The inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial opens on November 15, 2024, bringing together more than 70 Emirati and international artists across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the biennial runs under the theme "Public Matter," exploring how public spaces intersect with environmental, social, and urban dimensions of the city.
What Is the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial?
The Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial is one of three pillars of the broader Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative, first announced by DCT Abu Dhabi in March 2023. It alternates annually with the Manar Abu Dhabi light exhibition — which previously drew more than 650,000 visitors — and an annual programme of direct-commission works. The 2024 biennial is its inaugural edition, and it will remain on view through April 30, 2025.
Rita Aoun, Executive Director of DCT Abu Dhabi's Culture Sector, summed up its mission: "We should help everyone relate to Abu Dhabi in terms of art."
Artists and Installations
Participating artists include Allora & Calzadilla, Arquitectura Expandida, Christopher Joshua Benton, Farah Al Qasimi, Oscar Murillo, Hashel Al Lamki, Zeinab Alhashemi, and many others. The installations engage directly with Abu Dhabi's context and address ideas of collective life, urban planning, and hospitality — with particular attention to the role that the emirate's diverse expatriate communities have played in shaping the city.
Key Works to See
Oscar Murillo presents an 80-metre canvas stretched along the Abu Dhabi Corniche, referencing the city's rapid urban expansion.
Farah Al Qasimi contributes a sculptural and auditory installation celebrating the UAE's pearl-diving heritage, with glowing pearl oysters emitting voices inspired by the Tob, Tob Ya Bahar chant traditionally sung by the wives of pearl divers.
Arquitectura Expandida, the Bogota-based collective, brings "Urban Negotiation" — mobile urban furniture designed to create new territorial configurations in public space.
Christopher Joshua Benton transforms the Carpet Souq into an active, interactive public venue.
Zeinab Alhashemi presents a tribute installation at Abu Dhabi's Central Bus Terminal.
Theme: Public Matter
The "Public Matter" theme examines the concept of public life within Abu Dhabi's specific context — shaped by environmental conditions, communal ways of living, indigeneity, architecture, and city planning. DCT Abu Dhabi chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak has said the biennial "reflects our commitment to supporting creatives in Abu Dhabi, the Global South" and broader international communities.
The biennial is free and open to the public across its sites in downtown Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, placing contemporary art directly into the spaces residents and visitors move through every day.
