Abu Dhabi's Children's Biennale Transforms Umm Al Emarat Park into an Interactive Art Playground

Brightly colored hexagonal structures, inspired by beehives, are now nestled among the greenery at Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi. Nearby, a constructed wishing tree adorned with colorful ribbons invites visitors to share their hopes by tying them to its branches. These are just some of the captivating installations featured at the Children's Biennale, which opened its doors on Friday.

This unique exhibition, presented by Abu Dhabi Festival under the theme "How the World Feels," breaks from traditional art displays by actively encouraging children to touch, play, explore, and even contribute to the artworks. The month-long outdoor event showcases artists working with sculpture, textiles, and interactive installations, all thoughtfully designed with young audiences in mind.

Curator Dana Almazrouei emphasized the exhibition's goal: to foster interaction with art rather than passive observation. "The ability to touch sculptures, kids don't get that chance in contemporary art," she explained. "They're always told to keep their hands behind their backs or look at artworks with their eyes, not with their hands, and that is so hard. It's really difficult to actually interact together." Almazrouei, who holds a doctorate in museum education and has curated previous editions of the Sharjah Children's Biennial, aimed to give children the freedom for self-discovery, moving away from adult-dictated experiences.

"When you see kids play together, they create their own worlds, right? And they create their own narrative. There are no adults dictating that story. They just do it themselves," Almazrouei stated. Her approach involved visiting Umm Al Emarat Park to envision how children would engage with the space, seeking to create moments of pause and exploration amidst the park's pathways.

This philosophy guided the selection of participating artists, prioritizing those who embraced the idea of children interacting with and potentially altering their work. Egyptian artist Hana El-Sagini's installation, "Common Thread, Common Ground," exemplifies this, featuring large sculptures resembling natural elements with ropes that children can manipulate, thereby changing the artwork through play.

Creating these interactive experiences involved extensive discussions on materials, safety, and parental comfort. "The process was challenging because we had to wear so many hats," Almazrouei noted. "As an educator, I would think about: what would they learn? How will they learn? How will they be engaged? Is it engaging enough?"

Palestinian-American artist Sarah Afaneh's work, "The Patient Land, The Gracious Sun, The Enchanting Sea," also centers on children's interpretations. Her woven tapestries, inspired by elements from children's literature and nature, encourage viewers to create their own narratives. An interactive weaving area allows children to add their own yarn creations, and Afaneh will continue weaving one tapestry throughout the biennale, allowing visitors to witness its evolution.

Emirati artist Moza Almatrooshi's installation, "The Agriculture School – The Pollinators Play Museum," explores the relationship between bees, biodiversity, and traditional UAE beekeeping. Inspired by bees, the hexagonal structures and surrounding natural elements invite children to experience the world from a bee's perspective through color, form, and sensory engagement. Almatrooshi, a certified beekeeper, drew on her research and time with local beekeepers to inform the installation, which includes workshops for creating accompanying artworks. The installation is designed to be temporary and sustainable, with elements returning to nature or being recycled.

For Palestinian creative practitioner Nada Almosa and UT-R Studio (founded by Tasnim Tinawi and Uthra Varghese), designing for children meant prioritizing their physical experience. Their installation, "Where Wishes Grow," uses a flower-shaped table for sharing park memories and a wishing tree for visitors to express hopes for green spaces. The installation evolves with visitor contributions, with elements like a blossoming shrub holding children's artwork.

"One of the main things was size, like everything is much smaller, like the height of the wishing tree, the height of the shrub," noted Varghese, highlighting the intentional design for children's scale. Almosa added that the biennale's distinction lies in placing children at the absolute center of the experience, not merely accommodating them. "What I think is very important and that differentiates the Children's Biennale from other art fairs or exhibitions is that it's not just 'oh, we're making space and accessibility for children', but it's actually just for them. It's about them," she said.

Almosa expressed a personal wish for such events during her own childhood, believing they empower and inspire creative pursuits. The Children's Biennale runs at Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi until December 6.