Yas Bay — proposals

In 2020, SAN Projects was invited to develop a public-art proposal for Yas Bay in Abu Dhabi. The concept brought murals and sculptural installations into a shared plan for the destination, considering how artworks could establish points of encounter within its public spaces.

A proposed roster of Emirati and international artists offered different ways to respond to Abu Dhabi’s history and cultural traditions. The approach connected local context with a range of contemporary practices, allowing individual works to contribute to a wider programme.

The proposal reflects the early curatorial stage of a public-art commission: defining the relationship between a site, its audience and the artists invited to work there. It belongs to SAN Projects’ practice of developing cultural programmes alongside the physical planning of a destination.