Art installations are set to take over public spaces across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain as the second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial returns this month.
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the exhibition brings together 21 artists and collectives from the UAE and abroad, with monumental, interactive and multi-sensory works exploring home, collective memory and community.
From the participating artists to where to find their work, here is what to know.
When is the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial?
The biennial opens in Al Ain on October 23, followed by Abu Dhabi on November 15. The exhibition runs across both cities until February 15, 2027.
Where will the artworks be?
In Abu Dhabi, installations will be displayed at Mina Zayed (MiZa), Souq Al Mina, Hidd Al Saadiyat and Saadiyat Cultural District, where works will occupy the park between Zayed National Museum and Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The programme will also extend to selected locations across Al Ain, although specific sites have yet to be announced. Details of which artworks will appear at each location have also not been released.
Which artists are taking part?
The line-up includes UAE artists Khalid Al Banna, Roudhah Al Mazrouei and Shama Al Hamed, alongside international names such as Ibrahim Mahama, Laure Prouvost, Yinka Shonibare and Akram Zaatari.
Also participating are Asuncion Molinos Gordo, blaxTARLINES, Celeste Boursier-Mougenot, Elena del Rivero, Ivan Argote, Jean-Marie Appriou, Kapwani Kiwanga and Marinella Senatore.
Completing the roster are M'barek Bouhchichi, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Nari Ward, Reena Saini Kallat, Serge Attukwei Clottey and Vica Pacheco.
What is this year’s theme?
Artistic director Elvira Dyangani Ose leads the art event under the theme Home: A Glossary for a Communal Sense of Place.
The exhibition approaches home as an evolving, shared human experience, exploring how people’s relationships with places are shaped by community, memory and everyday encounters.
Artists will respond to the settings in which their works appear, drawing on research and engaging with surrounding communities.
What can visitors expect?
The biennial will bring contemporary art into public and cultural spaces, with installations exploring urban landscapes, material culture and civic participation.
Visitors can expect a mix of large-scale, interactive and multisensory works designed to encourage engagement with both the art and its surroundings.
Details of individual installations, visiting hours, ticketing and accompanying events are still to be announced.
