Abu Dhabi has never been shy about large-scale cultural ambition. Museums rise from the sand, islands shift into creative districts, and entire neighbourhoods turn into open-air galleries. Yet nothing quite prepares you for the sight now waiting at Souq Al Mina. KAWS has arrived. Literally glowing. The latest stop in his global KAWS:HOLIDAY Project has transformed the waterfront into a surreal nocturnal stage, where a monumental COMPANION figure reclines under the desert sky while cradling a luminous crescent moon. It is soft. It is immense. And it marks another moment in the city’s fast-expanding public art story.
This activation is part of Manar Abu Dhabi, the capital’s ambitious exhibition dedicated to light-based artworks. The COMPANION installation feels like a clever fit for a city that thinks in big gestures. KAWS leans into themes of stillness and reflection, placing his figure in a posture that redirects your gaze upward. The desert, the marina, and the star-filled sky frame the work with a sense of cosmic quiet that feels intentional. The glowing moon cradled in COMPANION’s hands almost reads like a reminder of the region’s long relationship with astronomy and navigation.
Running from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, the installation stands at the centre of a wider citywide programme shaped by artistic director Khai Hori. The second edition of Manar Abu Dhabi spreads twenty-three works across four locations and takes its name from the Arabic word for guiding light. Jubail Island anchors the exhibition with fifteen works, including new pieces by Emirati sculptor Shaikha Al Mazrou and a striking dome structure by Dutch duo DRIFT. For the first time, the initiative also extends into Al Ain. Eight installations unfold through the Al Qattara andAl Jimi oasis trails, merging heritage landscapes with contemporary experimentation from regional and international artists such as Maitha Hamdan, Ammar Al Attar, and Hamburg-based Christian Brinkmann. Brinkmann’s interactive Floral Resonance uses sensors to respond to touch and proximity, allowing the visuals and soundscape to shift in real time. It is a poetic choice for an exhibition rooted in light, geography and the movement of people.
KAWS’ work, however, is unmistakably the headline moment. The COMPANION figure has travelled the world in various monumental forms, from floating on Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong to resting in the vast green of Fumotoppara in Japan. The Abu Dhabi edition is distinct. The light itself becomes the medium. The glowing moon softens the figure’s scale and creates a quiet conversation between art and environment.
This is the type of public installation that cities remember. It resonates with families, art lovers, and visitors who wander the waterfront at night and stumble across a familiar figure transformed into something luminous. Abu Dhabi has positioned itself as a destination where culture is not only housed in world-class museums but also placed directly into the everyday flow of the city. KAWS:HOLIDAY reinforces that direction with confidence. It offers a moment of pause in a place known for constant forward movement and adds a new point of connection between global contemporary art and a region rewriting its creative identity with remarkable speed.
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