Abu Dhabi hosts Shezad Dawood retrospective

Welcome back to AL-MONITOR Dubai.

This week, Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation opens a major mid-career retrospective of British artist Shezad Dawood, showcasing his vibrant multimedia works exploring themes such as climate change, mental health and migration. We also highlight an upcoming multisensory presentation by Bethlehem- and Paris-based architectural studio AAU Anastas at Dubai’s ICD Brookfield Place, a group exhibition of UAE-based artists and a Sharjah Architecture Triennial show exploring the archives of Arab cities including Baghdad, Damascus and Tunis.

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: "Skin of Dreams" by Shezad Dawood

Shezad Dawood, "Anselm Chapel," Tokyo. 2016. Acrylic on vintage textile. (Jhaveri Contemporary)

British visual artist Shezad Dawood is staging his first mid-career retrospective at Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation. Titled "Skin of Dreams" — a phrase used to describe the cinema screen and drawn from one of the exhibition’s key works — the show reflects the porous boundary between reality and the imagined. 

Dawood, of Indian and Pakistani heritage, is known for his vibrantly rendered multidisciplinary practice, spanning painting, neon, sculpture, monumental film installations, performance and virtual reality. His work explores themes of ecology, memory and history. 

Curated by Jessica Cerasi, "Skin of Dreams" brings together more than 40 works from the past 15 years, including the first in-depth survey of his painting practice and the debut of the final two chapters of his 10-part film series, "Leviathan Cycle." First launched in Venice in 2017 during the 57th Venice Biennale, the series examines climate change and its intersection with migration and mental health. 

Conceived in dialogue with the Cultural Foundation’s architecture, the exhibition responds to the building’s blend of Bauhaus elements and Islamic patterns. It reflects two key strands in Dawood’s practice — modernist architecture and ecology — through which he draws on both non-Western traditions and established canons to explore alternative histories, make sense of the present and grapple with the future. 

Much of the work on display draws on South Asian histories and traditions, notably through the incorporation of ralli — traditional hand-stitched quilts made by Pakistani artisans — into the surface of many of Dawood’s paintings, evoking ideas of memory, care and lineage. 

Date: April 30 until Sept. 20

Location: Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: Cocina Tres

A view of Cocina Tres at Pullman Dubai Downtown. (Cocina Tres)

If you’re craving zesty Mexican cuisine, Cocina Tres in Dubai’s Business Bay is worth a visit. Inspired by Mexico’s coast, the restaurant pairs vibrant, upbeat interiors — with hand-made tiles and geometric columns — with a menu rooted in bold flavors. There’s also a terrace where diners can bask in the Arabian sun, at least before the heat sets in.

The kitchen leans on traditional techniques, including wood-fired grilling and handmade Oaxacan tortillas. Go for shared plates: Start with the fresh, tangy guacamole de la casa, then try the Baja fish tacos, the Nayarit-style whole grilled pescado zarandeado and the smoky fideo seco, a pasta dish topped with prawns. Round it out with one of the artisanal drinks.

Location: Pullman Dubai Downtown, Business Bay

Find more information here.

3. Dubai diary

The making of architectures for Beam Corbel, Ribs at AAU Anastas studio in Bethlehem, West Bank. 2026. (Elias Anastas)

• Bethlehem-based AAU Anastas Studio to Stage "Beam, Corbel, Ribs" in Dubai’s ICD Brookfield Place

The Aga Khan Award-winning studio AAU Anastas, based in Bethlehem and Paris, will unveil a collaborative multisensory exhibition at Dubai’s ICD Brookfield Place, grounded in its research on structural stone use across Palestine and beyond. The multidisciplinary work, featuring monologues by Karim Kattan and a sonic composition by Aho Ssan, was commissioned by the ICD Brookfield Place Arts Program and brings together fragments of unbuilt stone architectures developed in the studio’s Bethlehem practice. These fragments take the form of three structural elements — a beam, a corbel and a ribbed vault — and are given voice through Kattan’s texts and Aho Ssan’s soundscape, creating a resonant spatial experience. Set against Dubai’s ever-changing skyline, the installation reflects on the idea of constant transformation.

Date: May 12 to June 2, 2026

Location: ICD Brookfield Place, Downtown Dubai

Find more information here. 

• "A Journey into Architecture Archives: Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis," by Sharjah Architecture Triennial 

Part of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial’s ongoing programming, this exhibition takes the form of a collection room, presenting rare archival materials, physical models and newly commissioned documentary films. It explores memories, histories and unrealized futures from the cities of Baghdad, Damascus and Tunis. The show builds on the Triennial’s inaugural 2023 edition, which focused on Beirut, Cairo and Rabat, and continues its aim of fostering knowledge production from within the region while contributing to a shared archival database. This iteration marks a shift in format, adopting a more subdued, sustained engagement with the material and underscoring the need to safeguard and reactivate documentation that has been overlooked or is at risk.

Date: May 2 until July 12 

Location: Al Qasimiyah School, Sharjah

Find more information here.

• SUPERMARKET

A group exhibition featuring UAE-based artists presents works across a range of media, selected for their accessible price points at a time of uncertainty. All pieces are priced under 10,000 emirati dirhams (approximately $2,686). The show deliberately adopts the language of retail, inviting visitors to reflect on how culture is packaged, displayed, circulated and consumed. 

Date: May 5 to June 7

Location: The Foundry, Downtown Dubai

Find more information here