Abu Dhabi Art Programme to Showcase Artists Commissions in Cultural Sites

Abu Dhabi Art has announced the artists for its 2025 Cultural Sites Commissions, transforming Al Ain’s archaeological and heritage landmarks into living galleries that bridge past and present. Running from 19 November 2025 to 26 April 2026, the programme reimagines Al Ain not only as a city of heritage but as a stage for contemporary creation.

Supported by HSBC, the initiative represents one of Abu Dhabi Art’s most ambitious crossovers between contemporary practice and heritage preservation. Each commission is deeply embedded in its environment-reflecting how the UAE’s oldest landscapes continue to inspire modern dialogue. From Bronze Age relics to palm-filled oases, these sites become portals where art and memory meet.

At the Hili Archaeological Park, the Abu Dhabi-based artist trio Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian will unveil Luminous Shadow (The Arch)-a sculptural installation rising from the desert floor. The piece explores the sinuous rhythm of Arabic and Pahlavi scripts as visual representations of sound, their curves imagined as serpentine symbols of movement and language. “At Hili Archaeological Park, the largest Bronze Age site in the Emirates, the Arch rises from the silent depths of the sand,” the artists shared.

“We are honoured to bring this work into dialogue with such an ancient and significant site.” The trio’s signature blend of poetic humour and political reflection finds new resonance here, echoing thousands of years of communication and creation.

At Al Ain Oasis, Nigerian textile legend Nike Davies-Okundaye, affectionately known as Mama Nike, creates a large-scale tapestry installation combining embroidery, appliqué, and adire (hand-dyed indigo textiles). Her new commission, inspired by the palm tree and its life-giving presence in desert ecology, draws parallels between the UAE and Nigeria, two cultures rooted in craft and community. “Being at Al Ain Oasis last year was such a beautiful experience,” she said. “This opportunity lets us share our African stories again through creativity and tradition. It shows how deeply connected we all are through culture.”

The result is an evolving landscape of colour, thread, and symbolism: a canopy of woven palms that honour the women’s art forms of Yoruba tradition while celebrating the shared spirit of resilience between two nations shaped by nature.

Meanwhile, across several key landmarks including Al Qattara Oasis, Syrian-born, Cambridge-based artist Issam Kourbaj has conceived a series of intimate installations using camera obscuras—optical devices that transform sunlight into fleeting images. These works invite visitors to experience Al Ain’s cultural sites through shifting lenses of time and perception. “Through the lens of the camera obscura, I explore the word Al Ain as both eye and spring,” Kourbaj explains. “It’s about seeing how light remembers.” His works become metaphors for collective memory—mirrors that remind us that the act of seeing is itself a dialogue between past and present.

For Abu Dhabi Art, the Cultural Sites Commissions have become a defining part of its year-round mission: to extend art beyond the white walls of the fair and into the landscape of the UAE. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the initiative places contemporary art in direct conversation with the emirate’s cultural DNA. Each installation functions as both reflection and revelation—redefining heritage not as a relic of the past, but as an evolving, living narrative.

HSBC’s continued partnership with Abu Dhabi Art underscores the private sector’s role in sustaining this creative movement. “Through our ongoing support for programmes like the Cultural Sites Commissions, HSBC is proud to contribute to expanding access to art and promoting cross-cultural dialogue,” the organisation noted, reinforcing how corporate collaboration is helping shape the UAE’s creative infrastructure.

This year’s edition of Abu Dhabi Art (19–23 November 2025) will once again take place at Manarat Al Saadiyat, but its influence stretches far beyond the fair’s duration. With the expansion of off-site commissions, residencies, and educational programmes, Abu Dhabi Art continues to transform the emirate into an open museum—one where culture breathes in the everyday.

In Al Ain, the harmony between old and new feels almost orchestral. Hili’s Bronze Age arches stand beside contemporary sculpture; the palm trees of the Oasis mirror the handwoven patterns of Nigerian textiles; and camera obscuras turn ancient towers into living optics. Together, they form a composition of creativity that speaks to the UAE’s deepest philosophy—that innovation thrives when it grows from the roots of heritage.