The first edition of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial will launch on 15 November 2024, bringing together art installations and performances by more than 70 UAE-based and international artists creating site-specific installations in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in response to the Biennial theme, ‘Public Matter’.
The Biennial explores the concept of "public", defining it within the context of Abu Dhabi. Understanding what constitutes public spaces is crucial to comprehend the unique characteristics of the city. Abu Dhabi's public life is shaped by various factors that includes environmental conditions, communal way of living, indigeneity, architecture, and city planning. In a place where the natural environment dominates and determines the ways, locations, and times at which people gather, it is essential to question and localize what it means to be public. Additionally, and over the past five decades, Abu Dhabi has become home to a diverse population that has grown through the immigration of foreign experts. In this context, values such as hospitality and generosity, intrinsic to the Abu Dhabi way of life and its culture, have become even more critical, particularly as the city continues to grow and extend itself. Therefore, the first Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial aims to explore the cultural imaginaries of different transitory communities and the conditions under which these communities become public.
The Artists of the first Biennial include Allora & Calzadilla, Arquitectura Expandida, Christopher Joshua Benton, Farah Al Qasimi, guBuyoBand, Hashel Al Lamki, Kabir Mohanty, Khalil Rabah, Oscar Murillo, Radhika Khimji, Sammy Baloji, Tarik Kiswanson, Wael Al Awar, Zeinab Alhashemi and more.
The Biennial, a tribute to the importance of public art, a valuable resource that should be available to everyone, is strategically located where the public can easily access it. It will take place in two locations: the downtowns of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The artists have been invited to create site-specific works as well as performances that will directly engage with communities.