Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial Explores 'Home' Through Diverse Artistic Lenses

In a city characterized by a global population sharing common streets and routines, art emerges as a powerful unifier. This concept lies at the heart of the second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, set to launch in Al Ain on October 23 and expand to Abu Dhabi on November 15. Titled 'Home: A Glossary for a Communal Sense of Place,' the exhibition features 21 Emirati and international artists whose installations will transform public spaces until February 15.

Artistic director Elvira Dyangani Ose, who also leads the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, has dedicated her career to exploring historical narratives within cultural institutions and audience engagement. Her past roles include directorship at Barcelona's Museu d'Art Contemporani and curatorship at Tate Modern. Ose aims to foster stronger connections between Abu Dhabi's communities and their shared environments.

Engaging with Abu Dhabi's public spaces presents a unique challenge compared to a museum setting. While museum visitors typically seek out art, public art installations are encountered serendipitously during daily activities. "You have to bring together a proposition that takes the public into account, a public that doesn't necessarily think of themselves as an audience," Ose explains. This dynamic places a significant responsibility on artists and curators to integrate their work into spaces already frequented by the community.

Abu Dhabi's multicultural fabric makes the question of public art's audience particularly compelling. The exhibition's theme stems from Ose's long-standing interest in the bonds that connect people across families, communities, and societies. "A place is a physical structure we share, but the sense of our own place, the sense of home, the condition of home, is something that goes beyond the structure," she notes. "It's something more personal." Instead of defining 'home' rigidly, the biennial investigates how individuals form attachments to places through lived experiences, memories, and collective histories.

Ose's prior visits to the UAE, including Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennial, highlighted the distinct identities of the emirates and the influence of their material cultures. Abu Dhabi's growing cultural landscape, marked by institutions like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum, and the approaching completion of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, further fueled her vision. She sees Abu Dhabi's evolving urban environment as a fertile ground for artistic exploration, offering different possibilities than more established cities where public spaces are often shaped by historical monuments.

The Mina Zayed district, slated to host several biennial installations, exemplifies this evolving urban identity. The area's maritime heritage provides rich material for artists like Emirati artist Khalid Al Banna, who is creating a tribute to fishing nets, and American artist Nari Ward, whose work also engages with fishing nets, exploring themes of memory and connection across lives. Ward's installation will be situated in a boatyard, linking the artwork to the locale's history.

Ose emphasizes the importance of authentic engagement with the material culture of each site. "We didn't want anything that felt artificial," she states. "That engagement with the material culture has to be real and vivid." Artists are encouraged to interpret existing histories and practices embedded in the landscape. In Al Ain, Asuncion Molinos Gordo's work draws on research into traditional aflaj irrigation systems, while other artists explore aspects of the emirate less familiar to residents. French artist Laure Prouvost presents an octopus-themed installation, and Argentinian artist Mercedes Azpilicueta finds inspiration in the region's underwater coral life. These diverse projects collectively examine the interplay between inhabited spaces and the natural environments, traditions, and histories that shape them.

The exhibition also includes works by Ibrahim Mahama, Yinka Shonibare, Akram Zaatari, Kapwani Kiwanga, Marinella Senatore, and Reena Saini Kallat. While smaller in scale than the inaugural edition, the second biennial will focus on monumental works, community interaction, and varied visitor experiences across sites including MiZa, Souq Al Mina in Mina Zayed, Saadiyat Cultural District, Hidd Al Saadiyat, and various locations in Al Ain. A public program will offer opportunities for deeper engagement through conversations and activities.

The biennial continues the legacy of its first edition, which saw several installations become permanent public artworks. Wael Al Awar's 'Barzakh' from the previous edition exemplified the focus on direct visitor engagement, a principle that remains central. Some new works are intended for permanent display, while others are conceived as temporary experiences, each serving distinct purposes related to their location and lifespan. Ose is particularly interested in how art can forge emotional connections, even through experiences that transcend immediate surroundings, such as an installation allowing visitors to hear the sounds of birds from distant or even extinct species.

"I like the idea that yes, there are things that have to be related to the place, but you also want art to take you far away from your everyday," Ose shares. Ultimately, the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial aims to disrupt daily routines, offering moments of discovery and prompting viewers to "think differently" about their environment and their sense of belonging.