ADMAF and UAE Pavilion Host Abu Dhabi Festival’s ‘Art @ Embassies’ Talk at Expo 2025 Osaka, Championing Cross-Cultural Dialogue at the World’s Fair

(MENAFN- Weber Shandwick) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 16 July 2025: Held under the honorary founding patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, and under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Festival’s Art @ Embassies cultural-diplomacy initiative – part of its Abroad Programme – was held at the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka on 15 July. Jointly presented by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the UAE Pavilion, the panel brought Emirati artists into an insightful conversation with their Japanese counterparts. The talk was part of a series of ongoing engagements at the Expo that highlight ADMAF’s and the UAE’s shared commitment to advancing humanity through culture, the arts and human connections.
Her Excellency Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Founder of the Abu Dhabi Festival, expressed ADMAF's pride in presenting the pioneering cultural diplomacy initiative ‘Arts @ Embassies’ for the third consecutive year as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad programme, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of the Abu Dhabi Festival, and Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan

H.E. said: “In collaboration with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Japan and as part of the UAE National Pavilion programmes at Expo Osaka 2025, we present this dialogue featuring young Emirati artists Shaikha Al Ketbi and Sarah Al Mehair, in conversation with Chiaki Soma, art producer and associate professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. This talk highlights the artists' experiences, exploring themes of cultural identity, materiality, memory and place; as well as the contrast between slowness and acceleration in life as contemporary human issues and questions.”

“This panel discussion is part of our ‘Arts @ Embassies’ initiative, which has previously travelled to London, Paris and Seoul. It aims to deepen friendship, cooperation and cultural dialogue between artists from the United Arab Emirates and Japan, this year's Guest Country of Honour at the Abu Dhabi Festival. By promoting cultural exchange and creating opportunities for Emirati creatives, the initiative supports our efforts to enrich Abu Dhabi's cultural vision and foster the achievements of culture, arts, education and the creative industries,” H.E. concluded.

His Excellency Shihab Alfaheem, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, said: “Art has always been a profound reflection of who we are and what we aspire to become. At the UAE Pavilion, we believe in the transformative power of cultural exchange to foster empathy, dialogue, and innovation. The Art@Embassies initiative by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation is a meaningful extension of our commitment to showcasing the creative spirit of the UAE while honouring the shared values that bind nations together.”

Shaikha Al Ketbi, Deputy Commissioner General and Creative Director of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, said: “The UAE Pavilion is proud to serve as a space where artistic voices from the Emirates can resonate globally. Through the Art@Embassies initiative by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, we celebrate the depth of Emirati creativity and its ability to inspire meaningful cultural dialogue. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to fostering mutual understanding through arts and cultural diplomacy.”

The Art @ Embassies talk featured Emirati visual artists Shaikha Al Ketbi and Sarah Al Mehairi, along with Chiaki Soma, Art Producer and Associate Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. Their discussion explored themes of materiality, memory and place, as well as the tension between slowness and acceleration in contemporary life. The talk was a fitting reflection of the UAE Pavilion’s Earth to Ether theme, which showcases how past traditions and values continue to shape our present and inspire future ambitions. The Pavilion, located in the Expo’s Empowering Lives Zone, was designed by the Earth to Ether Collective, a multidisciplinary team of designers, curators, architects and storytellers from the UAE, Japan and other parts of the world, led by the UAE Expo Office. The design symbolises the spirit of cross-cultural collaboration.

The Art @ Embassies panel in Osaka follows successful editions of the initiative in London, Paris and Seoul, and aims to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Japan – the Festival’s country of honour this year – through cultural diplomacy. By fostering cross-cultural exchange and creating opportunities for Emirati creatives both locally and internationally, the initiative supports ADMAF’s mission to nurture the arts, education and culture, while contributing to the advancement of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s cultural vision.

ADMAF and the UAE Pavilion are also jointly presenting other captivating cultural initiatives throughout Expo 2025 Osaka. In April, a cross-cultural calligraphy performance took place at the Pavilion, featuring master calligraphers Mohamed Mandi from the UAE and Juichi Yoshikawa from Japan. Together, they produced a monumental artwork blending Arabic and Japanese calligraphy, an inspiring testament to the harmony of two artistic traditions.

Another highlight is the ‘Guest Artists Takeover’, a rolling residency in which four Emirati artists Asma Al Remeithi, Aisha (Yoshi) Al Ali, Sarah Al Mehairi and Moza Almatrooshi transform the Pavilion’s creative space into a living studio, each for a dedicated week over the course of the Expo. Through interactive workshops and live demonstrations, the artists engage with international audiences, offering insight into their practices while reflecting on broader cultural narratives that shape contemporary Emirati identity.

In August, ADMAF and NYU Abu Dhabi’s The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2025 winners, Sara Farha and Khaled Shalkha, will lead a series of innovation-focused workshops at the UAE Pavilion, promoting creative exchange and artistic experimentation.

ADMAF and the UAE Pavilion’s cultural programme at Expo 2025 Osaka welcomes visitors from around the world into a space of dialogue and discovery, sharing the UAE’s artistic voice and showcasing Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision on the global stage.

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