Experience The First Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: New Displays Turn Abu Dhabi And Al Ain Into Open-Air Galleries

* Running until 30 April 2025, this showcase features curated installations and performances, making art accessible to all

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, as part of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative.  This landmark event transforms Abu Dhabi and Al Ain into vibrant open-air galleries, celebrating creativity and culture.

Running until 30 April 2025, the Biennial explores the concept of ‘public’ in the context of Abu Dhabi, showcasing how art cultivates connections across communities. Designed with accessibility in mind, the exhibition is strategically located in the downtown areas of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to welcome visitors and residents alike to engage and explore with its installations.

Visitors and residents can explore works by over 70 artists from around the world. The Biennial brings together site-specific installations and performances that directly engage with communities and reflect on the intersection of community, environment and identity.

Key highlights include:

Farah Al Qasimi's Homesickeness: An auditory sculpture immersing listeners in ocean sounds, symbolising the sea's cultural and environmental significance in the region.

Seema Nusrat’s Floating Fragments: Depicting a terracotta-roofed house submerged by an imagined flood, it explores urban life and the increasing risks of flooding due to climate change.

Christopher Benton’s Where Lies My Carpet Is Thy Home: A transformation of the traditional Carpet Souk to a vibrant community space, encouraging attendees to engage and connect with the community.

Afra Al Dhaheri’s D-constructing Collective Exhaustion: A thought-provoking piece which draws on time, presence, and attention in an immersive installation made of wooden structures, tangled ropes, light, and sound. 

Wael Al Awar’s Barzakh: The installation refers to a boundary or liminal space, and rethinks how these materials and processes could shape future architecture. 

Designed to be explored on foot or by car, the Biennial’s especially curated routes invite visitors to discover prominent landmarks and hidden gems, all through an artistic lens. Even as Abu Dhabi continues to grow, its warm welcome and generous spirit remain at its heart. The Biennial celebrates these cherished traditions, sharing them with the world.

The Biennial will unveil another wave of art installations and activities beginning in January 2025, kicking off the second phase of the exhibition.

The Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial provides a unique opportunity for visitors  to immerse themselves in the city’s culture and connect with its vibrant community, making it a must-visit attraction for tourists in the city from November – April 2025. For more information on the Biennial artists, programming, and locations, please visit: https://paad.ae/biennial

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 industries.

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 visitabudhabi.ae

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.