Over the past decade, 421 has supported more than 1,500 emerging creative practitioners, presented over 50 exhibitions including solo, group and traveling shows, and commissioned hundreds of new works across visual art, design, performance, and writing. The institution has delivered around 2,000 impactful programs across residencies, grants and exhibitions, alongside various public programs from talks to workshops, film screenings, symposia, and special events, while training and mentoring more than 60 interns and creative facilitators. In addition, 421 has worked with over 250 regional designers through Dukkan421, its design store and platform dedicated to supporting and highlighting artists with design-led practices. Together, these efforts have engaged thousands of creatives and participants, shaping 421 into a vital hub for emergent creative practices.

As the UAE’s art scene continues to grow - propelled by major cultural institutions, art fairs, and a robust art market - independent platforms are playing an increasingly crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable cultural landscape. Since its founding, 421 has established itself as a cornerstone of this ecosystem, championing a community-led model that places process, participation, and experimentation at its core. Through its commissioning programs, the platform invests in capability-building, research, and long-term support for emerging artists and cultural practitioners.

Through its year-round programming and core initiatives, including the Artistic Residency Program, Artistic and Curatorial Development Programs, and the Artistic Research Grant, 421 has become a home for rigorous experimentation, collaborative inquiry, and artist-first practices that continue to define the next generation of cultural voices in the region. 

On November 15, 2025, Abu Dhabi’s 421 Arts Campus celebrates 10 years of contribution to the UAE and regional arts ecosystem. To mark this milestone, 421 presents Rays, Ripples, Residue (November 1, 2025 – April 26, 2026), a landmark exhibition curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali, exploring how artistic practices and exhibition-making in the UAE have evolved over the past decade. Additionally, 421 will present a public program revisiting notable programs from the past decade, exploring the campus and its impact as it exists today, and imagining collective futures by activating the space through studio sessions, activations, and artist talks. 

A full outline of the program is detailed below. 

To mark a decade of activity, this impact report will encapsulate 421’s evolution over the past 10 years, chronicling its journey, milestones, and shifts in vision, mission, strategy, and identity. Capturing the voices of early collaborators, artists, curators, team members, and stakeholders, it will reflect on how their experiences with 421 shaped their practices, careers, or creative trajectories, highlighting the programmatic and institutional changes that defined each phase, and providing analysis and context for how external and internal forces shaped the organization.

The report will be available soon. Stay tuned.