ABU DHABI, UAE, Sep. 29, 2025 (CNW Group via COMTEX) --
Led by Artistic Director Khai Hori, the biannual light art exhibition returns this November to illuminate the emirate under the theme 'The Light Compass'Â
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, Manar Abu Dhabi will once again illuminate the archipelagos, mangroves and oases of Abu Dhabi from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism â?? 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 'The Light Compass', this edition will feature 19 newly commissioned works and site-specific light sculptures, projections and immersive installations by Emirati and international artists. Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 is curated by Khai Hori, Artistic Director, who was previously Deputy Director of Artistic Programming at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Senior Curator at the Singapore Art Museum, where he oversaw Singapore's national collection of contemporary art, and Senior Curator in the Curatorial Development department at the National Heritage Board in Singapore. The exhibition is co-curated by Alia Zaal Lootah, Curator; Munira Al Sayegh; Curator; and Mariam Alshehhi, Assistant Curator. Â
Drawing on the Gulf's ancestral relationship with light, this edition of Manar Abu Dhabi brings together contemporary artworks that respond to its presence, behaviour, and resonance across both natural and technological forms and expressions. As the theme 'The Light Compass' suggests, light is situated as both guide and medium, from contextualising its traditions of navigation in orienting seafarers and desert nomads to instigating poetic modes of knowledge and communication through its ephemerality. Set across Abu Dhabi's diverse landscapes, Manar Abu Dhabi will unfold across mangroves, sandbanks, oases and urban edges, where artworks form a breathing constellation and become a living map shaped by reflection and relation.
Jubail Island will serve as the centre stage for Manar Abu Dhabi 2025, anchoring this year's expanded edition. Alongside an exciting rollout across other city locations, for the first time the exhibition will extend to the city of Al Ain Region, reflecting the festival's growing cultural footprint across the region. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Al Ain Region's backdrop of lush oases and ancient archaeological sites offers a dramatically different landscape from the coastal archipelagos and mangroves of the capital. Light-based installations from Manar Abu Dhabi will engage with the unique terrains of Al Qattara and Al Jimi Oasesâ??green sanctuaries nestled within the city's desert topography, sustained by ancient aflaj irrigation systemsâ??illuminating the enduring connections between water, land, and life. The installations in Al Ain Region will be on display from 1 November to coincide with the ongoing Traditional Handicrafts Festival.
As part of Public Art Abu Dhabi's ongoing commitment to enhancing the emirate's public spaces through art, a dynamic public programme of talks, workshops, and performances will accompany the exhibition, offering visitors meaningful opportunities to engage with the artworks.
About Manar Abu Dhabi
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism â?? Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Manar Abu Dhabi is a public light art exhibition that aims to foster creativity and celebrate the emirate's landscapes.
About the Department of Culture and Tourism â?? Abu Dhabi:
The Department of Culture and Tourism â?? Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi's culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi's wider global ambitions.
By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate's position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate's potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism.
DCT Abu Dhabi's vision is defined by the emirate's people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi's status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism â?? Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: dct.gov.ae and abudhabiculture.ae
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2784256/Department_of_Culture_and_Tourism_Abu_Dhabi.jpg
SOURCE Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi
SOURCE: Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi
For more information, please contact: Ishita Singh, Senior Account Executive, Memac
Ogilvy, Email: ishita.singh@ogilvy.com
COMTEX_469143780/2197/2025-09-29T05:20:00
Copyright (C) 2025 CNW Group. All rights reserved.
