The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, will take place from 19 to 23 November 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The fair has revealed the artists selected for its Beyond Emerging Artists (BEA) 2025 programme: Alla Abdunabi, Salmah Almansoori, and Maktoum Al Maktoum.
Their new commissions, inspired by Al Ain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be curated and mentored by internationally acclaimed artist Issam Kourbaj.
The three artists bring diverse practices: Abdunabi explores the afterlives of objects, Almansoori reflects on disappearing spaces and memory, and Al Maktoum constructs symbolic worlds interrogating belief systems and the human psyche.
Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art, said the 2025 BEA projects reflect themes of heritage, memory, and future imaginaries. “Through this flagship programme, Abu Dhabi Art aims to give the most promising artists from our region the visibility and support they need to thrive on a global stage,” she added.
As part of its international outreach, works by the 2024 BEA cohort (Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid, and Simrin Mehra Agarwal) were showcased in Hong Kong and will be exhibited at London’s Saatchi Gallery later this year, with support from HSBC and Friends of Abu Dhabi Art.
For more information, visit: www.abudhabiart.ae
