CommunityMental HealthSee a film, take in an exhibit, attend a workshop: Because art is good for you, too

Not sure what to do this week? Check out one of the many art events happening. After all engaging with art is a key part of wellness.

Warehouse 421

Tuck yourself into some films at Mina Zayed. In partnership with Cinema Akil, Warehouse 421 will screen Withered Green and Halawa this Wednesday. If you have some time before or after the screenings, make sure to wander through Architecture of Loneliness. The newly opened photography exhibit is curated in partnership with Al Serkal’s Gulf Photo Plus and “explores the UAE’s shifting urban landscapes, and how they shape the experience of its inhabitants.” If you’re in the mood for cheekier art, you can take a walk through Hundred Best Arabic Posters 100/100.

Manarat Al Saadiyat

Want to learn more about contemporary Emirati Art? Head over to the opening of Abdul Qader Al Rais: 50 Years of Art (December 19-March 23), which brings together a survey and an evolution of the artist Abdul Qader Al Rais. See how his career evolved, from early figurative paintings to his most recent and recognizable series of calligraphic abstraction.

Want to do more than just appreciate art? Get creative at Manarat Al Saadiyat this weekend with workshops in ceramics, figurative painting, drawing and more.

Art Central

Paint like Van Gogh with Art Central’s Christmas with Vincent Van Gogh workshop. You’ll “learn the special oil techniques used by the post-impressionists as well as perspective laws and oil layers of the painting”.

New York University Abu Dhabi

Experience Remote Abu Dhabi, theater company Rimini Protokoll’s site-specific sound performance. The performance is experienced as a walk through the city of Abu Dhabi while wearing headphones. Buy your tickets through the NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center..

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Check out the Louvre’s Al Ayyala performances and Arabic coffee this weekend from 4pm to 6pm. Then enjoy the galleries even more with the winter discount: students, children, and teachers get in free until December 31st.

Al Serkal Avenue

Head over to Al Serkal Avenue and catch a film in Cinema Akil. Torn between great films at Cinema Akil and appreciating the wonderful winter weather? Head to the The Yard this Tuesday to watch a free outdoor screening of Wild Relatives.