Abu Dhabi Launches Major Public Art Program with WAVE Installation

Abu Dhabi has inaugurated a major public art season with the digital installation WAVE by the collective d'strict at the Cultural Foundation. Presented on March 20, 2023, the anamorphic illusion artwork simulates a colossal 3D wave and was previously shown at COEX K-Pop Square in Seoul. This launch marks the beginning of Public Art Abu Dhabi, a program by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) that includes the Public Art Biennial opening in November 2024, curated by Reem Fadda and Galit Eilat, and the Manar Abu Dhabi platform featuring light art installations in mangrove-rich archipelagos. The initiative also involves annual commissions for parks, tunnels, roundabouts, and bridges, both permanent and temporary. DCT Abu Dhabi president Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak stated that the program aims to enrich community life, inspire civic pride, and promote the capital's creative heritage, with an investment of over $35 million per year to support the creative industry. Executive Director Rita Aoun emphasized that Public Art Abu Dhabi follows a holistic infrastructural transformation of the cultural sector. The program will extend the Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative to preserve and enhance architectural and urban spaces.