Amin Abbas

DUBAI: The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) announced the programme for its 19th edition of its flagship Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 under the theme ‘Crafting The Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation & Joy.’

In addition to world-class events, the programme features a unique combination of local events set to take several locations around the UAE, including Expo 2020 Dubai, in line with ADMAF’s efforts to enrich the country’s cultural vision and further its position as a cultural hub worldwide.

Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival said: “To an artist, a simple inert log of wood or a slab of marble assumes life. It carries a promise: a shape to be teased from the material, beauty to be carved out, a thought to be expressed. And what carries the visionary towards their vision, transforming an idea into reality is craftsmanship.”

“ADMAF has strived to support visionary artists who allow us each year to witness this intricate process. Over the last 25 years, we have been privileged, as an organization, as individuals and as citizens, to be part of a vision that was brought to life by our late founder, Sheikh Zayed (God rest his soul), who crafted the UAE and shaped our society.”

One of the highlights of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 activities line-up is a unique Japanese art exhibition “Variation and Autonomy: The Prints of Contemporary Japanese Painters” from May – July 2022. In partnership with the Embassy of Japan to the UAE, Abu Dhabi Festival will showcase 42 prints produced by 10 prominent Japanese contemporary painters, including Yayoi Kusama, Masanari Murai and Yasukazu Tabuchi, who explored a wide range of possibilities through prints and expanded the range of expression in contemporary art using the print medium in the 1970s as part of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between UAE & Japan.

Rather than focusing on specialists who are considered to have shaped the history of contemporary Japanese prints, the exhibition looks at the work of painters who drew on trends in contemporary art and attempts to reassess the existing history of contemporary Japanese prints.

To enable and promote the cultural sector, Abu Dhabi Festival delivers the latest and most compelling art performances using uniquely creative forms of digital arts and interactive experiences.

Over 1,000 participating artists from around the world will present more than 300 live and digital events. The festival will also include two world tours and 16 world premieres.

The festical is considered one of the most prominent cultural and arts events in the world, and the most prominent event in the region for its contribution to enriching the cultural vision of Abu Dhabi and consolidating its position as a leading cultural destination and a global capital of culture and arts.

It plays a fundamental role with the support of a growing global network of over 30 strategic international cultural partners. The festival embraces creativity and innovation through art, via its main programme and a number of activities organized by youth platforms and community initiatives, in the seven emirates of the UAE. Furthermore, the festival commissions artworks and fosters international cooperation. These partnerships avail invaluable first performances and shows to the public on national, regional and global levels.

In collaboration with over 35 international strategic partners, the festival annually hosts more than 100 events including premieres of Emirati, Arab, and international works, and exclusive commissions, that are distributed between its main agenda, educational and community programmes in the UAE, and across the world.