Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial appoints Elvira Dyangani Ose to lead 2026–27 edition
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has appointed Elvira Dyangani Ose as Artistic Director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. She will curate the second edition, which opens in autumn 2026 and continues into 2027.
Following the first edition in 2024, the Biennial will again turn Abu Dhabi into a city-wide platform for public art. Under Dyangani Ose’s leadership, the next edition will focus on public space, cultural exchange, and community engagement across the emirate.
The inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial took place across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain from 15 November 2024 to 30 April 2025. It presented site-specific works by artists from the UAE and abroad. Several works were later acquired as permanent public artworks, including pieces by Kader Attia, Superflex, Nathan Coley, Wael Al Awar, Farah Al Qassimi and Shaikha Al Ketbi.
Dyangani Ose is Director of MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Before this role, she served as Director and Chief Curator at The Showroom in London. Her past positions include Curator of the Gothenburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art, Senior Curator at Creative Time, and Curator of International Art at Tate Modern. She has also served on the Advisory Council of Tate Modern and the Thought Council of Fondazione Prada. She is currently a member of the Board of CIMAM – the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art.
Her curatorial practice explores how history is shaped through shared experience and public space. Her work also focuses on non-Western perspectives and knowledge systems. Recent projects include Project a Black Planet – The Art and Culture of Panafrica (2024–2027, co-curated), Coco Fusco. I Learned to Swim On Dry Land (2025), and Goshka Macuga’s Miu Miu Tales and Tellers (2024–2025), where she acted as convenor.
Dyangani Ose holds a degree in Art History from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She is a doctoral candidate in Visual Studies at Cornell University, where she also completed a Master of Arts. She holds a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Theory and History of Architecture from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. She has taught at Goldsmiths, University of London, with a focus on museology, curating, Black studies, and contemporary African art.
Further information, including confirmed dates and programme details for the second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, will be announced in due course.
