Abu Dhabi Art announces dates for 17th edition

The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will take place from November 19 to 23 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, (DCT Abu Dhabi) the fair will showcase Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou as the Visual Campaign Artist for 2025.

Abu Dhabi Art is the highlight of a year-round programme, encompassing commissions, exhibitions, with a strong focus on educational outreach.

Each year, the Visual Campaign Artist creates the fair’s visual identity. Shaikha Al Mazrou is represented by Lawrie Shabibi Gallery in Dubai. Her appointment as this year’s artist is a testament to her groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art in the UAE.

Al Mazrou’s artistic practice is deeply informed by minimalism and conceptual art, drawing on the influences of Modernist and Bauhaus artists such as Paul Klee, Carle Andre, and Wassily Kandinsky.

Her work merges mass-produced materials, like electronic waste and construction materials, with colour and form, creating geometric abstract sculptures that explore notions of space, tension, and physicality.

Shaikha Al Mazrou said: "Art isn’t about making things. It’s about provoking thought. It’s a language that doesn’t need borders, yet we still insist on them. My work? It’s a journey, one that raises more questions than answers, and maybe that’s the point. The transformation of materials is just a way of questioning what we think we know.”

Al Mazrou’s work is part of major international collections, including the RMZ Foundation, Art Jameel, and The Farjam Foundation. She is a winner of the Paulo Cunha e Silva Art Prize (2020) and was shortlisted for the Louvre Abu Dhabi Richard Mille Art Prize. She is also Assistant Arts Professor of Visual Arts at NYU Abu Dhabi.