ANU DHABI, 19th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, and under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Higher Committee of the Ataya Initiative, this autumn Abu Dhabi Festival — the flagship initiative of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation — brings the Middle East's first outdoor Children's Biennale to Umm Al Emarat Park from 6 November – 6 December.
Guided by the theme ‘How the World Feels’, the Biennale invites children to become custodians of the park, encouraging them to be curious and uncover the stories that lie beneath its surface. Presented in partnership with National Gallery Singapore, Umm Al Emarat Park and Salayel Hospitality, the Biennale features eight interactive installations exploring touch, sound, movement and light, transforming 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 as part of the UAE’s 2026 Year of Family.
Curated by Dana Almazrouei, the seven newly commissioned installations are designed by UAE 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. Together, the works demonstrate the richness and diversity of the UAE's contemporary creative community, while placing children's perspectives at the heart of the experience — each artist was asked to consider not only what a child would see, but what a child should come away understanding.
Set among the trees and open spaces of Umm Al Emarat Park, the installations will encourage children to touch, feel, listen and move through spaces that often go unnoticed. They will explore themes of ecology, biodiversity and humanity's relationship with the natural world, alongside stories connected to Emirati culture and heritage, inviting young visitors to engage with their surroundings in new and imaginative ways.
Adding a global dimension to the experience, internationally acclaimed Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho will present Kenangan Kunang-Kunang (Memories of Fireflies), an immersive installation inspired by traditional Eastern Javanese lanterns. First commissioned by National Gallery Singapore for the Gallery Children's Biennale 2019: Embracing Wonder, the work is now reaching new audiences in the UAE through a landmark partnership between ADMAF and National Gallery Singapore (NGS). Marking the institution's first collaboration in the region, the presentation extends the impact of NGS’ Gallery Children's Biennale beyond Singapore, while strengthening cultural exchange between the UAE and Singapore.
"Children are not just visitors to this park — we want them to be its custodians," says curator Dana Almazrouei. "We wanted to ask the kind of questions adults often stop asking: what stories lie beneath the soil? How does sound travel through a park? Working with each artist, we thought first about how a child would experience the piece, and what they might carry with them afterwards.
"Play is how children come to understand the world. As historian Johan Huizinga observed, play creates temporary worlds shaped by shared rules and imagination, and that's what we hope this park becomes. It isn't just a way to make art accessible; it's how children think, discover and build their own stories, together."
In celebration of the UAE's 2026 Year of Family, the Children's Biennale extends beyond the artworks with a public programme designed to bring children, parents and educators together through shared creative experiences. As a community destination in the heart of Abu Dhabi, Umm Al Emarat Park brings together visitors of all ages, providing an open and welcoming setting for shared experiences, discovery and connection. Rather than simply viewing art, visitors are invited to play, question, collaborate and imagine — treating the park itself as a space for learning and discovery.