All the highlights from Abu Dhabi Art 2022

Abu Dhabi Art 2022 was a packed event this year with more than 900 artworks exhibited by over 300 artists representing 28 countries.

Each November, Abu Dhabi Art rounds up the year by bringing together local and international galleries and setting the stage for exhibitions, art sales, public installations and new commissions.

This year some 80 galleries participated to make Abu Dhabi Art 2022 the biggest event yet, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

The diverse line-up also included 33 new galleries joining for the first time, from Colombia, France, Tunisia, Italy, Nigeria, South Korea, Italy, Morocco, Turkey, the UAE and beyond, as well as artists from North Africa who were in particular highlighted in this year’s Focus section, with esteemed curator Rachida Triki presenting “New Tomorrows”. Leila Heller Gallery also presented a large selection of artists including, Robert Wilson, Darvish Fakhr, Aref Montazeri, Marwan Sahmarani, Azza Al Qubaisi, as well as a special feature display of the video installations by the distinguished late Iranian artist Farideh Lashai.

In the Gateway section, Dr. Omar Kholeif curated “My Life in the Metaverse”, a multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring works by international renowned artists like Sophia Al Maria, Haroon Mirza, Farhad Moshiri, and Andy Warhol.

UAE-based emerging artists were also given an opportunity to shine, as Majd Alloush, Sarah Al Mehairi and Mohamed Khalid created new commissioned works in the “Beyond: Emerging Artists” exhibition. In addition Abu Dhabi Art also commissioned four artists to create new public installations, which were displayed on sites of historical importance across the UAE, in Al Ain and at Al Hosn, as well as in Abu Dhabi.