Art of Living exhibition in Abu Dhabi to showcase diversity of Middle East design scene

Total of 22 projects comprising installations, objects and art will be presented at the free-to-attend event in Jubail Island

Jubail Island is a Dh10 billion development set amid Abu Dhabi's mangroves. Photo: Jubail Island Investment Company

A new design show featuring works by 35 artists, designers and architects from across the Middle East will be held in Jubail Island, the Dh10 billion development in Abu Dhabi's mangroves, from October 15 to 23.

Called Art of Living, the free-to-attend showcase will host 22 projects, comprising installations, objects and art. Organisers said the event will "celebrate the depth and diversity of creative thought in the Middle East and dial into myriad interpretations of the dual themes of new traditions and nature connection".

Featured creatives hail from across the region. They include Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, the founder of Modu Method, a design firm primarily focused on furniture; as well as Rawdha Al Ketbi, an Emirati visual artist working in photography, mixed media and installation art.

Omar Nakkash, from the popular Dubai furniture store and design firm Nakkash Gallery, will also participate. So will Natalia Shustova, who will set up a temporary interactive work titled Renouvelee through her design studio Gosha Buro. Combining architecture, interiors, poetry and installation art, and blurring the lines between the real and the fantastical, Shustova's work is meant to celebrate newness and a wish for emotional and spiritual renewal.

Other participants include French-Lebanese designer Carla Baz; interior designer Gregory Gatserelia; Aya and Mounaz Abdel Raouf, the duo behind fashion brand Okhtein; Mohamed Al Kahhal, who helms famed Egyptian carpet house Kahhal 1871; and lighting designer Nader Gammas.

Brought together by the Architectural Digest Middle East, Art of Living was created to give regional artists and designers the platform to express their creativity and offer them "an opportunity to create without the usual practical constraints of a client brief, budget or commercial gain", the magazine said.

Located between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, Jubail Island will have six residential village estates covering more than 400 hectares and is expected to be home to 10,000 residents within four years.

Ain Al Maha village, a waterfront neighbourhood with 240 villas, was announced earlier this year. Built alongside a water channel, with views of the sea and mangroves, the project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.

Art of Living runs from October 15 to 23 daily from 6-11pm at Jubail Island. Entry is free but registration is a must. More information is available here

Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures of Ain Al Maha in Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi

Ain Al Maha is in the new Jubail Island development. Courtesy Jubail Island Investment Company

Some of Ain Al Maha will be on an island within an island. Courtesy Jubail Island Investment Company

Ain Al Maha will span 153 hectares. Courtesy Jubail Island Investment Company

A water channel will provide a relaxing surrounding for residents. Courtesy Jubail Island Investment Company