The group show brings together artists from the MENA region and its diaspora whose practices engage fertility as a generative force tied to questions of origin, transformation, and the cycles that govern land and self. Across drawing, painting, ceramics, textiles, [ ... ]
Manar Abu Dhabi returns for its second edition with the theme The Light Compass, presenting 19 newly commissioned light-based artworks by Emirati and international artists Key locations include Jubail Island, Souq Al Mina, and, for the first time, Al Ain’s [ ... ]
The first institutional solo exhibition of Mohammad Alfaraj brings together installations, photography, video works and site-specific commissions that respond to the gardens and outdoor spaces of the Jameel. Central to Alfaraj’s practice is his use of storytelling, both in written [ ... ]
"Childhood is a half-remembered taste: sweet, sticky, and sometimes spoiled." In Girl Parts, her first solo exhibition, Aliyah Alawadhi expresses this residue in paint – bodies shimmering in pinks and creams, mouths agape, devouring and dreaming. Says the gallery: "These [ ... ]
In times of adversity, especially amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, tatreez – the ancient practice of hand-embroidery, a foundational element of Palestinian intangible heritage – becomes an act of survival and defiance. This exhibition of works by 25 artists [ ... ]
MadCat’s standup team at its regular stop in the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
Drawing from the charged visual language of street walls in Palestine in this, her first solo exhibition in the UAE, Salma Dib transforms those surfaces of resistance into layered compositions that speak of loss, resilience, and collective memory. Her works [ ... ]
Gil Heitor Cortesão's fifth solo show at CARBON 12 (it is also the gallery's 100th exhibition) presents a suite of large and small works extending his investigation into the fragile perceptive systems and architectures of modernity. Working with oil on [ ... ]
A group exhibition curated by Hamzeh Alfarahneh of South African curatorial firm Art(Advisory) and featuring works by Hamra Abbas (Pakistan), Diana Al-Hadid (Syria-USA), Timo Nasseri (Iran-Germany), and four South Africans – Igshaan Adams, Moshekwa Langa, James Webb, and Bronwyn Katz. [ ... ]
MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks.
Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell talk about their creative process, alongside their exhibition The Wild Within currently running at Leila Heller – digital art envisioning iconic architecture (like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi) reclaimed by nature.
This is a true classic of ballet, and it is always danced best by a company that follows the classical tradition rigorously – which is what you traditionally get from Russian companies, of course. This production is not from the [ ... ]
MadCat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.
A striking collection of artists feature in this group show, with works by El Anatsui, Iman Issa, Abdoulaye Konaté, Adam Pendleton, Yinka Shonibare and Carrie Mae Weems. Curated by Japan-based American curator Dexter Wimberly, the exhibition responds to "the shifting [ ... ]
A group exhibition of photography and mixed media works by El3attar Film Collective – Cynthia Zahar, Georges Yammine, and Mohammad Al Hawajri. Through preserving and reconfiguring found materials, stories, and images, each artist tackles themes of memory, war, and change.
Ali Kaaf’s first solo exhibition at Ayyam Gallery features his seminal body of work, the Rift series, alongside selected works from his Helmet and Ras Ras series. The Fire’s Edge evokes the fragile threshold where ancestral practices meet modern erasure [ ... ]
The artist’s first solo show at Ayyam Gallery features Kaaf’s seminal body of work from his Rift, Helmet and Ras Ras series. The Fire’s Edge evokes the fragile threshold where ancestral practices meet modern erasure, the line between scorched earth [ ... ]
A solo exhibition by Kamrooz Aram. The artist’s practice integrates sculpture, painting, and architecture, creating a context for viewing cultural artefacts in a way that brings them back into the present.
A solo show for the noted Indian artist, whose paintings aim to explore the essence of reality rather than its literal representation. His signature use of strong colours evoke emotions rather than depictions – "his works feel like waves, each [ ... ]
New work from the Saudi artist, who has been exhibited all over the Middle East since 1999. His practice is shaped by poetry from the Arab world and "the complex intersections between modern spaces and personal freedoms"; he aims to [ ... ]
A hands-on introduction for beginners and curious learners: the workshop introduces traditional scaling and measurement techniques, offering a clear and accessible entry point into the art of calligraphy. Participants will explore the fundamentals of Arabic calligraphy, learning basic strokes, proportions, [ ... ]
A second performance by the Russian State Ballet Mari El, again Prokofiev and again one of the classics. We're promised magnificent costumes and sets plus the dancers’ skill and classical technique.
A regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
A solo show by the American artist Daniel Arsham, known for his works of 'fictional archaeology' expressed through sculpture, architecture, drawing, and film – what he calls “future relics of the present.” This exhibition marks the 24th collaboration between the [ ... ]
In his latest work, Palestinian artist Mohammed Joha redefines collage as "an architecture of rupture and reassembly, both a method and a metaphor". His works bring together scraps of fabric, paper, cardboard, plastic and other salvaged materials, textures pulled from [ ... ]
The Russian State Ballet Mari El is touring a selection of classic ballets around the UAE this week. This time it's Tchaikovsky’s evergreen seasonal favourite "in a dazzling production that blends classic choreography with fresh expression". There are shows at [ ... ]
Historian and author Frauke Heard-Bey joins scholar Meitha Almazrooei to discuss the long arc of writing and archiving history. Heard-Bey’s landmark publication From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates, first published in 1982, is an essential source for anyone interested [ ... ]
Dubomedy's standup night at Social Distrikt returns. This has become a bit of a fixture: good vibes, good comedy, and "you never know who will pop in". Recommended. It's free, but it's getting popular, so pre-booking is recommended to get [ ... ]
The second performance of this spectacular "reimagining" of Handle's opera by the flamboyant director and designer Stefano Poda. It blends Handel’s score with "a new musical concept" by composer Kirill Richter that weaves in traditional Uzbek instruments. The sets feature [ ... ]
Koushaji’s exhibitions continues his exploration of memory, resilience, and the human condition with a new body of work that “reflects on a world shaped by displacement, conflict, and uncertainty, yet illuminated by fleeting moments of beauty and strength”. His signature [ ... ]
The Russian State Ballet Mari El, a company known for its commitment to classical ballet technique, is touring a repertoire of ballet standards in the UAE. It has gained a reputation for the quality and accessibility of its performances; so [ ... ]
Jumana Emil Abboud’s first solo exhibition in the Emirates draws on the lineage of Palestinian folktales and their continued resonance in the present – how stories inhabit landscapes, shape personal histories and collective memory, and create an enchanted relationship to [ ... ]
A solo show for the Korean artist reflecting Kim’s belief that we live within a paradox where we can be both predators and shelter for one another. Says the gallery: "despite this contradiction we continue to reach outward, to connect, [ ... ]
MadCat’s standup team at its regular stop in the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
The second edition of the festival brings together 20 African and nine Emirati authors for around 20 Library sessions, book talks and panel discussions – and a series of African cooking sessions. The theme is “The African Way”, which is [ ... ]
Arva Ahmed is the entrepreneur behind Frying Pan Adventures, one of the Dubai’s more interesting food tour guides. This talk draws from her writings, YouTube channel, and television work to take stock of her career, her evolving relationship with the [ ... ]
An evening of new music from Boom.Diwan's forthcoming album, which is being recorded this week. The style is their characteristic merging of Kuwaiti maritime and desert traditions with the improvisational energy of jazz. Joining the ensemble are some distinguished collaborators, [ ... ]
Works by Yoshi (Aisha Al Ali), Ammar Al Banna, Ahmed Al Kuwaiti and Shaikha Al Shamsi. The theme is time as both a material and emotional presence, expressed through processes of transformation, memory, repetition, and decay – so time not [ ... ]
The debut solo exhibition in the Middle East for the Chinese-born London-based artist, known for her luscious sweeps of colour and a mordant wit (“Good Girls Go To Heaven, Cool Girls Go Everywhere”). This show presents a new body of [ ... ]
Bassam Freiha Art Foundation continues its monthly lecture series led by Dr Michaela Watrelot, BFAF Curator and Director of Exhibitions. This time it explores a pivotal moment in art history shaped by political upheaval, intellectual transformation, and shifting social ideals [ ... ]
Artist Daniele Genadry and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Associate Curator Nadine El Khoury will discuss Genadry’s practice and her approach to landscape through light, perception, and visual uncertainty, in relation to ecology, mediation, and the themes of the current group exhibition [ ... ]
The UAENO's inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January. Performances in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will feature the acclaimed Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma [ ... ]
MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks.
The November Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Emmanuel Sonubi big man, big smile, big fun. A big hit too when he was here a year ago. Highly recommended Saanya Abbas razor-sharp Dubai-based comedian with over half a million fans on [ ... ]
A group show – 27 artists, 35 works – of prints from digital art that represent “a kaleidoscopic range of subjects and sentiments reflecting the complexity and richness of being human today … Rendered through digital tools, in some instances [ ... ]
A contemporary art exhibition dedicated to the Urdu language: accoridng to Ishara, "the show explores how language provides the tools with which we create and shape our internal ‘worlds’. Words, rather than simply describing our surroundings, give rise to our [ ... ]
A group show in the Renaissance Business Bay’s lobby for “a diverse roster of Dubai based artists” that is “defined by variety rather than a single style" and linked “through colour, emotion, and storytelling”. To 27 January.
In the last few years the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival has grown into a solid contributor to the UAE’s arts and culture scene, with a community-oriented twist to the mix of exhibitions, performances, workshops and film screenings. There’s always [ ... ]
A live solo performance by the Lebanese-Armenian neo-classical pianist and composer (and a member of the Jameel team) for his latest album, MO(VE)MENT, which was released at the end of last year. Kurumilian says his music engages with questions of [ ... ]
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