Can you find the hidden speaker?
Emirati artist Ahmad AlAttar's interactive installation at 421 Arts Campus turns sound into a game of discovery.
Welcome back to AL-MONITOR Dubai.
If you’re seeking an engaging interlude from the Arabian summer heat, an installation at 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi by Emirati artist Ahmad AlAttar invites visitors to interact with an unseen algorithm, exploring how technology is becoming increasingly embedded in our daily lives. In Dubai, a group exhibition of emerging local artists at the newly opened Avid Centre for Culture and Creative Expressions reflects the rich artistic and cultural diversity of the United Arab Emirates. For freelancers and entrepreneurs looking for a new place to work, Tashkeel has launched a new workspace designed to meet evolving work needs. And don’t miss trying Apollo, a cozy new bistro on Palm Jumeirah serving comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.
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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: ‘Human in the Loop’
“Human in the Loop” by Ahmad AlAttar, 2026. (Photo courtesy of 421 Arts Campus, Photography by Daryll Borja, Seeing Things)
A new immersive, sound-based installation by Emirati artist and engineer Ahmad AlAttar at 421 Arts Campus offers a welcome escape from the summer heat. Titled “Human in the Loop,” the installation fills the gallery with brightly colored ropes suspended from the ceiling. Pulling a rope activates an interaction with an unseen algorithm, while visitors’ movements through the space transform the gallery into a game of hide-and-seek accompanied by shifting ambient sounds inspired by nature. The sounds vary depending on which rope is pulled and where visitors are in the room. Faint sounds indicate they are farther from the algorithm, while sharper, distorted sounds suggest they are getting closer. The experience ultimately challenges visitors to locate the hidden speaker.
The title, “Human in the Loop,” references a term used in robotics and artificial intelligence to describe systems that rely on human input. “People often ask whether I’m an artist or an engineer,” AlAttar writes in the opening press release. “For me, the two are closely connected; experimentation is how I work.”
AlAttar’s installation explores how technology is becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life. Through play, sound and both individual and collective participation, the work invites reflection on the ways technology shapes human behavior, attention and decision-making.
Date: until Sept. 13
Location: 421 Arts Campus, Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Apollo
A zesty pasta dish at Apollo on Palm Jumeirah. (Photo courtesy of Apollo)
This recently opened all-day bistro on Palm Jumeirah reimagines comfort food with an elevated touch. Located at Palm Views West, the upscale yet cozy restaurant serves a menu that blends classic favorites with modern Mediterranean and European influences. Standout dishes include steak frites, French onion croquettes, Peruvian grilled octopus, yummy Ceviche Clasico and beef tartare with soy-cured egg yolk. Don’t miss the Apollo Burger, made with dry-aged wagyu. For appetizers, order the Duck Arayes, Tuna Nayyeh or Prawn Sesame Toast. With sweeping views over Palm Marina, Apollo provides an idyllic setting for an intimate lunch or dinner.
Location: Palm Views West, Shop G04, Palm Jumeirah
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Birute Brandt. “Illumination.” 2025. Acrylic on canvas. (Photo courtesy of the artist and Avid Learning)
- ‘Avid Creative Canvas’
A group exhibition at the newly opened Avid Center for Culture and Creative Expressions brings together the work of 17 emerging Dubai-based artists from diverse cultural backgrounds. Featuring painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media and video, the exhibition reflects Avid Learning's commitment to fostering creative dialogue and collaboration. The participating artists, selected through the organization's Creative Roundtable initiative, explore a wide range of themes and techniques, celebrating diversity while inviting audiences into an ongoing cultural conversation.
“Care was taken to ensure the artists were multinational, portrayed various techniques, and were inspired by different themes and personal narratives. There was diversity at all levels," Avid Learning’s founder and chairperson Madhu Ruia told Al-Monitor. “From its inception, our vision has been to create a space where artists, audiences, and ideas can come together and find expression, to establish a venue where art could be experienced, where live workshops could be executed, where performances could be staged, meaningful conversations could take place and lasting connections established.”
Date: until Sept. 13
Location: Al Khayat Avenue, Warehouse 24
Find more information here.
- Tashkeel launches Taskheel Workspace & Events
Tashkeel, the contemporary art and design organization founded by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum in 2008, has launched Tashkeel Workspace & Events at its Nad Al Sheba campus in Dubai. Designed for freelancers, entrepreneurs and hybrid professionals, the new facility offers flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, event spaces and access to Tashkeel's creative resources. Reflecting the organization's mission to support meaningful creative work, the expansion responds to evolving ways of working while fostering collaboration, experimentation and creative exchange.
Location: Nad Al Sheba 1
Find more information here.
- ‘In Plain Sight’
Emirati artist Alia Zaal's latest solo exhibition at Gallery Isabelle on Alserkal Avenue explores the UAE's landscape through intricate paintings, ceramics and works on paper. Inspired by locations including Al Khawaneej in Dubai and the mangroves of Abu Dhabi, the exhibition focuses on intimate fragments rather than sweeping panoramas. Partly informed by her father's difficulty distinguishing certain colors, the works reflect on how the country's natural landscape is perceived, remembered and shaped by individual experience rather than a single shared vision.
Date: until Sept. 15
Location: Gallery Isabelle, Alserkal Avenue
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: ‘Turbulence’
Dubai-based journalist and author Hafsa Lodi’s debut novel tells the introspective and emotionally charged story of a young Muslim woman navigating questions of faith, feminism and family during a turbulent flight to New York. The novel follows documentary filmmaker Dunya Dawood, who once had ambitious plans for her career before falling in love. A decade later, she finds herself pregnant and unexpectedly upgraded on a flight to New York, separated from her husband and son. Relishing a rare moment away from her family and the demands of life in the Middle East, Dunya reflects on the choices that led her down a path she never imagined. But when a shocking discovery sends her into labor mid-flight, she is forced to make what may be the most difficult decision of her life.
5. View from Dubai
Kenneth Sagar. “Some Stories Are Still Carried by the Water.” 2026. Fine Art Photography. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth Sagar)
The work of Abu Dhabi-born Indian fine art photographer Kenneth Sagar is currently on view in “Avid Creative Canvas.” Now based in Dubai, Sagar seeks to capture authentic moments and the unfiltered energy that connect people beyond labels and expectations. His photographs explore themes of human connection, purpose and the shared experiences that shape our lives, while his creative process is guided by intuition and a deep appreciation for the everyday, serendipitous moments that often go unnoticed.
6. By the numbers
- 60% of Dubai's land is intended to become nature reserves and rural areas under Dubai's Vision 2040 master plan, which also calls for doubling public park space and increasing public beach space by 400%.
- The plan also aims for 55% of residents to live within 800 meters of a public transit station and for 80% of their daily needs to be reachable within a 20-minute walk or bicycle ride.
