:quality(75)/large_NOMAD_ABU_DHABI_25_Nilufar_Ph_Nikita_Berezhnoy_Courtesy_NOMAD_1_2_136eca6e7b.jpg?size=56)
by Alexandra Mansilla
The Week Of Art Comes To Abu Dhabi
NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2025. Photo: Nikita Berezhnoy
It feels like everyone is heading to Abu Dhabi over the next few weeks. There is a lot happening, and this week alone could take you from a departure gate to the beach to the souq.
Let’s start at the airport. There is a good chance you will go to the airport this week without a flight to catch. At the old Abu Dhabi airport, the departure gates are about to become galleries again. On Saadiyat, the first Frieze Abu Dhabi will put sculpture on the beach. And down at Mina Zayed, you will be able to see a biennial artwork on your way to the souq.
So, first things first.
Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial (October 23–February 15, 2027)
The Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial opened in Al Ain on 23 October and comes to Abu Dhabi on 15 November. Both chapters run until 15 February 2027.
In Al Qattara Oasis, Reena Saini Kallat plays the calls of extinct and endangered birds through listening horns. Nearby, Asunción Molinos Gordo uses walls of rammed earth to trace the aflaj, the irrigation channels that still carry water to local farms, while M’barek Bouhchichi gives the traditional pigeon tower a new form in stainless steel. Over at Al Towayya Roundabout, Roudhah Al Mazrouei’s Tassa takes a traditional Emirati gold headpiece and scales it up to 80 metres across.
In Abu Dhabi, you could come across a work on your way through Souq Al Mina, around the old port at Mina Zayed or on a walk between Zayed National Museum and Louvre Abu Dhabi. There will be works at Hidd Al Saadiyat, too. Shama Al Hamed, Serge Attukwei Clottey, Ibrahim Mahama and Yinka Shonibare are among the artists taking part.
:quality(75)/large_publicartabudhabi_1793027478_4016528065014055362_61130741040_3b7c5c30bd.jpg?size=132.63)
:quality(75)/large_publicartabudhabi_1793027478_4016528065014046064_61130741040_83e701a590.jpg?size=158.19)
:quality(75)/large_publicartabudhabi_1793027478_4016528065014033045_61130741040_780a851fcb.jpg?size=134.17)
NOMAD Abu Dhabi (November 18–22)
NOMAD returns to Terminal 1 of the Old Abu Dhabi Airport from 18 to 22 November, with a preview on the 18th and public admission from the 19th. More than 50 exhibitors will take over the terminal, including A2Z Advisory, Nilufar, Gallery FUMI and Galerie Gastou, which each get a departure gate of their own.
An airport is an unusual place to look closely at furniture. You usually pick a seat based on how well you can see the departures board. This time, take a closer look at what is in the room. Gallery FUMI is bringing new and recent work by makers including Max Lamb, Charlotte Kingsnorth and Kustaa Saksi, while in the departure hall, YANGWANG is presenting a project with artist Ibrahim Zaki.
Look out, too, for Abdel El Tayeb’s installation, made with Emirati master artisans for a collaboration between House of Artisans and the Institut du Monde Arabe. And if you have ever looked closely at the braided trim on an Emirati dress, see where Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council and SUPER LOOP take that technique in their project inspired by talli.
So, get ready to spend longer at the gate than you intended!
:quality(75)/large_cover_24_7338859d4e.jpeg?size=53.83)
:quality(75)/large_cover_27_3b9b96099d.jpeg?size=75.56)
:quality(75)/large_cover_26_9cbb46dff8.jpeg?size=50.33)
:quality(75)/large_cover_25_ee946073fd.jpeg?size=67.08)
Frieze Abu Dhabi (November 19–22)
Frieze Abu Dhabi opens at Manarat Al Saadiyat on 19 November, with public admission from 2 pm on Friday, 20 November. It is the first edition under the Frieze name, following Abu Dhabi Art, which began at Emirates Palace in 2009. That history is worth keeping in mind when you walk into a fair bringing together more than 80 galleries from 36 countries and regions.
Start in the atrium, where Lebanese artist Dala Nasser has a new commission curated by Nabila Abdel Nabi. Then look for In Dialogue, where Dirwaza Curatorial Lab pairs UAE artists Mohammed Kazem and Alia Zaal. In a fair with that many galleries, two artists in conversation is a welcome invitation to stay in one place for a while.
And if you need some air, Frieze Sculpture opens at Mamsha Beach on 16 November. Five large-scale works will be out by the water, which means you can see part of the fair before you have even set foot inside Manarat.
:quality(75)/large_Installation_view_Dala_Nasser_Adonis_River_2023_Renaissance_Society_Chicago_Courtesy_of_the_artist_Renaissance_Society_and_Commonwealth_and_Council_Photo_by_Bob_2_e521924554.JPG?size=92.7)
Installation view, Dala Nasser, Adonis River, 2023, Renaissance Society, Chicago. Courtesy of the artist, Renaissance Society and Commonwealth and Council. Photo: Bob
Maritime Heritage Festival (November 20–29)
On Friday, November 20, the Maritime Heritage Festival opens on the Corniche and runs through November 29. It is a good place to go after an afternoon of looking at things. You can watch artisans work, hear live performances and get a sense of the skills that made a life on this coast possible, from fishing and boatbuilding to pearling.
Start with the dhow experience to get a closer look at the wooden boats that once carried people and goods across the Gulf. Then stay for a live performance of Fann Al Soot, a musical tradition from the Gulf. There is a maritime operetta on the programme, too, and traditional Emirati games if you are bringing the kids.
:quality(75)/large_admaritimefest_1763571308_3769431798389621278_30293611322_a7ab9ab9ef.jpg?size=133.8)
:quality(75)/large_admaritimefest_1763571308_3769431799169746015_30293611322_2175a026d5.jpg?size=146.78)
:quality(75)/medium_Sarah_Afaneh_the_patient_land_the_gracious_sun_the_enchanting_sea_1_b2e9a718f4.jpg?size=117.78)
:quality(75)/medium_ADREA_x_Jubail_Mangrove_Park_11f5a5cefe.png?size=813.52)
:quality(75)/medium_SHA_2240_1_f6d04bf1d3.jpg?size=33.57)
:quality(75)/medium_sectacollective_1786378130_3960740192863035066_2267141115_f7269b3c90.jpg?size=47.88)
:quality(75)/medium_karthik_b_k_nols_YFH_5hos_unsplash_ebcda10680.jpg?size=54.67)
:quality(75)/medium_getty_images_Lr_Qj_Ule_ZGF_4_unsplash_fc838939ac.jpg?size=71.65)