ADMAF Honors Korean Visionary Artist Lee Bul with prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival Award, Strengthening UAE–Korea Cultural Ties

Under the honorary founding patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Founding Honorary Patron of Abu Dhabi Festival, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) honoured the acclaimed Korean artist Lee Bul with the prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival Award – presented in collaboration with Chopard – at its Art @ Embassies initiative in Korea on 17 December.

Bestowed annually upon individuals who have made outstanding contributions to culture, the award recognises Lee Bul’s profound impact on contemporary visual art and her influential role in shaping artistic discourse both regionally and globally.

The award was presented to the artist by His Excellency Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, H.E. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, and Huh Yong-soo, CEO of GS Energy and Vice Chairman of GS Group.

Lee Bul is one of South Korea’s most influential contemporary artists and an internationally renowned figure, celebrated for her interdisciplinary practice spanning sculpture, installation, performance and painting. Known for merging futuristic imagination with critical social commentary, her work explores themes of utopia, technological transformation and societal constraints, often employing immersive installations and cyborg imagery to challenge perceptions of the body, politics and liberation. Her four-decade artistic journey continues to examine the fragility of progressivist ideals, as seen in recent commissions such as The Genesis Facade Commission at The Met (2024-2025). Testament to ADMAF’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and the enduring relationship between Korea and the UAE, Lee’s work was part of Layered Medium: We are in Open Circuits presented by ADMAF and Seoul Museum of Art as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, in May this year.

Following the presentation of the award, ADMAF convened a panel discussion in Seoul as part of its Art @ Embassies cultural diplomacy initiative. Serving as a key platform for cultural exchange, the initiative strengthens the UAE’s global cultural presence by bringing together influential artists, thinkers and diplomats in meaningful dialogue. Titled The Art that Bonds and presented in partnership with the UAE Embassy to the Republic of Korea, as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad programme, the talk featured curator Maya El Khalil and Emirati multimedia conceptual artist Moza Al Matrooshi. The panel explored the power of visual culture to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen cross-cultural bridges. Through personal reflection and professional insight, the discussion examined how artistic practice, curatorial frameworks and cultural exchange initiatives serve as vital instruments of diplomacy, solidarity and shared humanity.