Art & Exhibitions
Explore the dynamic art scene of the Middle East with Martyn White UAE. From major exhibitions and emerging regional talent to gallery highlights and cultural commentary, this Art section celebrates the creativity, innovation, and vision shaping contemporary art across the region. Discover the artists, practices, and spaces that define the Middle East’s vibrant cultural landscape, connecting tradition with modernity and local narratives with global dialogue.
Sikka Art & Design Festival: Why It Should Be at the Top of Your Dubai Must‑Do List
Planning a trip to Dubai? Discover why the Sikka Art & Design Festival is one of the city’s most immersive cultural experiences. Explore art houses, murals, workshops, food concepts and live performances, and find out why Sikka should be at the top of your Dubai itinerary.
Sikka Art & Design Festival 2026: A Living Tapestry of Dubai’s Creative Future
Step inside the Sikka Art & Design Festival 2026, where more than 1,000 creatives transformed Al Shindagha into a living cultural landscape. Explore the artworks, installations, performances and stories that shaped this year’s edition and discover how Sikka continues to define Dubai’s creative future.
‘Design Is Served’ at Isola Space: Redefining the Art of the Table in Dubai
Discover “Design Is Served” at Isola Space Dubai (9 Dec 2025 – 10 Jan 2026), an exhibition exploring contemporary tableware, holiday entertaining, and multisensory design experiences. Enjoy workshops, live painting, talks, and installations celebrating creativity and connection.
Urban Commissions 2025 Winner: Some Kind of Practice Reimagines the Courtyard in Dubai
Discover the Urban Commissions 2025 winning project by UAE-based studio Some Kind of Practice. Presented at Dubai Design Week, the proposal reimagines the Emirati courtyard as climate-responsive, inclusive urban infrastructure.
Dubai Culture Unveils Two Striking Murals in Al Quoz Creative Zone
Discover two striking new murals in Dubai’s Al Quoz Creative Zone by artists Rabab Tantawy, Hend Al Murid, and Dina Saadi. Part of the Dubai Public Art Strategy, these works transform the city into an open-air art gallery and celebrate its growing creative hub.
I’m Never Coming Back – Aidha Badr at Firetti Contemporary, Dubai
Discover I’m Never Coming Back by artist Aidha Badr at Firetti Contemporary, Dubai. Opening 19 September 2025, the solo exhibition explores motherhood, identity, and transformation through intimate, thought-provoking works.
Dubai Showcases Architectural Innovation and Cultural Heritage at Expo 2025 Osaka
Discover how Dubai Culture and the UAE Pavilion are showcasing Emirati architecture, sustainable design, and cultural heritage at Expo 2025 Osaka. Explore how traditional knowledge, innovative materials, and global collaboration are shaping the UAE’s evolving design identity.
Padel Edition Dubai: A Design-Driven Sporting Destination Elevating the Padel Experience
Explore Padel Edition Dubai, a sophisticated padel and wellness destination where contemporary architecture, refined materiality, and meticulous spatial design elevate the sporting experience. Discover how this design-driven facility is shaping a new standard for padel in the UAE.
Waddington Custot - Landon Metz: Being Infinite / Arnaud Rivieren: Steel Life
Custot Gallery Dubai, established by French gallerist, art dealer, and director of Waddington Custot Galleries in London, Stéphane Custot, showcases an engaging array of contemporary European and American art in various media and materials. The gallery is dedicated to fostering ongoing creative dialogue and exchange between the Middle East and the global art community.
IWAN Pavilion, Dubai Design District
Winning the Tanween Foldable Pavilion Challenge, Iwan is a collaborative effort between the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra), architectural practice Mamou Mani Studio, and production partner ABYWAT, a leading GCC company specialising in various finishing and furnishing materials.
Mestaria Gallery: Interwoven, Areej Raja
Showcasing at Mestaria Gallery on Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, "Interwoven" explores the connection between humanity and nature, highlighting intertwining patterns.
Firetti Contemporary: The Cosmic Renaissance
At Firetti Contemporary, Kaikhan Salakhov's artworks showcase intricate geometric patterns that embody complex cosmic principles and the challenges humanity may confront in the future.
Gallery Isabelle: Fariba Boroufar - In Our Bones
Gallery Isabelle showcases an exquisite exhibition, ‘In Our Bones,’ marking Fariba Boroufar’s inaugural solo showcase in the UAE, running from October 31st to December 7th, 2024. Boroufar’s approach to weaving—though seemingly primitive—paired with her depictions of architectural forms and traditions nearing extinction, crafts a poetic reflection of our fractured reality, serving both as a protest against forgetfulness and as a homage to alternative ways of inhabiting our world.
Flag Garden 2024 - UAE Flag Day
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Umm Suqeim Beach, the 11th edition of Dubai’s Flag Garden stands as a striking tribute to the visionary legacies of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. As part of the #ZayedAndRashid campaign, this year’s installation is the largest ever organised by Brand Dubai, spanning 75 metres in length and 104 metres in height.
Zawyeh Gallery: The Land and I Nabil Anani
In this captivating exhibition at Zawyeh Gallery, located in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue arts hub, Nabil Anani draws inspiration from the land, focusing on landscapes for over twenty years. In The Land and I, Anani depicts himself as deeply connected to the earth he illustrates, showcasing how the land shapes his identity and the lives of its people.
I Kept The Night Vigil: A Profound Exploration of Women’s Voices Across and Beyond the Middle East
Discover ‘I Kept The Night Vigil’, a powerful art exhibition at Leila Heller Gallery Dubai (18 Sep–4 Nov 2024), curated by Behrang Samadzadegan. Showcasing women artists from across and beyond the Middle East, the show explores identity, resilience, and cultural heritage through contemporary art.
Carbon 12: The Errantries of Sarah Almehairi and Bernhard Buhmannn
The latest paintings by Sarah Almehairi and Bernhard Buhmann reveal deep transformations. With unexpected protrusions and punctures, the artists advance their narratives, embodying what philosopher Édouard Glissant terms “a poetics of errantry”—a mix of adventurous journeys and defiant misdirections.
Expo 2020, Dubai - Republic of Korea Pavilion
Discover the Republic of Korea Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Moon Hoon and SERI. Explore how its kinetic architecture and immersive experiences highlight Korea’s leadership in smart mobility, innovation, and cultural evolution.
Expo 2020, Dubai - Spain Pavilion
The Spain Pavilion was an open, eco-friendly exhibition that seamlessly blended ancient heritage and cutting-edge innovation. Guests were able to venture underground into a roomy basement, to explore a “forest of the future” exhibition filled with thought-provoking installations and demonstrations of Spain’s contributions to global sustainability.
Expo 2020, Dubai - UK Pavilion
Inspired by one of Stephen Hawking’s final projects, 'Breakthrough Message', the UK Pavilion invited visitors to consider what message we would communicate to express ourselves as a planet should we one day encounter other advanced civilisations in space.