421 ARTS CAMPUS ANNOUNCES WINTER 2026 SEASON
AS PART OF ITS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM
Sun Printing Studio Session. Image courtesy of 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi. Photography by The Frei.
Abu Dhabi, UAE — January 6, 2026 — 421 Arts Campus, the 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, announces its 2026 Winter Program. Running from January 15 — March 12, this season features an ongoing landmark exhibition and over 15 workshops and special events, from public talks to artist-led studio sessions, writers and makers’ circles, hands-on workshops across a range of disciplines, and more for all ages, presented as part of the institution’s 10-year anniversary program. Taking place across 421’s galleries, studios and public spaces, these programs continue the institution’s long-standing focus on process-led, participatory practice and shared learning.
The Winter 2026 season is conceptually grounded in 421’s current exhibition Rays, Ripples, Residue, on view until April 26, curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil and Murtaza Vali. While the show reflects on a decade of artistic production and exhibition-making in the UAE, the Winter season shifts the focus towards public participation, collective reflection and future-facing dialogue.
A key highlight of the Winter season is The Localized Futures: Conversations by 421 x afikra, a four-part series running from January 20 to April 9. Developed in collaboration with afikra, the series explores the future of key cultural and civic sectors through a uniquely regional lens, addressing collective heritage, education, cities and communities, and the arts. It challenges dominant global narratives by centering the distinct solutions, innovations, and complexities inherent to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Open to the public, the series spotlights the thinkers and practitioners actively sharing these futures today. By convening institutional leaders, policy shapers, and cultural pioneers, the forum fosters high-level public discourse, shares critical local knowledge, and strengthens the intellectual community anchored by 421.
Additional highlights include learning and family programming such as A 421 Family Day, alongside dedicated sessions for UAE-based educators that explore contemporary art as a tool for discussion, inquiry and classroom engagement. During Ramadan, the program also includes evening gatherings such as Writers’ and Image-Makers’ Suhoors, which combine artistic practice with moments of reflection, hospitality and communal exchange.
Faisal Al Hassan, Director of 421 Arts Campus, said: “As we mark ten years of 421, this Winter season reflects how the institution is carrying that experience forward. The program builds on what has been established over the past decade, while creating space for new conversations, practices and forms of public engagement.”
Mays Albaik, Programs and Community Initiatives Manager at 421 Arts Campus, said: “The Winter program is shaped by the belief that culture is built collectively. From writing circles and hands-on studio sessions to family programming and Ramadan gatherings, each initiative fosters meaningful exchange and sustained engagement, while building capabilities and placing process, participation, and experimentation at the core.”
— ENDS —
A detailed schedule of the Winter 2026 program is outlined below:
Exhibitions
Rays, Ripples, Residue
Curated in chapters by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali
Galleries 1 & 2
Until April 26, 2026
Free and open to the public
Marking 421’s 10-year anniversary, Rays, Ripples, Residue examines the lasting impressions, afterimages, and material residues that have shaped artistic production and exhibition-making in the UAE over the past decade. Featuring video, performance, installation, and multimedia works, the exhibition explores what it means to produce art in the UAE today, highlighting the perspectives of emerging artists, collectives, and grassroots initiatives alongside the influential role of cultural institutions that have supported and platformed these practices.
Writers & Reading Programs
Pencil In: A Writers’ Circle
January 15 & February 12
6 PM to 8 PM
Pencil In is a recurring writers’ circle that offers a supportive environment for writers to write alone, together. Grounded in the practice of body-doubling, these communal sessions encourage focus, accountability, and exchange. Participants are invited to work on personal texts, engage in active conversations, and receive peer feedback in English and/or Arabic, all within a welcoming and pressure-free space. Open to ages 18 and above, and no prior experience is required.
Craft, Making & Studio Sessions
Tatreez Circle
January 15 & February 12
6 PM to 8 PM
A beginner-friendly embroidery circle centered on Tatreez, the centuries-old Palestinian embroidery tradition. Participants gather as makers to stitch meaningful motifs while cultivating community through slow, intentional craft.
Ancient Jewels
January 17
2 PM to 4 PM
Led by multidisciplinary artist Boubaker Boukhari, this studio session explores ancient jewelry-making techniques inspired by historic pieces found in Abu Dhabi’s museums. Participants will experiment with traditional wire-working methods to create wearable pieces that connect their creativity with the past.
Treasured Wire
January 25
2 PM to 4 PM
Inspired by Fresh and Salt, an artwork featured in Rays, Ripples, Residue, this hands-on workshop introduces stone-wrapping techniques using natural materials from the sea to create distinctive jewelry pieces.
You Got the Memo?!
January 31 & February 1
11 AM to 2 PM
A two-day paper-focused studio session exploring paper-making, natural dyes, collage, and bookbinding. Participants will reflect on collective memory and the value of analogue processes, creating collages from handmade paper, exhibition ephemera and archival materials.
Stick With It!
February 1
11 AM to 1 PM
A creative meetup inviting participants to trade stickers, journal, and collage in a relaxed junk-journaling session focused on reflection and intention-setting for the year ahead.
(Lino) Printing MiZa
February 8
11 AM to 2 PM
A printmaking workshop led by artist Diego Mendoza, introducing lino-cutting and printing through image-making inspired by Mina Zayed and other visual materials.
Talks, Panels & Conversations
Palette to Pedagogy: Teachers Evening
January 20
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
An after-work evening for UAE-based educators to explore Rays, Ripples, Residue as a learning tool. The program invites teachers to engage with contemporary regional art and consider its role in classroom pedagogy.
Conversations by 421 x afikra
The Localized Futures: Collective Heritage
January 20
6 PM to 8 PM
The opening session of The Localized Futures, a four-part conversation series presented in collaboration with afikra. This panel explores the roles of museums, institutions, policy makers, and community advocates in defining what heritage means today—not as a static relic, but as a living, evolving source of identity and future-making.
Conversations by 421 x afikra
The Localized Futures: Education
February 10
6 PM to 8 PM
This session brings together leaders from academia, policy, and publishing to explore how regional educational institutions are moving beyond traditional models to build learning ecosystems that are locally relevant, globally competitive, and capable of fostering critical thinking and creative citizenship.
Children & Family Programming
Noor’s Heroes & Paper Pulp!
January 24
11 AM - 3 PM
A family friendly program combining storytelling, gallery exploration, and paper-mâché sculpture-making inspired by Rays, Ripples, Residue. Designed for children ages 6 and above, with parents welcome to participate.
A 421 Family Day!
February 7
10 AM to 2 PM
A full day of gallery adventures, creative play, and hands-on workshops across 421. Activities include curator-led tours, readings, drop-in art-making, and sensory play sessions designed for children and families of all ages.
Ramadan Programs
For Poetry: A Writers’ Suhoor
February 26
9 PM to 12 AM
An intimate Ramadan gathering bringing together poets and writers for an evening of poetry, collaboration, and reflection. The night begins with a collective poetry activity, then unfolds into readings from an invited line-up of writers and is followed by a hands-on session led by Sarah Ahmed. A light Suhoor will be served.
Image-Makers’ Suhoor
March 5
9 PM to 12 AM
An evening dedicated to artists, image-makers and anyone curious about creative processes, featuring artist talks and hands-on sessions across analogue, film-making, and stop-motion, followed by a communal Suhoor.
Pencil In: Suhoor Hour
March 12
9 PM to 11 PM
A special Ramadan edition of Pencil In, inviting writers to gather late into the evening to write, share, and connect while enjoying a light Suhoor, embracing the communal spirit of Ramadan.
Tatreez Circle: Suhoor Hour
March 12
9 PM to 11 PM
A Ramadan edition of Tatreez Circle, bringing together embroidery, conversation, and communal reflection over a light Suhoor.
Registration and costs
Most of the public workshops are free, with some costing 60 AED. Further details and registration information are available via 421 Arts Campus’ website and social media channels.