Building on the success of its inaugural edition, Manar Abu Dhabi will once again illuminate Abu Dhabi's archipelagos, mangroves and oases from November 15, 2025 to January 4, 2026. Organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), this public light art exhibition aims to inspire creativity and celebrate the emirate's unique natural landscapes.
Under the theme "Light Compass", this edition will feature 19 newly commissioned works, as well as light sculptures, projections and immersive installations by artists from the Emirates and other countries. Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 is curated by Hai Hori, an artistic director who was previously Deputy Director of Art Programs at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Senior Curator at the Singapore Art Museum, where he was in charge of the National Collection of Contemporary Art Singapore, and Senior Curator in the Curatorial Development Department at the National Heritage Board of Singapore. The exhibition is co-organized by Alia Zaal Lutah, curator Munirah Al Sayegh, and Mariam Alshehhi, assistant curator.
Drawing inspiration from the Arabian Gulf's long-standing relationship with light, this edition of Manar Abu Dhabi brings together contemporary artworks that respond to its presence, behavior and resonance through natural and technological forms and expressions. As the theme "Light Compass" suggests, light is considered both a guide and a means of expression, whether contextualizing its navigational traditions, orienting sailors and desert nomads, or establishing poetic ways of knowing and communicating through its ephemeral nature. Set in Abu Dhabi's diverse landscapes, Manar Abu Dhabi will unfold through mangroves, sandbanks, oases and urban peripheries, where the artworks form a breathing constellation and become a living map shaped by reflection and interconnections.
Jubail Island will be the center stage for Manar Abu Dhabi 2025, forming the backbone of this year's expanded edition. In addition to an exciting launch in other cities, the exhibition will expand to the Al Ain region for the first time, reflecting the festival's growing cultural footprint in the region. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Al Ain region, with its lush oases and ancient archaeological sites, offers a landscape that is radically different from the capital's coastal archipelagos and mangroves. Manar Abu Dhabi's light installations will adapt to the unique topography of Al Qattara and Al Jimi Oases, green sanctuaries located in the city's desert topography and fed by ancient afflage irrigation systems, and will emphasize the strong connections between water, land and life. The Al Ain installations will be on display from November 1 and will coincide with the traditional crafts festival.
As part of Public Art Abu Dhabi's ongoing commitment to enhancing the emirate's public spaces through art, the exhibition will be accompanied by a dynamic public program of lectures, workshops and performances, providing visitors with meaningful opportunities to interact with the artworks.
