So the week has started, and we are all trying to break out of that work–home–work rhythm. You should too — life is too interesting to stay on repeat.

There is a lot happening — The Smashing Pumpkins are playing at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, a new self-portrait studio opened in Al Quoz, and a few strong exhibitions are running across the city, including Lu Yang’s DOKU: The Creator at Jameel Arts Centre.

We have pulled together a few things that might make your week feel a little less routine — and who knows, maybe you’ll even run into one of us out there.

Where? Firetti Contemporary

In I’m Never Coming Back, Aidha Badr invites us into the aftermath of transformation — those silent shifts you feel long before you name them. Showing until 7 November at Firetti Contemporary in collaboration with Hunna Art, the exhibition is less about spectacle and more about interior geography. Motherhood, not as a declared topic, but as a subtle force, threads through the canvases — reconfiguring memory, identity, and desire.

The works read like fragile diary pages, with cropped self-portraits swapped for gestural whispers of inner monologue. Here, Badr’s recurring horses become thresholds — metaphors for becoming, for change that doesn’t erase what came before but folds it into new form. Beyond sentimentality, she navigates the tension between longing and presence, reminding us that transformation never lands cleanly — it is messy, ongoing, and deeply felt.

Where? Jameel Arts Centre

At Jameel Arts Centre, DOKU: The Creator by Lu Yang is on view until November 3.

It is a full dive into Lu Yang’s digital universe — where their virtual alter ego, DOKU, drifts through different simulated worlds, trying to understand what it means to exist, to create, to die and start over. The film blends philosophy, sci-fi, and video-game energy into something that feels both futuristic and spiritual.

Visually, it is hypnotic — neon temples, pixelated heavens, avatars looping through rebirth. A piece that doesn’t just play on the screen, but lingers somewhere in your head long after.

Where? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi

Thursday is the night to head to Abu Dhabi — The Smashing Pumpkins are playing Etihad Arena. Their first-ever show in the UAE, part of the Rock Invasion 2025 tour.

They’ll bring 1979, Tonight, Tonight, and a few deep cuts fans haven’t heard live in years. Doors open around seven, show kicks off closer to nine — worth heading out early to catch that first chord slice through the Yas Island air.

Where? Cinema Akil

This week at Cinema Akil, One Battle After Another is playing.

The cast is stacked. Leonardo DiCaprio dominates as Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary dragged back into chaos. There is Sean Penn as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, the ruthless antagonist pulling the strings. Teyana Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills — ex-comrade, ex-wife, and a force in her own right. Chase Infiniti debuts as Willa, Bob and Perfidia’s daughter, whose disappearance sets the whole thing off. Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Wood Harris, Alana Haim and others fill out the world, each shading the story with their own weight.

Where? self.space, Goshi Warehouses City 2, Warehouse 109 — Al Quoz Industrial Area 3

In Al Quoz, self.space has opened — a flagship self-portrait studio built entirely around privacy and ease. No photographer, no rush — just you, the mirror, and a small remote in your hand. The camera is hidden behind the mirror, so you can see the frame, play with angles, and shoot at your own pace.

Then the quiet magic happens: AI processes each shot in under a second, giving you a clean, professional retouch that keeps your real skin, freckles, and moles untouched. It is the kind of setup that makes taking portraits feel less like posing — and more like meeting yourself again.

Sunday is for slow mornings and a good breakfast.

You probably already know Heal — and if you don’t, you really should. We had the avocado toast there and, no joke, it was one of the best we have ever had. The whole vibe is just easy — soft light, good coffee, no rush.

Just spend the morning there, take it slow. That is what Sundays are for.

Just start your week without overloading yourself.