New “Cartographies, Revised” Exhibition opens at Manarat Al Saadiyat - and entry is free!

A deeply personal and thought-provoking photography exhibition has opened at Manarat Al Saadiyat, offering an intimate look at the relationships between people, space and memory.

If you love discovering emerging artistic talent in Abu Dhabi, “Cartographies, Revised” is well worth a visit.

Open now at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the new exhibition is the result of a four-month residency programme run by the Photography Studio, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

Featuring seven early-career artists from the UAE and beyond, the exhibition explores the idea of image-making through a deeply personal lens. Rather than sticking to technical photography rules, the artists were encouraged to respond to their surroundings – capturing personal stories, emotional connections, and layered histories in visual form.

Curated and mentored by UAE-based conceptual artist and writer Mouza Al Matrooshi, the residency helped artists shape their work through studio conversations and peer collaboration. Mouza herself is a graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art in London and has previously exhibited at the V&A Museum and the Lahore Biennale.

The third cohort of artists includes:

• Aman Ali – Labours of Love

• Anna Jopp – On Gardening

• Dana Al Dhaen – Imprints of the Invisible

• Fares Al Kaabi – Roots around our hearts and Weeping Roola

• Hessa Alzaabi – The Soul Still Remains

• Reem Hamid – Between Movement and Stillness (2025)

• Yousif Albadi – Spaces We Do Not Name (2025)

Themes range from the life of plants in public spaces, and familial stories of love and care, to how memories live on in doors and windows of now-demolished buildings. Other works look at movement versus stillness, and how we map spaces that hold emotional weight.

With a mix of textures, moving image, audio, and more, the exhibition offers a multi-sensory experience that blurs the line between personal and universal.

Entry is free, and the exhibition is now open to the public.

Plan your visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/photographycentre/spectrumexhibition