Digital art competition calls global creators to reimagine resilience
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opens submissions for its fourth digital art competition, inviting artists worldwide to explore how creativity, technology and human imagination might shape a more adaptive future. The winning works will be celebrated during the 2027 edition of the initiative.
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The impulse to create often arrives when the world most needs reimagining. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the global initiative hosted by Masdar, extends an invitation to digital artists from every corner of the globe to contribute their vision to the fourth edition of its digital art competition, a platform dedicated to exploring how creative expression and technological innovation might illuminate pathways toward a more resilient tomorrow.
The competition welcomes submissions from artists aged eighteen and above, inviting them to engage with the 2027 edition’s central theme: nurturing resilience and accelerating growth. Participants are encouraged to investigate the profound intersection of artistic vision, advanced technology and human imagination, considering how these forces might converge to shape futures capable of adaptation and flourishing across an increasingly complex world.
Submissions may take numerous forms. Static and animated works, interactive and generative pieces, immersive artistic experiences and online presentations are all welcomed. The competition recognises that digital art encompasses a broad spectrum of creative practice, and artists are invited to be transparent about any artificial intelligence, generative tools or creative programming employed within their work, clarifying how such technologies have shaped their artistic vision.
The works selected must engage substantively with one or more of the five core pillars that anchor Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: energy systems for the future; advanced technology and artificial intelligence; water, food and resource security; investment and infrastructure; and capabilities development and shared prosperity. This thematic framework ensures that art submitted speaks meaningfully to the complex challenges and opportunities that define contemporary sustainability.
A distinguished panel of judges drawn from prominent artistic and cultural communities across the region and internationally will evaluate submissions according to criteria encompassing conceptual strength, artistic vision and excellence, impact and capacity for engagement, and accessibility. This ensemble includes Diala Nasreddine, director of Frieze Abu Dhabi; Kawthar bin Sulayem, founder and chief executive of District 1795; artist Hamad Al Shaamsi; Anna Margretskaya, general director of Digital Theatre; visual artist and creative director Khawla Abu Saleh; and Arabic calligrapher Dia Allam.
The works of the winner and two finalists will be honoured and exhibited during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2027, offering the selected artists a prominent position within one of the region’s most significant cultural and sustainability gatherings. The competition closes for submissions on 16 November 2026, with full details and application information available through the official Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week platform.
Imagery courtesy of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (@adswagenda).
