From Picasso to pottery Abu Dhabi extends World Art Day with exhibitions workshops and immersive experiences across the city’s leading museums
World Art Day may have come and gone, but in Abu Dhabi, the celebrations are not packing up just yet. If anything, they are stretching out, giving you a little more time to slow down and step into the city’s art spaces.
At the centre of it all is Louvre Abu Dhabi, where Picasso, the Figure continues to draw crowds until May 31. The exhibition is a deep dive into Picasso’s obsession with the human form, bringing together works from Musée National Picasso-Paris, alongside loans from the Louvre and regional collections. Then, on April 25, the museum screens Young Picasso, a documentary that traces his early years and the making of his style. It adds context to what you see upstairs, turning the experience into something fuller.
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Across the city, art spills into workshops, studios and quiet corners where you can get your hands involved. At Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Art Studio is busy with textile masterclasses, mixed media sessions and a drop-in space that welcomes anyone from curious beginners to seasoned creatives. Over at Cultural Foundation, the programme leans into accessibility, with everything from Arabic calligraphy to ceramics running alongside a retrospective of British artist Shezad Dawood.
There is also a new reason to gallery hop. The Saadiyat Cultural District Museum Pass now gives access to Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in one go, making it easier to spend a full day, or even a few, moving between spaces.
World Art Day might be marked on a single date, but here, the invitation to explore is sticking around.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Picasso, the Figure exhibition (until 31 May)
- Young Picasso documentary screening (25 April)
- Weekly Picasso-inspired workshops for students (Thursdays)
- Art in Scents immersive experience (Thursdays and Saturdays)
Manarat Al Saadiyat
- Textile art masterclasses
- Mixed media workshops for children
- Daily drop-in studio sessions covering ceramics, painting and printmaking
Cultural Foundation
- Shezad Dawood retrospective exhibition
- Workshops including Arabic calligraphy, Islamic geometric patterns, oil and acrylic painting, mosaic and ceramics
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