'Opening doors of conversation, culture to culture'

Korea Herald

29-06-2025

Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo talks about the Abu Dhabi Festival, international cooperation and joint exhibitions with SeMA
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Barely two years after a visit to Korea by one of Abu Dhabi's key cultural figures, internationally acclaimed Korean pianist Lim Yunchan performed to a packed concert hall in Abu Dhabi, the Korean National University of Arts Orchestra performed with young Emirati musicians in Abu Dhabi, and an exhibition of contemporary Korean art co-curated by the Seoul Museum of Art and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation opened at the prestigious Manarat Al Saadiyat cultural complex.
All this and more was set in motion by Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of ADMAF and founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, during her whirlwind visit to Seoul in May 2023, where she met with leading figures in Korea's cultural scene.
Her timing was prescient. The World Health Organization had declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier that month and the world was slowly coming out of long isolation, ready to engage with each other.
'We went on a journey together, we dreamed together, we shared our vision together. We are on a mission to bring our cultures together, open doors of conversation, culture to culture, conversation to conversation,' said Alkhamis-Kanoo during an interview with The Korea Herald at her residence on June 13.
'But I don't own this conversation. You don't own this conversation. We open it,' she said.
'For me, the beauty of this conversation is that it started with a vision, it became a reality. Now, we are building a legacy. The legacy is moving forward together for a greater future,' she said.
International cooperation is a key component of the Abu Dhabi Festival, and when it comes to international cooperation, the most important thing is relevance, Alkhamis-Kanoo pointed out. 'Relevance not only for us, but more importantly for our society, for our artists, our audiences and the relevance of the conversation that such international cooperation enables,' she continued.
'What is important to us is that every single international cooperation we engage in challenges, refines and expands our perspectives,' she said.
Held as part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2025, 'Layered Medium: We are in Open Circuits,' which comes to a close Monday, is an example of such international cooperation. Featuring 48 works by 29 artists, the first large-scale exhibition of Korean contemporary art in the Middle East is also the first of two co-curated and co-produced exhibitions developed through a three-year collaboration between SeMA and ADMAF.
Education is also a very important part of the Abu Dhabi Festival, especially given that the UAE is a relatively young country, formally established in 1971.
'We are a young nation but we come from a very old soul. This old soul with the energy of the young is the future. (Education) will always be a major element of the festival,' said Alkhamis-Kanoo, pointing out the educational function of the festival. She cited the example of the Korean National University of Arts Orchestra's open rehearsal, which was attended by public school children. 'Opening up to government schools is very important. Public schools all over the world are almost the underprivileged when it comes to liberal arts in all its forms, music included. We need to work more. Music creates empathy and happiness, joy. You know, that's the basis for the future,' she said.
Meanwhile, the second co-curated and co-produced exhibition, 'Intense Proximities,' will run at SeMA from Dec. 16 to Feb. 22, 2026, bringing three generations of UAE-based artists from the 1980s to today.
The partnership between SeMA and ADMAF also includes co-commissioned artworks, artist residencies, institutional exchanges and public programs in Seoul and Abu Dhabi.
'We see Korea not just as a partner but as a creative counterpart and even as something of a twin because we both have very rooted cultures and are very innovative.
'I don't think we have a finish line. We are building a process. I'd say our timeline is generational but the impact is already here,' Alkhamis-Kanoo said.