As autumn arrives, the UAE’s cultural calendar comes alive.

Museums and galleries are unveiling ambitious exhibitions, major fairs are returning, and cultural spaces are opening their doors to new narratives. This season promises a rich mix of heritage, contemporary art, design, and immersive experiences. Here are some of the standout exhibitions to explore this autumn:

Art Here 2025 — Louvre Abu Dhabi

When: October 11 – December 28
Curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, Art Here 2025 explores the theme Shadows. Through large-scale installations and conceptual works, artists examine light and absence, presence and concealment, offering audiences thought-provoking perspectives on visibility and perception.

Restless Circle — Afra Al Dhaheri, Sharjah Art Foundation

When: Until December 14
Emirati artist Afra Al Dhaheri presents Restless Circle, a sculptural and material practice-driven exhibition. Working with resonant materials such as cotton rope, cement, and fabric, she explores repetition, tension, emotional resonance, and the way ordinary materials carry layered histories and meanings.

Elias Izoli: Inside Out ’25 — Ayyam Gallery, Dubai

When: September 18 – November 7
In Inside Out ’25, Elias Izoli challenges boundaries between the personal and the public, inner and outer worlds. Through sculpture and mixed-media works, the exhibition rethinks the intersections of emotional interiors and external realities.

Richard Mille Art Prize — Louvre Abu Dhabi

When: October 11 – 28 December

In partnership with Richard Mille, Louvre Abu Dhabi will host the prestigious Richard Mille Art Prize. Featuring outdoor sculptures and immersive installations, the exhibition showcases works by regional artists selected throug

h a highly competitive open call, reaffirming the museum’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent.

MESH & MAYHEM — Talal Al Najjar, Tabari Artspace, Dubai

When: September 27 – October 24
Talal Al Najjar’s MESH & MAYHEM merges speculative visuals, digital architecture, memory, and identity. The show reflects on simulation, displacement, and shifting landscapes, engaging with the evolving cultural contexts of the Gulf.

Marwan Bassiouni: New Western Views — Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai

When: September 19 – November 5
In his first solo exhibition in the region, Marwan Bassiouni presents New Western Views. Through painting, mixed media, and landscape photography, he deconstructs assumptions of the “West,” offering cross-cultural perspectives shaped by the lived Muslim presence in contemporary Western societies.