Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 Announces Locations For Public Light Art Exhibition Across The Emirate
Manar Abu Dhabi is set to return, illuminating the emirate's landscapes from 1 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 in Al Ain and from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 in Abu Dhabi. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, this public light art exhibition celebrates creativity and the region's natural beauty.
Khai Hori, Artistic Director of Manar Abu Dhabi 2025, leads this edition. Previously, Hori was Deputy Director at Palais de Tokyo in Paris and Senior Curator at the Singapore Art Museum. The exhibition is co-curated by Alia Zaal Lootah, Munira Al Sayegh, and Mariam Alshehhi. Their combined expertise ensures a diverse artistic vision.
The exhibition's theme, ‘The Light Compass,’ explores light as both a guide and medium. It draws on the Gulf’s historical relationship with light for navigation and communication. This theme connects contemporary artworks with traditional practices, highlighting light's role in guiding seafarers and desert nomads.
Jubail Island will be the central hub for Manar Abu Dhabi 2025. For the first time, the exhibition will extend to Al Ain, showcasing its growing cultural influence. Al Ain’s lush oases and archaeological sites provide a contrasting backdrop to Abu Dhabi’s coastal areas.
In Al Ain, installations will engage with unique terrains like Al Qattara and Al Jimi Oases. These green sanctuaries are sustained by ancient irrigation systems. The light-based artworks highlight connections between water, land, and life in these desert landscapes.
Engaging Public Programme
A dynamic public programme will accompany Manar Abu Dhabi as part of Public Art Abu Dhabi’s initiative to enhance public spaces through art. Visitors can participate in talks, workshops, and performances that offer deeper engagement with the artworks on display.
Alia Zaal Lootah stated that Manar Abu Dhabi will showcase Abu Dhabi’s islands and oases through various technologies and immersive experiences. "By bringing together artworks that reflect history, wayfinding, and guidance through light," she said, "the exhibition offers an experience that is both meaningful and unforgettable."
Khai Hori remarked on the exhibition's impact: "Manar Abu Dhabi brings audiences and artists into imaginative encounters shaped by Emirati traditional knowledge and contemporary experience." He added that this edition invites exploration of landscapes revealed through light.
The installations in Al Ain coincide with the Traditional Handicrafts Festival starting on 1 November. This timing enhances visitors' experiences by integrating cultural heritage with contemporary art expressions across diverse locations within the emirate.
With inputs from WAM
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