As part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2026, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Patron of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), inaugurated the Children\u2019s Biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park on Thursday, 5 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, it is the Middle East\u2019s first outdoor Children\u2019s Biennale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opening was attended by Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the ADMAF, and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival; Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre; Zeng Jixin, Ambassador of the People\u2019s Republic of China to the UAE; Kamal R. Vaswani, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the UAE; and a large gathering of officials, media representatives and members of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the UAE\u2019s Year of Family, the community is invited to experience the Biennale until 6 December, as the Park becomes a shared creative space where children, parents and educators discover art together through installations, workshops, family activities and creative resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: \u201cThe Middle East\u2019s first outdoor Children\u2019s Biennale reflects the UAE\u2019s commitment to placing culture and the arts at the heart of nurturing future generations. By developing young people\u2019s capabilities, unlocking their creative potential and empowering them to contribute to society, the initiative helps foster a society grounded in knowledge, innovation and openness to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
H.H. added: \u201cThe Biennale reaffirms the essential role of the family in preserving national identity and enduring values, while raising confident, creative generations equipped to shape the future. The family is the foundation of a cohesive society, a source of values, knowledge and creativity, and a reflection of Emirati identity and culture, rooted in tradition yet open to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued: \u201cIn the UAE, we believe that investing in children\u2019s creativity is an investment in the nation\u2019s future. Art is a universal language that brings cultures and communities together, encourages dialogue and understanding, and opens new horizons for learning and discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan said: \u201cArt is important in the lives of our children because it is a foundation for the development of self and character, a mirror that reflects identity, and an essential space for learning, expression and building relationships with oneself, nature and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are proud that Abu Dhabi is hosting the Middle East\u2019s first outdoor Children\u2019s Biennale, under the theme How the World Feels. It is a vibrant, interactive community experience that places the child at the heart of the artwork and invites them to participate and move, becoming a partner in the experience and an active contributor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPresenting the Children\u2019s Biennale in a park and public space brings it closer to people and allows it to leave a lasting, sustainable legacy in their everyday lives. Among the trees, water and spaces for joy and learning, the artworks become an invitation to family togetherness, imagination and beauty. Through them, children discover how creativity can emerge from rhythm, and how imagination can transform the most unusual things into worlds of familiarity and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo said: \u201cThe Middle East\u2019s first outdoor Children\u2019s Biennale, presented in partnership with National Gallery Singapore at Umm Al Emarat Park, marks a milestone as it celebrates over a decade since the park\u2019s redevelopment. It reflects our commitment to protecting and preserving nature, and our belief in every child\u2019s right to experience life in all its beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continued: \u201cIn keeping with the values and principles of the Year of Family, the Biennale brings children and their families together through interactive workshops. More than 1,275 students from 20 public, private and charter schools will explore the Biennale through guided tours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added: \u201cThe eight art installations by UAE and international artists, invite us to translate the vision of our wise leadership into action by fostering environmental awareness across the community, nurturing a sense of responsibility towards nature, and deepening younger generations\u2019 connection with the natural world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Eugene Tan, CEO and Director of National Gallery Singapore, said: \u201cThe collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation reflects a shared belief in the transformative role of culture in shaping how we imagine our future as a society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are proud to present the work from the Gallery Children\u2019s Biennale at Abu Dhabi Festival, extending the Biennale\u2019s spirit of creativity and discovery to audiences beyond Singapore and creating spaces for children and families to engage their curiosity and creativity. Within the context of the Festival\u2019s theme, The Wisdom of Culture, this initiative affirms the importance of nurturing children\u2019s imagination as a way of fostering a more vibrant future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presented as part of the 23rd Abu Dhabi Festival, in partnership with The National Gallery Singapore (NGS), Umm Al Emarat Park and Salayel Hospitality, the Biennale transforms Abu Dhabi\u2019s cherished park into an unfamiliar landscape of possibility, where play becomes a way of thinking and learning. In doing so, it celebrates a milestone for Umm Al Emarat Park, honouring over a decade of bringing communities and families together through education, recreation and a connection with nature. The programme also includes family activities, workshops and school tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Children\u2019s Biennale features eight interactive installations exploring touch, sound, movement and light. Themed How the World Feels and curated by Dana Almazrouei, it brings together seven newly commissioned works by UAE-based artists Alia AlShamsi, Aya Afaneh, Hana El-Sagini, Moza Almatrooshi, Moza Almazrouei and Meera Almazrooei, Nada Almosa in collaboration with UT-R Studio, and Sarah Afaneh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The eighth installation is Eko Nugroho\u2019s Kenangan Kunang-Kunang (Memories of Fireflies), first commissioned by National Gallery Singapore (NGS) for its 2019 Gallery Children\u2019s Biennale: Embracing Wonder. Through the landmark partnership between ADMAF and NGS, the work can now be experienced by audiences in the UAE. This presentation marks NGS\u2019 first collaboration in the region, extending the Gallery Children\u2019s Biennale beyond Singapore and strengthening cultural exchange between the UAE and Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the park, each installation offers a new way to explore, imagine and play:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alia AlShamsi\u2019s Where Wonder Hides transforms the park\u2019s trees and plants into a place of discovery, where visitors can spot animal forms created from natural materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aya Afaneh\u2019s cosmo conste brings together ceramic forms inspired by aquatic life and the unseen forces that shape water, creating an open-ended world of imagined stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hana El-Sagini\u2019s Common thread, Common ground invites children to move around, touch and explore its sculptural forms, while braiding and reconnecting ropes to change the work through play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moza Almatrooshi\u2019s The Agriculture School: The Pollinators Play Museum opens up the world of bees through playful objects, images and sensory encounters, showing how pollinators see, communicate and build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moza Almazrouei and Meera Almazrooei\u2019s Telephone lets visitors listen to the park in unexpected ways, as listening devices shift, delay and relay sounds from the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nada Almosa x UT-R STUDIO\u2019s Where Wishes Grow brings together a wishing tree, children\u2019s artwork and a space to share memories of parks and hopes for their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sarah Afaneh\u2019s the patient land, the gracious sun, the enchanting sea brings the natural world to life through three woven tapestries, inviting visitors to reflect on the care and possibility offered by the sun, land and sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eko Nugroho\u2019s Kenangan Kunang-Kunang (Memories of Fireflies) lights a winding path with lanterns inspired by traditional East Javanese designs. Visitors can activate changing lights, playful shadows and soothing sounds along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the spirit of the UAE\u2019s Year of Family, families and the wider community are invited to experience the Biennale together at Umm Al Emarat Park, sharing moments of curiosity, play and discovery. The Biennale is open until 6 December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2026, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Patron of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67682"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67684,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67682\/revisions\/67684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uaebarq.ae\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}