Community Projects Exhibition | Abu Dhabi Art 2025
An exhibition presented by cultural organisations and community partners in the UAE, providing insights into their philanthropic projects and initiatives and work towards collaborative installation.This year, Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) has been invited to transform the Community Partners exhibition space into a dynamic platform for artistic and cultural dialogue, reflecting the spirit of the "Year of Community."
Mutual Systems
Producer: Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in collaboration with Salasil
Community Partners: Zuleya by Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) | Future Rehabilitation Centre | House of Artisans | Khaleeji Art Museum | Maraya Art Center | National MS Society | New York University Abu Dhabi | Zayed University
Premise: A research and exhibition project exploring how relationships, histories, and collective practices move across urban and natural landscapes. Set in the context of Abu Dhabi—a city built across islands—the exhibition considers the idea of community as an archipelago, connected by currents of memory, care, and exchange. The project investigates community as both memory and future, resource and practice—an evolving system of care, continuity, and creation— responding in particular, to the official Year of Community 2025.
During the fair, the exhibition occupied diverse spaces throughout Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Other Community Partners
Ministry of Culture
The UAE Ministry of Culture’s National Grant Program for Culture and Creativity (launched in 2023) supports Emirati creatives through funding and institutional backing. The exhibition Creative Expressions showcases works from the first three program cycles, celebrating national talent and innovation. At Abu Dhabi Art, grant recipient Shama Al Hamed presents “I Jump – Will I Stick the Landing?” (2025), a mixed media installation.
Location: Welcome Pavilion, Manarat Al Saadiyat.
: "[ُThe First Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society]," Abu Dhabi, 1980
Al Mawrid Arab Center
Al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art at NYU Abu Dhabi promotes research on the visual arts of the Arab world through fellowships, archives, and scholarly projects. At Abu Dhabi Art, it displays archival materials from Arab artists, conservation tools, and posters to highlight resources available for researchers and to inspire young Emirati artists to engage in documenting regional art history.
Tadweer Group
Tadweer Group, part of ADQ, leads Abu Dhabi’s waste management and circular economy efforts, aiming to divert 80% of waste from landfills by 2030. At Abu Dhabi Art, Tadweer presents the top three winning installations from its Sustainability Competition, emphasizing innovation in sustainable practices and creative waste solutions.
Turquoise Mountain
Founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2006, Turquoise Mountain supports artisans across the Middle East and Asia to preserve and promote heritage crafts. At Abu Dhabi Art, its exhibition highlights traditional and contemporary works by artisans from Palestine, Jordan, and Syria, celebrating craftsmanship, cultural identity, and heritage through glass, stone, embroidery, and ceramics.
Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI)
Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative showing carpets designed by the Khalifa Ahmed. In this carpet’s artwork, rendered in handcrafted Arabic calligraphy, artist Khalifa Ahmed presents a vision that reflects the character and values of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and Her Highness Shaikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan.
Image credit: @KhalifaAhmedArt on Instagram
