. It also includes sculptures and video. Born in British Columbia, Salloum is the grandson of Syrian/Lebanese immigrants. Article content Article content His contribution to Presence comes with a 28-page booklet that names and, in some cases, offers explanations for the sprawling body of work. Article content 'The way I like to read his work is part documentarian, part anthropologist,' says Anand, a senior curator at Contemporary Calgary who first began thinking of the concepts Presence two years ago. 'This work is called location/dis-location and is a project that started during COVID and is an ongoing series.' Article content The different walls have loose themes. One is based on Indigenous history and includes images of residential schools. Another wall covers human habitation, offering images of construction and deconstruction that explore human impact on the environment. Article content The images run the gamut. They are photos of buildings that have crumbled to rubble. They are images of cluttered marketplaces, nature, the burned earth of a freshly cleared forest in Mexico, an emptied fountain in Taiwan, an encampment in Hawaii where the homeless had recently been evicted, a butterfly caught in a spider's web and angry pink bird at Vancouver's Bloedel Conservatory.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Researchers develop new AI tool to diagnose PTSD in children through facial expressions
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that scientists and psychologists have struggled to diagnose for decades. Initially, PTSD in children was diagnosed through interviews, questionnaires, and discussions. However, PTSD has a high chance of going undiagnosed because children have limited communication skills, emotional awareness, or awareness of their surroundings. Hence, they can struggle to accurately verbalise and convey their emotions. Now, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, US, have successfully developed an AI system to address this problem. The research team headed by Alison Salloum and Shaun Canavan has harnessed facial recognition technology to identify PTSD in children by studying their facial expressions. Salloum, who is a professor in USF's School of Social Work, is a licensed clinical social worker, and specialises in diagnosing PTSD and trauma. She has also authored many books on the subject. In the course of her work, Alison Salloum noticed that the facial expressions of the children she was interviewing intensified during trauma interviews. She subsequently reached out to Canavan, an associate professor in the Bellini College for AI, Cybersecurity and Computing, to know whether an AI-powered facial recognition system would be able to detect these expressions. Canavan then developed an AI system that prioritises patient privacy by blurring identity details and only analysing physical data such as a child's head pose, gaze and other facial gestures as well as their eyes and mouth. The underlying AI model was trained on over 100 minutes of video per child containing over 1,80,000 frames, and the system was later able to detect subtle facial muscle movements that were linked to emotional expression. The researchers claimed that this is the first study to preserve doctor-patient confidentiality alongside context-specific PTSD classification. Salloum also emphasised that the AI system was not a replacement for clinicians but could serve as a valuable supplement. 'The system could eventually be used to give practitioners real-time feedback during therapy sessions and help monitor progress without repeated, potentially distressing interviews.' Salloum was quoted as saying in a blog post on the USF website. 'Data like this is incredibly rare for AI systems, and we're proud to have conducted such an ethically sound study. That's crucial when you're working with vulnerable subjects. Now we have promising potential from this software to give informed, objective insights to the clinician,' Canavan said. The study also observed clinician-child conversations and interviews, which brought out more detailed facial expressions than a parent-child conversation. As per the researchers, this could be linked to either the child showing reluctance or shame to discuss certain issues with their parents. The researchers are currently working on removing gender-, culture-, or age-specific biases within the AI system. This is particularly important when studying pre-schoolers. The AI system could also be used to diagnose other mental health conditions in children such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. (This article has been curated by Purv Ashar, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
Sharjah 24
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Creativity Camp launches 'Tales on the Sands of Al Wusta'
Advanced theatre training through the Creativity Camp Speaking to Sharjah 24, Dr. Salloum explained that the Imagination and Creativity Camp represents an advanced level of theatrical training for members of Rubu's Qarn centres. It offers participants the opportunity to work with distinguished experts, creating new theatrical scenes and performances that allow them to express their inner thoughts and experiences . Creative activities spread across Sharjah He highlighted that creativity has expanded across various parts of Sharjah, including the Rubu' Qarn Theatre and Performing Arts headquarters at City Centre Al Zahia and the Puppetry Arts headquarters in the Heart of Sharjah, as well as in the central region and other centres affiliated with the Rubu' Qarn .
Sharjah 24
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Dr Adnan Salloum highlights theatre in Eid celebrations
Workshops and performances feature comedy and puppetry He told Sharjah 24 that the event includes a comedy workshop led by Emirati artist Mir'i Al Halyan, along with comedy performances, puppet-making workshops, and will conclude with a theatrical presentation titled "Planet of Puppets." Strengthening community through arts Salloum added that the purpose of these activities is to enhance the foundation's engagement with Emirati families and to highlight the importance of the Al Zahia Arts Centre as a cultural gathering space. He emphasised that theatre adds joy to Eid while also promoting values through the transformative power of art.
Campaign ME
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Digital marketing agency Reach announces latest macro-influencer signing
Reach, a Dubai-based marketing agency, has announced the latest macro-influencer to be signed to the its talent management division: fashion and parenting content creator, Remi E Salloum. Salloum will be joining the roster of Reach's top-tier content creators including Emirati couple, Zainab AlSawalhi and Abdokhj, dynamic duo Luna and Adnan and UAE-based comedian Basel Gazioglu. Through partnering with the agency, the team of talent have had the chance to work with some of the biggest brands in the region including Noon, Amazon, Careem, Sephora and Casio. 'At Reach, we are committed to working with influencers who not only resonate with target demographics but also deliver measurable results for brands, which why it's such an honour to be exclusively signing with Remi,' said Ihab Ghazal, Founder and CEO of Reach. 'Her unique voice and authentic connection with her audience make her a perfect fit for our talent management division. We can't wait to see the incredible impact this partnership will have and what we will accomplish together.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Remi E Salloum (@remiesalloum) On the new partnership, Salloum said: 'As soon as I connected with Ihab and the team at Reach, I knew I was stepping into more than just an agency – I was becoming part of a family. It's rare to find a company that truly listens to and respects the creativity and vision of a content creator, but Reach does exactly that. They're not just about business; they're about collaboration, supporting my unique voice, and helping me connect with brands that align with the exciting direction I'm eager to take.' Boasting more than two million followers on TikTok and one million followers on Instagram, the macro-influencer gained immense popularity across her channels through her style, relatable parenting posts and funny bilingual reels. Originally from Lebanon, Salloum's social media footprint includes recipe videos, fun challenges and skits with her twin sons, with top reels and TikTok videos collecting more than tens of millions of views.
