More than Human: Ground
Alserkal Avenue DubaiAlserkal Avenue has picked an interesting theme for its summer programme, running over three weekends in August: More Than Human looks at the interaction (or maybe intersection) between human and non-human lives. The three weekends each address a different sub-theme: [...]
More than Human: Beyond-Ground
Alserkal Avenue DubaiAlserkal Avenue has picked an interesting theme for its summer programme, running over three weekends in August: More Than Human looks at the interaction (or maybe intersection) between human and non-human lives. The three weekends each address a different sub-theme: [...]
Arc 2
Sound Stage 3 Dubai Studio CityOctomad's second Arc music festival in Dubai – ten hours of high-octane beats with "stunning production" from stage design, lighting, and visuals. The lineup includes international DJs Hosh, Ivan Masa, Stan Kolev and Teenage Mutants plus local DJs Cattaree, Kade [...]
LAST CHANCE In Process | In Progress
Warehouse421 Mina Zayed, Abu DhabiWarehouse421 hosts an exhibition by students of the inaugural MFA (Master of Fine Arts and Media) programme at NYUAD, with projects and artworks from Mahra Alfalahi, Majd Alloush, Liane Al Ghusain, Elizabeth Dorazio, and Fabiola Chiminazzo.
LAST CHANCE NYUAD MFA Exhibition
Warehouse421 Mina Zayed, Abu DhabiExhibition of projects and artworks from the first-year MFA students of NYUAD's inaugural MFA class of 2023. The MFA programme aims to immerse students in contemporary research and art practices while training them to become deep thinkers and artistic innovators. [...]
Make Laugh With Imah
Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiThe Filipina standup takes to the big stage for the fourth time with her signature wit, mischievous charm, and quick-fire punchlines. Hosted by John Hague, opening act Amr Elassal.
LAST CHANCE Tasmeem: Anti-Type
ICD Brookfield Place Al Mustaqbal Street, DIFC, DubaiThe exhibition for the 12 winners of the first edition of Tasmeem, ICD Brookfield's annual open-call graphic design and poster exhibition and competition. The works of the selected 12 regional designers were unveiled on Monday 25 July and will be [...]
The Best of Swan Lake
Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA one-hour lite version of Tchaikovsky's best-loved ballet in the classic Petipa/Ivanov production, danced by a company variously called Worldstars (in the promo for this show) or Etoiles Ballet Gala (their own website). It's a well established touring company that [...]
LAST CHANCE Rana Samara: Inner Sanctuary
Zawyeh Gallery Warehouse 27, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiIn this solo show of new works, Rana Samara displays the emotions of her personal intimate spaces, from her comfortable lounge to a corner in her favourite café. Along the way, she portrays an inner sanctuary, visually and sentimentally. Samara [...]
LAST CHANCE Rana Samara: Inner Sanctuary
Zawyeh Gallery Warehouse 27, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiSamara depicts the deep emotions connected with her personal intimate spaces; from the comfort of her lounge to a corner in her favourite café, she explores the settings that embrace her daily life. She uses her usual signature colours and [...]
Through Her Lens
Warehouse421 Mina Zayed, Abu DhabiA celebration for Emirati Women’s Day: a screening of shorts by female Emirati directors, all graduates of Arab Film Studio programmes: Omnia: dir Amna Al Nowais (2015) Why Is My Grandfather’s Bed in our Living Room? dir Sarah Al Hashimi (2019) Osha's [...]
LAST CHANCE The Swimming Pool
Carbon 12 DubaiA group show of works linked by a common theme: the pool, depicted as a theme of exuberance, rest, awakening and more. The show features work by the gallery’s artists Olaf Breuning, Gil Heitor Cortesaõ and Philip Mueller along with Nazgol [...]
LAST CHANCE Made in Tashkeel
Tashkeel Studio and Gallery Nad Al Sheba, DubaiThe 12th annual exhibition of work by Tashkeel members, artist-in-residents, workshop instructors and participants as well as recent exhibitors and clients, the majority which were made in whole or in part using Tashkeel’s facilities. Always an interesting snapshot of the [...]
The Grand Tour: A photographic journey in Italy
Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiForty vintage photographs and four original albums by photographers working in Italy between 1850 and 1890. Curated by Michele Bonuomo and Mara Firetti, the images on show are by photographers such as Alfred Noack, Carlo Naja, Leopoldo Alinari, Giacomo Brogi, Alphonse Bernoud, Edmond Behles, [...]
Watch & Chill 2.0: Streaming Senses
Al Mureijah Square SharjahSharjah Art Foundation again burnishes its credentials with this leading-edge survey of video art and other media-tech works baed on an online platform but experimenting with online experiences synched with in-person engagements through an exhibition and screening. The online selection [...]
Pop South Asia
Al Mureijah Art Spaces Al Mureijah Square, SharjahDescribed as a major survey of South Asian pop art, this show brings together more than 100 works of painting, prints, sculpture, video and installation from the mid-twentieth century to today and featuring around 40 artists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, [...]
Jo Koy: Funny is Funny
Coca-Cola Arena City Walk, DubaiThe witty Filipino-American standup with a nice line in impersonations, anecdotes, and witty commentary on life (mainly his) returns to Dubai for one night only.
LAST CHANCE Sunoj D and Namrata Neog: Desert is a Forest
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiAlongside the Jameel’s seven gardens designed by Anouk Vogel is a plot reserved for artists to cultivate and experiment. Occupancy is awarded via an annual commission, and this is the third. Sunoj D and Namrata Neog’s Artist’s Garden is an [...]
LAST CHANCE Facial Recognition
Fabien Fryns Fine Art Unit 17, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiThe inaugural show for a new Duabi gallery, curated by Barbara Pollack, brings together a diverse range of artists – among them Francis Annan Affotey, Angeles Agrela, Alic Brock, Yukimasa Ida, Victoria Nunley, Julian Pace, Walter Robinson, and Adam Parker [...]
LAST CHANCE In the Footsteps of Cai Lun II: Selected Works on Paper
Ayyam Gallery Alserkal Avenue DubaiThis group show features drawings and prints by Tammam Azzam, Nihad Al-Turk, Mohammad Bozorgi, Thaier Helal, Samia Halaby, Athier Mousawi, and Faisal Samra. Says the gallery: "Through the included works, viewers will discover how drawings, whether created with graphite, charcoal, [...]
Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives in the Arabian Peninsula, 1941-2008
NYUAD Art Gallery Saadiyat, Abu DhabiA landmark historical survey of twentieth century modern art movements across the Arabian Peninsula. It's curated by Aisha Stoby, who was this year was also responsible for the inaugural Oman Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; Khaleej Modern is based on [...]
Romeo and Juliet
Dubai Opera DubaiProkofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is probably the perfect marriage of a powerful dramatic musical score with a passionate love story. Faithful to Shakespeare’s original text, this beautiful ballet follows the fate of the star-crossed lovers from their first meeting to [...]
Romeo and Juliet
Dubai Opera DubaiFaithful to Shakespeare’s original text, this beautiful ballet follows the fate of the star-crossed lovers from their first meeting to their untimely, tragic deaths; it's danced by the State Ballet of Georgia, widely acclaimed as one of the best of [...]
Culture Bus: Sharjah
[various Sharjah locations]Warehouse421's useful guided trips outside Abu Dhabi continue with this guided tour through Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah Art Foundation (the Watch & Chill show for video art and other media technology-based works should be running), and Maraya Arts Center (check [...]
A Mobile Essay with Jill Magi
Warehouse421 Mina Zayed, Abu DhabiA "performative tour” of Jill Magi’s ongoing solo show at Warehouse421, The Weft in Pencil. The paintings and fabric works in the exhibition are rooted in the notion of a grid or matrix – the intersection of warp and weft [...]
Romeo and Juliet
Dubai Opera DubaiFaithful to Shakespeare’s original text, this beautiful Prokofiev ballet follows the fate of the star-crossed lovers from their first meeting to their untimely, tragic deaths; it's danced by the State Ballet of Georgia, widely acclaimed as one of the best [...]
Afikra Salon
Warehouse421 Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi"A semi-monthly salon-style event where members of the community present on cultural and historical topics they are curious about. The purpose of each evening is to bring together a community of like-minded individuals and have a fruitful conversation about things [...]
La Traviata
Dubai Opera Mohammed Bin Rashid BoulevardVerdi’s crowd-pleaser tells a story of tragic love and the hypocrisy of fashionable society. The love between upper-class Alfredo and courtesan Violetta ('la traviata' translates – politely – as 'the fallen woman') threatens to bring shame on his family; his [...]
Navjot Altaf: Pattern
Ishara Art Foundation Alserkal Avenue, DubaiThe first solo exhibition for Navjot Altaf in the Arabian Peninsula features site-specific installations, sculptures, videos, drawings and photo prints, all foregrounding the artist’s longstanding commitment to issues of climate-change, ecology and feminism in the digital age. Formerly based in [...]
La Traviata
Dubai Opera Mohammed Bin Rashid BoulevardSecond and final performance for the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre's touring show of Verdi’s crowd-pleaser, a story of tragic love and the hypocrisy of fashionable society. The love between upper-class Alfredo and courtesan Violetta ('la traviata' translates – politely [...]
LAST CHANCE Wim Delvoye
Leila Heller Gallery DubaiA solo show for the Belgian neo-conceptual artist. To 15 September.
LAST CHANCE Reza Derakshani: Night Conveys the Light, Every Day and Every Night
Leila Heller Gallery DubaiNew and never before seen paintings by the Iranian painter, musician and performance artist.
LAST CHANCE No Mask Required
XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, DubaiXVA’s summer show is an interesting-sounding group exhibition that “aims to challenge the notion of a portrait” and promises a variety of cultural backgrounds and techniques for their perception of the human form. The artists: Arezu draws inspiration from 19th [...]
Vantage Point Sharjah 10
Al Hamriyah Studios SharjahThe annual photography exhibition of Sharjah Art Foundation, selected from an open call and introduced back in 2013 "to encourage public engagement with photography as an artistic medium". Since then VPS has evolved into a significant platform for up-and-coming photographers [...]
Ghostly Kisses
Dubai Opera DubaiGhostly Kisses is the performing name of Margaux Suave and her band (which is often just her, with or without effects and a keyboardist). She's a new magpie favourite, a Quebecois singer-songwriter touring first full album (Heaven, Wait was released [...]
Sarah Almehairi: When the Ground Was
Carbon 12 DubaiNew works from an always-interesting artist that document the artist's daily walks and her intimate interaction with the ground as its own ecosystem – representing "an exercise in navigating between the physical and the abstract act of movement and a [...]
LAST CHANCE Mohamed Al Astad: Another Perspective
Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu DhabiMohamed Al Astad uses a novel technique involving sand, rust and time to create dramatic visual pieces. Arranged alongside large-scale paintings, they create an interactive installation that provides viewers with an immersive experience.
LAST CHANCE Farah Al Qasimi: General Behaviour
Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu DhabiThis mini-retrospective for the US-based Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi shows photographic and video works from 2012 to 2021, organised in chronological sequence. The exhibition explores the layers of multiculturalism and consumer culture in the UAE, while challenging our perception [...]
An Ocean in Every Drop
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiA major group exhibition in the first floor galleries at the Jameel that brings together works by 11 artists from around the globe that explore our human relationship to water through myth, spirituality, folk traditions and lived experiences. Taken from [...]
Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival (DMFF)
Warehouse Four Al Quoz, DubaiThe second DMFF returns to Warehouse Four with more than 30 bike films: no word yet on what's showing, but on the Friday there will be two screenings (a programme of short films followed by a feature length documentary) and [...]
Crusty Demons World Domination Show
Coca-Cola Arena City Walk, DubaiBikers' heaven: mad tricks (that's a twin backflip above) on a variety of bikes, including Quad FMX, the Globe of Death, a Guinness World Record attempt, freestyle Motocross, and more – "some of the most radical, death-defying stunts known to [...]
LAST CHANCE Fahd Burki: Daydreams
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiBurki’s first international solo show brings together more than 50 works spanning the past 15 years of the artist’s practice – paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures inspired by a range of interests from architecture, nature and science fiction, to various [...]
Sawsan Al Bahar: Talaliya
Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiTalal, in Arabic, is a ruin or a trace of a home; and atlal, plural, are what is left behind once inhabitants of a place leave. In this solo show, Syrian artist Sawsan Al Bahar presents a series of drawings [...]
LAST CHANCE Martine Feipel & Jean Bechameil: Rebels
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery 796 Jumeirah Street, DubaiSculptural and 3D works by the artist due, who have worked together since 2008 and currently live in Brussels. Their work shows the hidden complexity in the traditional way of constructing space, while at the same time suggesting an alternative [...]
LAST CHANCE The Sown Seed
Efiɛ Gallery 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, First Al Khail Street, DubaiEfie Gallery’s second exhibition is a group show of work by seven artists from Ghana, Mali and Kenya – Abdoulaye Konaté, Ablade Glover, Betty Acquah, Kwaku Yaro, Rikki Wemega-Kwawu, Wiz Kudowor and Maggie Otieno – that explores and celebrates the [...]
Dubai Opera Big Band: Jazz Classics
Dubai Opera Dubai“Sit back, relax, and enjoy this mesmerising evening featuring some of the greatest songs from the world of jazz” – a concert of classic big-band swing jazz channelling the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and [...]
Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF)
Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre Al Dhaid Rd, Al Juraina 1, SharjahSIFF is back in person after a couple of online-only editions, and it’s growing in stature in not in overall size; for this year there were apparently more than 1,700 submissions from 89 countries. In the event the official selection [...]
Sharjah Film Platform 5
Sharjah Art Foundation SharjahSharjah Art Foundation's annual film festival Sharjah Film Platform aims to celebrate and sustain the work of local and regional as well as international filmmakers. The platform includes short and feature-length film screenings with juried awards for selected films; a [...]
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2022
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu DhabiWe were a bit sniffy about the early editions of Culture Summit, which seemed to us to be a rather naked statement of exclusivity, lavish hospitality, and spurious claims on soft power – an international cast of thinkers and doers [...]
Creative Careers Days
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiThe UAE’s first annual festival devoted to exploring a future in the arts, aimed at High School and university students (and their families). The two-day programme includes meet-and-greets with "leading arts organisations and universities" (no details yet of who will be [...]