ArtDayME: The 2025 edition of Beyond Emerging Artists—Abu Dhabi Art’s annual initiative to support and elevate emerging talent—is set to take place from November 19 to 23 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Curated this year by internationally acclaimed Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj, the programme features three promising artists: Emiratis Salmah Al Mansoori and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum, alongside Libyan artist Alla Abdunabi.

Launched to provide a dedicated platform for artists based in the UAE, Beyond Emerging Artists enables participants to develop ambitious new commissions under the guidance of a guest curator. The final works debut during the Abu Dhabi Art Fair and remain on public view in the UAE before embarking on international tours.

This year’s selected artists work across installation, sculpture, and conceptual storytelling, engaging with themes such as identity, memory, materiality, and the layered histories of place.

Kourbaj, whose own practice has been exhibited at institutions including the British Museum, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, expressed admiration for the quality of submissions:

> “It was challenging to select three artists from such a rich pool of talent,” he noted. “These young artists are deeply engaged with the urgent issues of our time—environmental, social, and historical. I look forward to mentoring Alla Abdunabi, Salmah Almansoori, and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum as they develop works inspired by Al-Ain, using it as both a source and a canvas for new ideas.”

Supported by HSBC, the Global Partner of Abu Dhabi Art, Beyond Emerging Artists has been backed by the Friends of Abu Dhabi Art since 2021. This year’s presentation underscores the initiative’s growing international scope, culminating not only in its display at Manarat Al Saadiyat but also in future exhibitions abroad.