421 Arts Campus Marks 10 Years This November as a Catalyst for Emerging Artists and Creative Practitioners in The UAE and SWANA Region

On November 15, 2025, Abu Dhabi’s 421 Arts Campus celebrates 10 years of contribution to the UAE and regional arts ecosystem, having supported over 1,500 creative practitioners, commissioned hundreds of new works, and delivered around 2,000 programs from residencies to grants, exhibitions and public programs

NYUAD MFA Graduate Show, 2023. Installation view. Image courtesy of 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi. 

 

As an independent arts platform in Abu Dhabi dedicated to supporting emerging artists and creative practitioners from the UAE and the wider Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, we celebrate our 10-year anniversary on November 15, 2025.

 

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. 

 

421 Arts Campus has opened doors, unlocked opportunities and equipped artists and creative practitioners with the skills, experience, and platforms to advance their careers - strengthening the UAE’s talent pipeline and the wider arts ecosystem. Serving as a launchpad for talent, 421 has supported artists transition from early career stages to regional biennials, international residencies, and established gallery representation. Examples include Maitha Abdullah, Alla Abdunabi, Ammar Al Attar, Salem AlSuwaidi, Nasser Alzayani, Asma Belhamar, Fatima Belkis and Onur Gokmen, Vikram Divecha, Hashel Al Lamki, Moza Al Matrooshi, Engy Mohsen, Augustine Paredes, Mahshid Rafiei, Nahla Tabbaa, and Asim Waqif, among others. 421 has also supported curators such as Meitha Almazrouei, Ritika Biswas, Mona Jadir, Lina Ramadan, Sara Bin Safwan, Dima Srouji, Faysal Tabbarah, and Kayfa Ta (Ala Younis and Maha Maamoun); designers such as Rasha Dakkak and Dina Khorshid; and design collectives including 100/100 Best Arabic Posters and The Looming Council.

 

Fall Programming – Key Highlight

 

Rays, Ripples, Residue

Fall 2025 exhibition 

Curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali 

November 1, 2025 – April 26, 2026

 

The season launches with Rays, Ripples, Residue (November 1, 2025 – April 26, 2026), a landmark exhibition curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali. Featuring video, performance, installation, and multimedia works, the show explores how artistic practices and exhibition-making in the UAE have evolved over the past decade, while also looking ahead to possible futures. Framed through three curatorial perspectives, the exhibition engages with time as a central theme - from the past to the present and future - revisiting pivotal moments, examining the current landscape, and testing new ideas for the next chapter of art in the region. 

 

Leading to the Middle – curated by Munira Al Sayegh

Artists: Tarek Al-Ghoussein; Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim; Bait 15; Adele Bea Cipste; Khaled Esguerra; Lamya Gargash; and Auguste Nomeikaite.

 

Ghosts of Arrival – curated by Nadine Khalil 

Artists: Tarek Al-Ghoussein; Hashel Al Lamki; Mona Ayyash and Nadine Ghandour; Lucinda Childs; Maria Daher, Sarah Daher, and Cristalina Parra; Bait Juma; Sara Naim; and Isaac Sullivan.

 

SUN™ – curated by Murtaza Vali

Artists: Charbel-joseph H. Boutros; Khalid Jauffer; Raja'a Khalid; Nima Nabavi; Pratchaya Phinthong; Sa Tahanan Co. (Preschelle Ann Bigueras, Alexandra Chaves, Niño Consorte, Bernice delos Reyes, John Gatapia, Bala Ochangco, Augustine Paredes, Nicolas Roa, Mox Santos); Shazia Salam; and Lantian Xie.

 

10th Anniversary Public Program 

421 Arts Campus’ 10th anniversary public program is centered around revisiting landmark programs from the past decade, exploring the campus and its impact as it exists today, and imagining collective futures by activating the space through collaborative walks and technical labs. The season spans lectures, community archiving, practical demonstrations, and creative reflection, inviting artists, cultural professionals, and the public to imagine new ways of preserving memory, shaping knowledge, and inhabiting the everyday. Anchored in the spirit of collective authorship, the program brings together diverse voices - ranging from neighborhood plants to speculative soundscapes and junk journals - to form a living, participatory portrait of 421. The program also includes a special birthday edition of Block Barty, a vibrant arts festival featuring pop-up activations, live performances, creative vendors, and Abu Dhabi’s favorite food and beverage concepts. 

 

For more information on the anniversary program: https://www.421.online/10-years-of-421/