421 Arts Campus Director Faisal Al Hassan Reflects on Decade of Supporting UAE Artists

Faisal Al Hassan, Director of 421 Arts Campus, discusses the organization's evolution ahead of its tenth anniversary in November. Founded in 2015 as Warehouse421 in Mina Zayed, 421 has hosted over 50 exhibitions and 1,000 programs including talks, workshops, screenings, symposia, and community events. The organization's mission has centered on providing a space for young and emerging cultural practitioners in the UAE to experiment without market pressures. Key capacity-building programs launched in 2021 include the Artistic Research Grant, Artistic and Curatorial Development Programs, Internship and Residency Programs. A landmark anniversary exhibition curated by Munira Al Sayegh, Nadine Khalil, and Murtaza Vali will examine artistic evolution in the UAE. The organization has increasingly focused on sustainability, appointing a dedicated sustainability officer in 2018 and commissioning carbon footprint research. 421 is releasing a 10-Year Impact Report based on stakeholder interviews to assess its decade of work. The anniversary program includes Block Barty festival with performances, pop-ups, and creative vendors.