Art Events in Dubai | Art Events in UAE

Art Events in the UAE

Stay up to date with the latest artistic and cultural events happening across the UAE.

Upcoming & Current Events

Made in the UAE | Submissions | JD Malat Gallery London

JD Malat Gallery London is excited to announce Made in the UAE, a curatorial initiative designed to identify and amplify emerging contemporary artists working within the United Arab Emirates. Open to artists working in painting, photography, sculpture, installation, or video, the project invites submissions from those with a distinct visual language and a thoughtful approach to material and form. A panel composed of regional curators and international art world professionals will review submissions and select five artists to be featured in a group exhibition at JD Malat Gallery’s Dubai space in December 2025. The initiative responds to the region’s dynamic and increasingly visible cultural landscape. It seeks to provide a meaningful platform for artists rooted in the UAE, creating space for exchange between emerging practices and global audiences. Made in the UAE reflects the gallery’s continued interest in regional perspectives and cross-cultural dialogue and marks the beginning of a broader programme of curatorial initiatives across the Gulf. Submissions open on 7th July 2025 and close on 15th October 2025. UAE Residents only.

ART DUBAI GALLERIES - Application

Art Dubai is currently accepting applications for Art Dubai Galleries, Zamaniyyat, Bawwaba, Bawwaba Extended, and Art Dubai Digital. ART DUBAI GALLERIES Art Dubai Galleries welcomes applications from established commercial galleries that have been operating for a minimum of two years and, for the first time, invites applications within both the Contemporary and Modern markets. Exhibitors are selected on the basis of the quality of their exhibition programme, the artists represented by the gallery, and the curatorial strength of the booth presentation. ZAMANIYYAT * Zamaniyyat | زمانيات (from zaman, the Arabic word for ‘time’), a dedicated platform featuring solo and group presentations that revisit the work of artists who shaped and reshaped modernisms throughout the 20th century in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The selected curator is Dr. Sarah A. Rifky, a curator, writer, and art historian who has held curatorial, founding, and leadership roles internationally, including with Townhouse, documenta 13, and Beirut, which she co-founded in Cairo (2012–2015). * Art Dubai Modern has evolved with the inclusion of modern presentations within the main Galleries section, and a new curated section named Zamaniyyat. BAWWABA Bawwaba | بوابة (meaning gateway in Arabic) serves as a portal to the discovery of solo presentations of newly produced work, offering a platform for emerging to mid-career artists. The selected curator is Amal Khalaf, curator and artist who serves as Director of Programmes at Cubitt, and who co-curated the Sharjah Biennial 16, and is the curator for the forthcoming Ghost 2568 in Bangkok. Galleries selected for the Bawwaba section will be eligible for the Bawwaba Gallery Support Programme, a new initiative introducing a risk sharing model to support participants in the 2026 edition of the fair. BAWWABA EXTENDED Bawwaba Extended, a new artist-focused section dedicated to interdisciplinary artistic practices. Spanning the entire fair environment, Bawwaba Extended, curated in collaboration with Amal Khalaf and Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director, Curatorial, Art Dubai Group, will transform the site into a dynamic space for experimentation and innovation through installations, digital media, moving image, sound, and public interventions. It invites proposals from galleries worldwide, regardless of participation in the main fair. ART DUBAI DIGITAL Art Dubai Digital, the leading platform for digital art in an art fair context, brings together visionary artists, galleries, studios, and collectives reshaping the digital landscape. The selected curators are Ulrich Schrauth, a curator and creative director in the field of immersive media and digital art, serving as the Artistic Director of the UBS Digital Art Museum in Hamburg, and Nadine Khalil, independent art critic and curator who collaborates with contemporary artists exploring performance, environment, and technology. Application deadline is Friday 10th October, 2025. Proposal(s) may be amended up to this date.

The Winter/Spring 2027 program - 421 - Open Call for exhibition proposals

421 is now accepting exhibition proposals for the Winter/Spring 2027 program! We invite curators and curatorial collectives to submit projects rooted in critical inquiry and grounded in contemporary artistic practices from the UAE and wider Arabic-speaking geographies, including the diaspora. 🗓 Application Deadline: October 20, 2025
 📍 Venue: Gallery 2 at 421, Abu Dhabi As part of its mission to support emerging creative practices and critical discourse in the region, 421 offers curators the resources and platform to bring their ideas to life. This program offers a curatorial fee, full production support, and more.

The 4th Edition of UA Collective, themed “HOPE” - Urbanist Art Gallery

Urbanist Art Gallery invites you to submit your work for the 4th Edition of UA Collective, themed “HOPE”, happening 6–20 September 2025 in Dubai! ✨ Show us your vision of hope through art! ✅ Open to artists worldwide ✅ Opportunity to grow, connect & sell ✅ Featured across our socials, website & newsletter 📍 Box Park, Al Wasl Street – Dubai 🖼 8–10 artists will be selected 🎯 All mediums welcome: painting, sculpture, collage, photography, digital art. 📅 Deadline extended: 15 August 2025 Email info@urbanistart.com for details & how to apply!

The 2025 edition of the UAE Designer Exhibition - Dubai Culture - Downtown Design

Applications are open for the 2025 edition of the UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, taking place at the heart of Downtown Design, from 5–9 November during Dubai Design Week. ⁠ ⁠ This curated showcase offers UAE-based designers and studios a platform to launch new work, gain visibility, and connect with a design professionals and enthusiasts.⁠ Championing emotionally resonant design and material exploration, the exhibition highlights contemporary pieces that are tactile, comforting, and rooted in cultural context, with commercial viability and production feasibility at their core.⁠ Open to locally based creatives working across disciplines, the exhibition invites submissions that reflect the diversity, depth, and innovation of the UAE’s design landscape.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Apply now via https://fair.editionsartanddesign.com/digital/application-form, applications are open until 30 August, 2025.

Sikka Art & Design Festival 2026

OPEN CALL | SIKKA ART & DESIGN FESTIVAL 2026 Apply now for the 14th Edition of the Sikka Art & Design Festival! We’re looking for artists, performers, film-makers, retailers, culinary artists, F&B vendors, and workshop facilitators to bring their creativity and unique flavour to #Sikka26. Application DEADLINE: 23:59 UAE time on Monday, 1 September 2025. Register now via https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/events/sikka-category-2025 📍Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood 🗓️ January 23 - February 1

Past Events

Exhibition Management Services for Global Encounters Festival 2025

DiarBid is proud to provide end-to-end Exhibition Management Services for the Global Encounters Festival 2025, set to take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from July 20th to 27th. As part of this prestigious event, our team will oversee the full spectrum of exhibition operations from global art shipping and handling, to professional art advisory involving a curated selection of over 180 artists. We will manage art storage, curation, sales, live auctions, and all elements of the exhibition build across the seven halls of DWTC. Our involvement spans every stage of the process, with clearly defined deliverables and a strategic approach that ensures a seamless, world-class experience for both exhibitors and visitors. This comprehensive solution is designed not only to maximize visibility and sales for participating artists, but also to deliver significant value and long-term impact for the organizing entity. Whether coordinating logistics or creating meaningful cultural moments, DiarBid is committed to curating an unforgettable artistic journey at Global Encounters Festival 2025.

VIP Auction Premiere in Partnership with World Art Dubai 2025

Curated and managed by DiarBid Arthouse in partnership with Soroptimist International Gulf-Dubai, the World Art Dubai 2025 Live Auction was proudly held in support of the Cervical Cancer Elimination Campaign in Africa. Featuring 14 powerful artworks by a diverse group of local, regional, and international artists, the auction served as a heartfelt celebration of unity, resilience, and cultural dialogue through the lens of art. In addition to curating the live auction, DiarBid extended exclusive support services to all World Art Dubai 2025 exhibitors during the public fair. These included free three-month artist accounts on the DiarBid platform, flexible installment payment solutions for buyers, and fully insured global shipping at discounted rates—benefits offered exclusively to WAD exhibitors. This initiative reflects DiarBid’s ongoing commitment to empowering artists, facilitating meaningful connections, and making art more accessible to collectors around the world.

The Code of Will

The Code of Will exhibition showcased the remarkable talent of artists from the Art for All Center (FALAJ), the first institution in the Arab Gulf dedicated to discovering and training artists with disabilities. Featuring a diverse group of participants, the exhibition highlighted the power of creativity in breaking barriers and fostering inclusion. Among them, 12 artists with disabilities demonstrated how artistic expression and determination can challenge societal perceptions and redefine ability. Since its establishment in 2017 under Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services with the support of Her Highness Sheikha Jameela Al Qassimi, Art for All has been a pioneering platform offering professional training in theater, music, and fine arts. Through The Code of Will, the exhibition celebrated resilience and innovation, proving that when talent is nurtured, art becomes a transformative force that knows no limits.

Between Flesh and Land

Between Flesh and Land explored the deep connection between humanity and nature through a striking black-and-white visual narrative of photography and painting. Stripping away distractions, the exhibition revealed a space where the physical and intangible merge, with figures—both human and natural—suspended between strength and fragility, presence and absence. At its core, it captured the moment where flesh meets land, where the rhythms of the body and earth converge in silent harmony. By emphasizing the interplay between form and essence, Between Flesh and Land invited viewers to look beyond the physical and recognize the unseen forces that bind us to the natural world. It challenged the notion of separation between body and earth, reminding us of our shared existence within a larger, living ecosystem and encouraging reflection on the interdependence that shapes our place in it.

A SURREALIST’S KALEIDOSCOPE

Diarbid’s exhibition A Surrealist’s Kaleidoscope invited visitors to step into a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Featuring Birute Brandt and Samiah Saleh, the show bridged reality and fantasy through surrealist works that transformed the mundane into whimsical and thought-provoking scenes. Brandt’s vibrant canvases used exaggerated characters and colors to reveal beauty in the absurd, while Saleh wove cultural narratives into everyday objects, merging tradition with the contemporary. Together, their art invited viewers to rethink reality and find wonder in the fantastical layers of daily life.

DiarBid at ADIBS

We were honored to showcase the exceptional talent of 28 local and regional artists at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show 2024 (ADIBS). This prestigious event provided a platform to celebrate the rich artistic heritage of the Middle East, featuring a stunning array of artworks that captured the imagination of an international audience. The exhibition not only highlighted the creativity of our artists but also reinforced DiarBid’s mission to elevate regional talent on the global stage.

8-Week Art Transformation Program with Seth Bennzel

DiarBid, in collaboration with Seth Bennzel—an acclaimed artist, established residency program instructor, and gallery owner—conducted a transformative 8-week art journey. The program brought together seven promising students eager to explore and elevate their artistic potential under Seth’s expert guidance. Throughout the program, participants delved into advanced artistic techniques, embraced creative experimentation, and honed their personal styles in a nurturing and inspiring environment. The experience culminated in a curated exhibition showcasing the participants' masterpieces, a testament to their growth and creativity. This initiative highlights DiarBid’s commitment to nurturing emerging artists by connecting them with world-class mentors and offering platforms for their talent to shine.

Shades of Memory

“Shades of Memory” showcases a captivating exploration into the labyrinth of recollection, revealing the delicate interplay between the subconscious and conscious mind. Featuring artists from diverse backgrounds and corners of the globe, this exhibition delves into the elusive nature of memory, the depth of buried emotions, and the essence of identity and culture. Despite their varied origins, these artists share a common thread—unveiling their memories and offering profound introspection through their unique perspectives, enriching our understanding of the human experience.

Intersections: Tracing Origins

Intersections: Tracing Origins was an expansive group exhibition that celebrated the profound interconnectedness of cultures and identities. This vibrant showcase explored diverse origins and narratives, revealing the rich tapestry of socio-political, cultural, and ecological influences that shape our shared history. In our exhibition, we have featured artists from the Middle East, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and many other countries. The exhibition provided a platform for open dialogue, inviting viewers to reconsider cultural influences and the common threads that unite humanity. We were honored to have H.H. Sultan Al Qasimi visit our exhibition, further enriching the experience with his presence and support.

Meet the Sun

Our exhibition, "Meet The Sun," has been a resounding success, beautifully showcasing the rich creativity of UAE-based artists. This vibrant event celebrated the unique journey of each artwork as it emerged from the artists' studios to meet the sun, symbolizing the dawn of new ideas and perspectives. We have featured nine local artists who participated in this exhibition. The exhibition not only highlighted the diverse talents within our community but also illuminated the boundless potential of artistic expression.