After the resounding success of the Dubai iteration of Prada’s travelling social club (which took place in 2022 at the ICD Brookfield Place), Prada Mode is returning to the UAE, this time hosted by Chicago-based multi-disciplinarian Theaster Gates. This year’s event serves to highlight the third collaboration between Prada and Gates since the inception of Prada Mode – with the first being at its inaugural edition in Miami.
Set to run next month on February 11th and 12th, Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed district will become home to Prada’s eleventh installment of Prada Mode. The space in the hotbed of culture that is MiZa, will serve as a bold counterpoint to our tech-saturated world, celebrating authentic craftsmanship, sacred intimacy, and the enduring power of collective gathering.
The event is built around the idea of duality. A cylindrical structure inside a square will divide the space into two contrasting zones. Inside, intimate acoustic sets create a quiet, reflective atmosphere. Outside, things get louder — live performances and DJ sets, curated by Gates with NTS Radio, bring high-energy chaos to the mix.
Dubai-based cultural strategist Myrna Ayad has curated the lineup, highlighting Arab women through talks, performances, and installations. As Gates puts it, the space is “a reflection on the spiritual possibilities of quietude, the power of gathering, the contiguity between the aesthetic of the past and their relevance for the future, and reverence for Arab women.”
“As we increasingly exist in a world where computer-generated possibilities govern our reality, my concept for Prada Mode Abu Dhabi is an homage to our interiority, the human hand, and our spiritual contributions to the rich cultural histories of this region. I’m honoured to host Prada Mode Abu Dhabi, deepening my relationship with Prada as a cultural institution invested in global dialogue and creative excellence, and celebrating the artistic traditions and futures of Abu Dhabi,” he elaborates.
On a culinary note, Chef Salam Daqqaq reimagines Emirati cuisine, incorporating flavours from Abu Dhabi’s diverse diasporic communities into a menu as layered as the event itself. The first two days will unfold as a private members’ club affair, followed by public access on February 13th and 14th.
It’s definitely an event you’d hate to miss out on, especially with the current climate in creative spaces, where the reign of artificial intelligence encroaches on the human vision. Admission is complimentary and subject to availability; to register, click here.