IN FOCUS in partnership with RAK Art Festival
What does civilisation mean? Why do societies evolve differently – even though the underlying brush-strokes may be similar? How will artificial intelligence change our future? Visitors to Ras Al Khaimah Art 2026 Festival are invited to ponder these questions, particularly as critical thinking has become more important than ever.
This year’s event brings together 106 artists from 42 countries from January 16 to February 8 at Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village. The festival theme for its 14th year is Civilisations. This is a journey through human history, across a diversity of cultural forms born of our shared aspirations. Expect a grand narrative arc stretching from the ancient Silk Road that once connected Ras Al Khaimah to distant shores, to the modern metropolises defining today's global landscape, all explored through contemporary art, music, film and food.
All of it takes place at a venue that flips the script on sterile white cube galleries and velvet rope separators. Set within Al Jazeera Al Hamra, a former pearling village, the festival offers free entry to its main attractions.
At the heart of RAK Art 2026 is the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Contemporary Art Biennale, curated by Sharon Toval, which organises works into four thematic pavilions spanning spirituality, craft and heritage, women artists, and future horizons. Rather than treating civilisation as a static idea, the biennale frames it as a living system shaped by memory, labour and imagination.
Across the wider festival, local and international artists explore the dialogue between past and present through installations, performance and new media. Highlights include Hannan Abu-Hussein’s monumental tower of dowry blankets, Kawita Vatanajyankur’s performances examining labour and gender roles, and Francesca Fini’s AI-driven Posh on Mars, which speculates on technology’s impact on belief and identity.
Food remains central to the experience through The Hidden Table: Tales from the Village, a curated dining programme of limited-seat pop-ups. International chefs bring distinct culinary narratives to Al Jazeera Al Hamra, from open-fire cooking rooted in seasonality to Mediterranean classics and foraged, preservation-led cuisine.
Beyond exhibitions and dining, the festival unfolds across themed weekends featuring music, performance and family-friendly programming. Guided heritage, art and food tours offer deeper insight into Ras Al Khaimah’s history, while workshops, film screenings and hands-on activities ensure participation is as important as observation.
Find more here.
Editor's letter:
Solidarity continues to shape the narrative across the worlds of literature, film and art.
Nowhere was that more visible this week than in Australia, as more than 180 international and Australian authors chose to boycott Adelaide Writers’ Week, part of the Adelaide Festival of Art.
The backlash began when organisers dropped Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from the programme, citing “cultural sensitivity” concerns following the Bondi attack in December.
The decision was widely criticised, with writers arguing it sets a dangerous precedent around who is deemed acceptable to speak, and under what circumstances.
What followed was swift and destabilising. High-profile authors withdrew from the programme in growing numbers, members of the festival’s board resigned, and the event’s director stepped down, saying she could not be “party to silencing writers”.
Within days, Adelaide Writers’ Week itself was cancelled - one of the country’s most prominent literary events undone by a loss of trust between organisers and the writers they depend on.
While the circumstances were specific, the episode reflects a broader pattern playing out across cultural fields. As institutions attempt to manage risk, artists are increasingly responding by making clear decisions about participation – whether that means stepping away entirely or finding other ways to support work they believe in.
In film, that response has taken a different shape. As Palestinian films continue to face limited theatrical access and modest marketing budgets, Hollywood actors including Jessie Buckley, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef have begun hosting screenings and post-film discussions across independent cinemas and cultural venues in the US and Europe.
Rather than conventional promotional tours, these events rely on presence and effort, helping films circulate outside major studio release models and reach audiences that might otherwise never encounter them. Find more here.
Awards culture has remained a more constrained space. At this year’s Golden Globes, political expression appeared largely through dress and accessories, with pins and symbolic gestures signalling support for humanitarian causes. The red carpet still offers visibility, but the scope for direct commentary has narrowed. Find more here.
One appearance in particular cut through that compression. Palestinian actress Saja Kilani, star of nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, arrived in a gown inspired by the traditional thobe, incorporating tatreez embroidery that carries histories of place, identity and inheritance.
Kilani described fashion as a language, particularly in moments when words feel insufficient. The gesture foregrounded culture rather than slogan, bringing Palestinian heritage into a space that often strips context away.
In the art world, controversy is swirling around the Venice Biennale, set to kick off in May. Israel's participation at the event has reignited calls for a boycott – two years after the country’s pavilion was closed at the same event due to protests. Find more here.
Taken together, these moments point to how solidarity is currently being practised across the arts. Writers withdraw when they feel principles have been compromised. Actors step in to help films reach audiences. Artists carry culture into spaces where speech is limited.
The forms differ, but the thought-line is clear: solidarity is being expressed through action, consequence and persistence, rather than statement alone.
Inside the UAE National Orchestra's public debut
The steady hum from a warehouse in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Creative Hub has been growing in line with the anticipation surrounding the debut public performance of the UAE National Orchestra.
The 100-piece ensemble will take the stage of the Emirates Palace Auditorium on Thursday as part of an eclectic and sprawling concert season that will feature 14 performances staged across 10 venues in all seven emirates.
The National pays the orchestra a visit ahead of the opening show, dubbed The Beginning, and the excitement and scale of the production are palpable. Members of the string section are finessing knotty passages, members of the horns are rehearsing in another section, while artistic director Amine Kouider, who will also conduct the opening concert, is actively present on site, ensuring all on stage and behind the scenes are in tune.
Find more here.
George RR Martin has planned more Westeros books than originally thought
George RR Martin has outlined plans for as many as 12 additional Dunk & Egg stories, extending the lives of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg beyond the three novellas published to date.
The outlines were shared directly with Ira Parker, creator and showrunner of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, during development stages of the series, suggesting a long-term narrative that could shape the future of the franchise if the show continues.
“He has shared with me about 10 to 12 more little outlines for books, for novellas, taking Dunk and Egg all the way through their life,” Parker tells The National.
If HBO continues with a one-novella-per-season approach, the number of stories Martin has outlined would give A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms the potential to run as long as – or longer than – Game of Thrones, which concluded after eight seasons. House of the Dragon, which is in production on season three, will run across four seasons.
"I love writing in this world, and it’s a wonderful story. So, I hope we get to make as many of these as possible,” says Parker.
Find more here.
Dates for your diary
- Lewis Capaldi at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi – January 17
- Linkin Park at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi – January 20
- Rob Beckett at Dubai Opera – January 22
Other highlights
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