Crowds of visitors from all ages and backgrounds flocked to downtown Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to explore the first-ever Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, a key pillar of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).
© Lance Gerber
Running until 30 April 2025, the exhibition explores the idea of ‘public’ within the unique context of Abu Dhabi. Over the launch weekend, visitors explored the eight Biennial routes, discovering works by more than 70 artists from across the UAE and the world. Together, these works reflect how Abu Dhabi’s public life is shaped by the city’s environmental conditions, communal way of living, indigeneity, architecture, and city planning. The Biennial routes are designed to encourage the public to wander on foot or by car, and rediscover iconic Abu Dhabi locations in new ways.
Biennial Routes
The Abu Dhabi Corniche Route is a one-hour walking route featuring works by Wael Al Awar, Oscar Murillo, Farah Al Qasimi, Bik Van der Pol, Tania Candiani, Sammy Baloji, UT-R Studio and Nicholas Galanin. The Abu Dhabi Public Parks Route is a one-hour walking route that spans Urban Park, Formal Park, Lake Park, Recreation Park. It features works by Abdullah Al Saadi, Hashel Al Lamki, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Kader Attia, Khalil Rabah, Seema Nusrat, Rami Kashou x Artisans of the UAE, Paweł Althamer, Nathan Coley, Athar Jaber and Allora & Calzadilla.
© Lance Gerber
The Abu Dhabi Bus Terminal Route is a 30-minute walking route featuring works both inside and outside the terminal by Hussein Sharif, Zeinab Alhashemi, Henrique Oliveira, and Eko Nugroho.
The Downtown Abu Dhabi Route is a one-hour walking route featuring works by, Azza Al Qubaisi, SUPERFLEX, Lúcia Koch, Nathan Coley, Mohammed Al Hawajri and Radhika Khimji.
The Carpet Souq Route is a 40-minute driving route featuring works by Christopher Joshua Benton, Khalil Rabah, Eddie Clemens, Yeesookyung and guBuyoBand.
The National Theatre Route is a 30-minute driving route featuring works by Afra Al Dhaheri and Kabir Mohanty, located at Umm Al Emarat Park and the National Theatre.
The Cultural Foundation Route is a 30-minute walking route featuring works by Mohamed Al Astad, Ayesha Hadir, Wael Shawky, Mircea Cantor, Nnenna Okore and Load na Dito.
The Al Ain Oasis Route, which includes Hili Archaeological Park and Al Jahili Fort, is a 45-minute driving route featuring works by Rawdha Al Ketbi, Shaikha Al Ketbi, Alex Ayed, Nathan Coley, and Yeesookyung.
Community Hubs
Along the way, visitors are invited to pause and appreciate the city’s sights and sounds, as well as try home-grown F&B concepts at designated zones between routes and locations. Centres of food, celebration and activities for all ages, each Hub brings a festive atmosphere to the Biennial, tapping into Abu Dhabi’s unique cultural landscape.
The Hubs are located in the Carpet Souq, Lake Park, Formal Park, Corniche Beach, and Urban Park, transforming these public spaces with performances, pop-up restaurants, and vibrant shops, giving guests a chance to take a piece of the Biennial home.
Public Programme
There is also a diverse array of community engagement activities planned throughout the Biennial, which the public is welcome to attend, including talks, film screenings, interactive experiences, workshops, children’s activities, tours, and wellness events.
On 15 November, visitors were treated to a musical show on Abu Dhabi Corniche, presented at the Travelling Stage created by artist Tania Candiani. The next day, guests enjoyed a performance from Emirati artist Afra Al Dhaheri at the National Theatre, exploring the roles of time and presence in her practice. Looking ahead, visitors can look forward to an exciting itinerary of activities, including:
19 November: Sound artist Safeya Alblooshi will present her experiments with found sound in a participatory performance at Abu Dhabi Corniche at 8:30 pm.
22 November: Multidisciplinary artist and curator Ntshepe Tsekere will present a listening session, performance and talk at 6:30 pm, reflecting the philosophy of Globalisto – the interplay of sound, memory, and identity in diasporic communities for audiences aged 15 and above.
23 November: guBuyoBand will host an interactive workshop at Cultural Foundation at 10 am, where participants share local folktales and stories, which will be used to collectively paint an abstract visualisation of a landscape based on their conversations.
24 November: Poet and writer Deepak Unnikrishnan will host a workshop for audiences aged over 18 at 3:30 pm at the Abu Dhabi Main Bus Terminal.
© Lance Gerber
The Biennial is one of three pillars of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative, announced by DCT Abu Dhabi in March 2023. The initiative includes annual direct commissions works, the biannual Manar Abu Dhabi light art exhibition (the first edition ran from 15 November 2023 to 30 January 2024), and the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial.
The Biennial will unveil a second wave of art installations and activities beginning in January 2025, kicking off the second phase of the exhibition with works by Latifa Saeed, Atelier Aziz Al Qatami, Anga Art Collective, Arquitectura Expandida, Daniel Buren, Alia Farid, Ayesha Hadhir, Emily Jacir and Mobile Akademie Berlin and Rami Kashou x Artisans of the UAE.
About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: dct.gov.ae and abudhabiculture.ae.
© Lance Gerber © Mircea Cantor, ADAGP, Paris, 2024 – 2025
About Public Art Abu Dhabi
Public Art Abu Dhabi is the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)’s new initiative under its ongoing commitment to commissioning public art for the emirate. Integral to this initiative is its community engagement efforts. The initiative advances the creative legacy, cultural infrastructure, liveability, and wellbeing of the UAE capital’s residents through placemaking and collective memory. An investment of over 35 million US dollars is dedicated to the initiative annually, to support the emirate’s wider creative industries through public art.
For more information on the Biennial artists, programming, and locations, please visit: https://paad.ae/biennial.
