On view until March 29, 2026, Proximities showcases over 110 works by 47 UAE-based artists across three generations, tracing five decades of the UAE’s evolving visual arts journey
.jpg)
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of the Abu Dhabi Festival, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF), in collaboration with the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), has inaugurated Proximities,the largest and first major exhibition of contemporary visual art from the UAE ever presented in East Asia.
The exhibition was formally inaugurated on December 15, 2025, at the Seoul Museum of Art by His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, in the presence of senior dignitaries from the UAE and the Republic of Korea, including Kim Hea Kyung, First Lady of South Korea, Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young, and ADMAF Founder and Artistic Director Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo.
On view until March 29, 2026, Proximities presents more than 110 works by 47 UAE-based artists, including 33 Emirati artists, spanning three generations and tracing five decades of the UAE’s evolving visual arts landscape. The exhibition brings together practices across photography, video, painting, sculpture, performance and installation, examining how cultural meaning shifts across time, geography and lived experience.
Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi said the exhibition reflects the UAE’s vision of strengthening international cultural cooperation and positioning Emirati creativity on the global stage. He noted that the showcase highlights the authenticity and diversity of Emirati artistic expression while reinforcing long-term cultural dialogue with South Korea.
Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo described Proximities as a powerful platform for storytelling and exchange, presenting the experiences of artists shaped by the UAE’s rapid cultural transformation. She emphasised that the exhibition deepens artistic ties between the UAE and Korea while expanding global conversations around identity, tradition and modernity.
The exhibition is part of the 23rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad programme and represents the second chapter of a three-year institutional collaboration between ADMAF and SeMA, initiated under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Co-curated by Maya El Khalil and Eunju Kim, the exhibition unfolds through three thematic sections developed with guest curators Farah Al Qasimi, Mohammed Kazem, Cristiana de Marchi, and artist trio Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian.
SeMA General Director Choi Eunju said the exhibition marks the most comprehensive presentation of Emirati contemporary art ever mounted in Korea, offering an opportunity for both nations to transcend cultural boundaries and explore shared artistic futures.
Alongside the exhibition, a public programme of panel discussions and artist-curator dialogues will further support cultural exchange, reinforcing the UAE–Korea Special Strategic Partnership through creative diplomacy and long-term institutional collaboration.