Abu Dhabi’s 421 Arts Campus launches its 2026 Winter Program this January, marking the institution’s tenth anniversary with a season dedicated to process, participation, and shared learning. Running from January 15 to March 12, the program includes a landmark exhibition, over fifteen workshops, and a diverse lineup of public events designed to deepen community engagement with contemporary art and culture across the UAE and the wider Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region.
At the core of the season lies the exhibition Rays, Ripples, Residue, running through 26 April 2026. It revisits a decade of creative production and exhibition-making in the UAE, tracing the ideas, materials, and dialogues that continue to influence the country’s artistic landscape. The exhibition reflects on what remains, both visible and intangible, after ten years of evolving cultural practice.
Anchored in this framework, the Winter Program expands into a series of events that invite the public to imagine what comes next. A highlight of the season is The Localized Futures: Conversations by 421 x afikra, a four-part forum running from January 20 to April 9. Developed in collaboration with afikra, the initiative convenes thinkers, cultural practitioners, and policymakers to explore the future of heritage, education, cities, and art in the MENA region.
Beyond discussions, the Winter Program emphasises hands-on learning and collective practice. Initiatives range from writing circles, makers’ sessions, and educators’ workshops to family programs and evening Ramadan gatherings, including the Writers’ and Image-Makers’ Suhoors, moments of creative reflection and social exchange that integrate artistic practice into everyday life.
Director Faisal Al Hassan describes the season as both a celebration and a renewal: “As we mark ten years of 421, this Winter season reflects how the institution is carrying that experience forward. The program builds on what has been established over the past decade, while creating space for new conversations, practices, and forms of public engagement.”
Program Manager Mays Albaik adds, “The Winter program is shaped by the belief that culture is built collectively. From studio sessions to family gatherings, each initiative fosters meaningful exchange and sustained engagement.”
Through its 2026 Winter Program, 421 reaffirms its role as a site of continuous learning and experimentation: a place where artistic practice and public participation evolve side by side, shaping the cultural ecosystems of the region’s next decade.
The Winter 2026 Program
Exhibition: Rays, Ripples, Residue
On view until 26 April 2026
The show marks a decade of artistic and curatorial practice in the UAE. Curated in chapters by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali, the exhibition traces the lasting impressions and material echoes that have shaped the country’s creative landscape. Bringing together video, performance, installation, and multimedia works, it highlights emerging voices and grassroots initiatives alongside the institutions that have nurtured them. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Writers’ and Reading Programs
January 15, February 12
6 PM – 8 PM
Writers are invited to join Pencil In: A Writers’ Circle, a recurring gathering designed to foster focus, creative exchange, and collective accountability through the practice of writing together. Open to all levels, the sessions welcome work in both English and Arabic, within a relaxed and supportive environment for writers aged 18 and above.
Craft, Making & Studio Sessions
Tatreez Circle
January 15, February 12
6 PM – 8 PM
Tatreez Circle introduces the centuries-old Palestinian embroidery tradition in a beginner-friendly setting that interlaces craft, storytelling, and community.
Ancient Jewels
January 17
2 PM – 4 PM
The workshop invites participants to discover ancient jewellery-making techniques with artist Boubaker Boukhari, creating wearable art inspired by archaeological finds from Abu Dhabi’s museums.
Treasured Wire
January 25
2 PM – 4 PM
Treasured Wire draws from the artwork Fresh and Salt featured in Rays, Ripples, Residue, guiding participants in stone-wrapping techniques that link natural sea materials and contemporary design.
You Got the Memo?! and Stick With It!
January 31, February 1
11 AM – 2 PM, 11 AM to 1 PM
This two-day session focuses on handmade paper, collage, and bookbinding, offering space to explore memory and analogue creative processes. On February 1, Stick With It! turns journaling and sticker collection into a reflective and creative meetup.
On February 8, artist Diego Mendoza will lead (Lino) Printing MiZa, lasting from 11 AM to 2 PM. He will guide participants through lino-cutting and printmaking inspired by Mina Zayed’s visual textures.
Talks, Panels & Conversations
Engaging educators and thinkers, Palette to Pedagogy: Teachers Evening will take place on January 20 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, offering UAE-based teachers new ways to incorporate Rays, Ripples, Residue into classroom dialogue.
That same evening, the Localized Futures conversation series, developed in collaboration with afikra, begins at 6 PM to 8 PM with Collective Heritage, the first of four public sessions (continuing until April 9). The series explores evolving notions of heritage, education, and the arts from regional perspectives, reimagining how culture and policy shape shared futures in the MENA region.
The following edition, Localized Futures: Education, will be held on February 10 from 6 PM to 8 PM, convening leaders from academia, publishing, and education to discuss the transformation of learning ecosystems across the region.
Children & Family Programming
Families are invited to Noor’s Heroes & Paper Pulp! on January 24 from 11 AM to 3 PM, a dynamic workshop merging storytelling, gallery tours, and paper-mâché sculpture inspired by Rays, Ripples, Residue.
The beloved 421 Family Day! returns on February 7 from 10 AM to 2 PM, transforming the campus into a lively space of gallery adventures, art-making, and sensory play for children and parents alike.
Ramadan Programs
On February 26 (9 PM to 12 AM), For Poetry: A Writers’ Suhoor will bring together poets and writers for readings, collaborative exercises, and a late-night Suhoor, with a special session led by Sarah Ahmed.
The following week, the Image-Makers’ Suhoor on March 5 (9 PM to 12 AM) invites artists and filmmakers to share analogue processes, film techniques, and stop-motion experiments within a convivial evening setting.
Closing the season on March 12, two parallel late-evening gatherings, Pencil In: Suhoor Hour and Tatreez Circle: Suhoor Hour (both 9 PM to 11 PM), bring participants together to write, embroider, and reflect over a communal Suhoor, embodying the spirit of shared creativity.
About 421 Arts Campus
Located in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, 421 Arts Campus (formerly Warehouse421) is an independent arts platform that supports emerging artists and creative practitioners across the UAE and the wider region. Established in 2015, the campus houses galleries, studios, and public spaces dedicated to research, learning, and experimentation. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 8 PM, 421 continues to cultivate participatory art practices that encourage dialogue, social transformation, and community growth.
You might also be interested in visiting the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival 2026 and the Sikka Art & Design Festival 2026.
