Sheikh Nahyan opens Middle East’s first Outdoor Children’s Biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi

As  part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2026, held under the patronage of 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’s Biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park on Nov.5.

Held under the patronage of Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, it is the Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s Biennale.

 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’s 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.

As part of the UAE’s 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.

 Sheikh Abdullah said: “The Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s Biennale reflects the UAE’s commitment to placing culture and the arts at the heart of nurturing future generations. By developing young people’s 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.”

 He added: “The 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.”

 Sheikh Abdullah continued: “In the UAE, we believe that investing in children’s creativity is an investment in the nation’s future. Art is a universal language that brings cultures and communities together, encourages dialogue and understanding, and opens new horizons for learning and discovery.”

 Sheikha Shamsa said: “Art 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.”

“We are proud that Abu Dhabi is hosting the Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s 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.”

“Presenting the Children’s 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.”

Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo said: “The Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s 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’s redevelopment. It reflects our commitment to protecting and preserving nature, and our belief in every child’s right to experience life in all its beauty.”

She continued: “In 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.”

Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo added: “The 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’ connection with the natural world.”

Dr Eugene Tan, CEO and Director of National Gallery Singapore, said: “The 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.”

“We are proud to present the work from the Gallery Children’s Biennale at Abu Dhabi Festival, extending the Biennale’s 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’s theme, The Wisdom of Culture, this initiative affirms the importance of nurturing children’s imagination as a way of fostering a more vibrant future.”

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’s 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.

The Children’s 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.

The eighth installation is Eko Nugroho’s Kenangan Kunang-Kunang (Memories of Fireflies), first commissioned by National Gallery Singapore (NGS) for its 2019 Gallery Children’s 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’ first collaboration in the region, extending the Gallery Children’s Biennale beyond Singapore and strengthening cultural exchange between the UAE and Singapore.

Across the park, each installation offers a new way to explore, imagine and play:

Alia AlShamsi’s Where Wonder Hides transforms the park’s trees and plants into a place of discovery, where visitors can spot animal forms created from natural materials.

Aya Afaneh’s 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.

Hana El-Sagini’s 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.

Moza Almatrooshi’s 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.

Moza Almazrouei and Meera Almazrooei’s Telephone lets visitors listen to the park in unexpected ways, as listening devices shift, delay and relay sounds from the surrounding environment.

Nada Almosa x UT-R STUDIO’s Where Wishes Grow brings together a wishing tree, children’s artwork and a space to share memories of parks and hopes for their future.

Sarah Afaneh’s 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.

Eko Nugroho’s 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.

In the spirit of the UAE’s 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.

WAM