Architecture houses a living archive of the city.
In Episode 16 of Avid Library, Meher Marfatia takes us through the fascinating stories of the people that lived, inhabited, and breathe life into Mumbai’s Art Deco architecture.
📹Watch the full session via link in bio or on our YouTube channel
#ArtDecoMumbai #AvidLibrary
Introducing ‘Avid Library’ - a curated archive of talks, films, performances, and conversations across arts, culture, and ideas.
Watch the space on @avidlearning and www.avidlearning.in
#AvidLibrary #LearningNeverStops
In celebration of #InternationalMuseumDay 2026, join museum practitioners, technologists and cultural thinkers to explore how immersive experiences are remaking the sector and where India stands on this fast-moving frontier.
At our newly opened Avid Learning Centre for Culture and Cultural Expressions at Al Khayat Avenue @alkhayat_avenue in Dubai, we welcome guests for a live streaming of a thought-provoking panel talk on the future of museums, technology, and cultural experiences.
For more information and registration please follow the link in bio.
#AvidLearning #InternationalMuseumDay
For this week’s Avid Creative Spotlight, we’re highlighting the remarkable Mohammed Bin Rashid Library.
Did you know the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library has 7 floors dedicated to knowledge, culture and creativity?
Inspired by the shape of a traditional “Rehl” - a book stand, it’s one of the most iconic libraries in the region.
Inside, you will find a great collection including: • Over 1.1 million printed & digital books • More than 6 million dissertations • Rare manuscripts, atlases and historical archives • Music scores, videos, newspapers & journals • Specialized sections for children, young adults, business, media & arts, maps, Emirates history and more.
The library also features rare collectibles, exhibition spaces, reading lounges and stunning creekside views — making it more than just a library, but a cultural landmark in Dubai.
#AvidCreativeSpotlight #CreativeSpaces #Architecture
Smooth lines. Gilded details. Geometric warmth.
Hear Kunal Shah explore the history of Art Deco design language and its adoption in India as part of our experiential session with Baro Market and 47-A: Design Gallery.
🔗 Catch the full session via link in bio
#ArtDeco #ArtDecoMumbai
Beyond the skyline, the city is its murals, its koliwadas, its parks, its people and the art that holds all of it together.
In 2022, we sat with artists, changemakers, and experts to explore how placemaking transforms overlooked spaces into living centres of community, culture, and memory. From the truck-art murals of Bandra to the revamped lanes of Versova Koliwada, Mumbai is already showing us what is possible when art meets intention.
🔗 Catch the full session via link in bio or our YouTube channel
#SustainabilityNOW #AvidLearning
This week as part of our Avid Creative Spotlight, we’re highlighting ‘Déjà Vu’ - a powerful multi-gallery exhibition at Concrete - Alserkal Avenue @alserkalavenue that brings together over 50 artists from 20 of the UAE’s leading contemporary galleries.
Inspired by Raed Yassin’s neon work Déjà vu (2016), the exhibition explores cycles, memory, misalignment and the strange familiarity of repetition, moments that feel known, yet entirely new.
Curated by the Alserkal Avenue team — Kevin Jones, Nada Raza and Zaina Zaarour — the show reflects the region’s dynamic and ever-evolving creative landscape.
Initiated with a clear purpose, the exhibition stands as a gesture of support for the creative community, highlighting the resilience and solidarity of the UAE’s art ecosystem.
Through our Creative Spotlight, we continue to support community-driven initiatives that bring artists, galleries and audiences together.
Visit the exhibition until May 8th and immerse yourself in the collective energy of the UAE’s art scene.
#AvidCreativeSpotlight #AlserkalAvenue #CreativeCommunity
Yesterday we hosted the first of our ‘Avid Creative Dialogues’ series — a platform where voices from diverse fields come together to share ideas, spark conversations and inspire reflection and personal growth.
We were delighted to welcome Tessy Koshy, who led the session, ‘Transform Yourself, One Book at a Time.’ We explored how reading can deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Thank you to everyone who joined us — your presence and curiosity made this first session truly special.
We look forward to more conversations to come. If you would like to stay informed about our upcoming events, please register in the link in bio.
#AvidCreativeDialogues #SelfhelpBooks #Lecture
How is cinema shifting in response to artificial intelligence?
From scripts shaped by algorithms, to marketing strategies to casting decisions guided by data, AI has emerged as powerful tool within the medium.
As part of Lights, Algorithms, Action – Reimagining Cinema with Artificial Intelligence, Smriti Kiran, Harikrishnan Pillai, Devdatta Potnis, and Vishal Bhalla in conversation moderated by Prateek Arora explored how this intersection is reshaping storytelling.
📹Watch the full episode via link in bio or our Youtube channel.
‘Avid Creative Spotlight’ is a curated edit of our favourite exhibitions, books, artists, shows and cultural recommendations from across the region, shared with our community.
URDU WORLDS
Two artists, one language.
Dubai’s Ishara Art Foundation presents an exhibition examining how language shapes our inner worlds and ways of seeing.
Curated by Hammad Nasar, the exhibition unfolds as a visual dialogue between Ali Kazim and Zarina, rooted in their shared engagement with Urdu.
For Zarina, originally from India, whose life spanned continents, Urdu became a place of belonging, its script, poetry and idioms delicately embedded within her printmaking practice. In contrast, Lahore-based Ali Kazim situated his work within a sense of place, drawing on the layered histories and diverse influences that have shaped the language.
The exhibition highlights the power of art as a bridge. In different textures, colours and forms, it explores the potential to move from words to worlds.
‘Urdu Worlds’ is on display at the Ishara Art Foundation until June 13, 2026.
@isharaartfoundation@alserkalavenue
#AvidCreativeSpotlight #Exhibition #ArtCollection #ArtMonth
We’re excited to introduce Avid Creative Dialogues - a new series created as an opportunity to pause, reflect and engage in meaningful conversation.
Each session invites a different speaker to share their perspective, spark conversation and open new ways of thinking. From personal growth and storytelling to creative practice and cultural dialogue.
In celebration of World Book Day please join us for our first session of Avid Creative Dialogues this Sunday with Tessy Koshy.
‘Transform Yourself, One Book at a Time’ will be a conversation on how reading can shape our thinking, expand perspectives and support personal growth.
With insights from her journey with Power of Pages Bookclub, Tessy will share reflections on the books that have left a lasting impact on her life, along with curated self-development recommendations for those looking to begin or enrich their reading journey.
Tessy Koshy @tessy.koshy is an independent art and culture journalist with over two decades of experience documenting the evolving creative landscape of the Middle East. Through her award-winning platform Middle East Masala, she has spotlighted artists, cultural movements and thought leaders shaping the region’s identity.
Come curious and leave inspired.
Sunday, 26 April | 4 PM
Nas House (Sangha Villa)
Free entry
Please register to attend in the link in bio.
DM us for more info.
This Earth Day we reflect on our journey as a firm believer in sustainability.
Through Sustainability NOW, Avid Learning has created a series of discussions, bringing together 120+ change-makers across 70+ programs to explore ideas shaping a greener future, encouraging audiences to become active catalysts and custodians of change.
Together with Avid Learning ME, the series highlights the environment-positive work and insights of artists, designers, chefs, architects, creative entrepreneurs, policymakers, environmentalists, urban planners, educators, philanthropists, scholars, and business leaders.
Today, more than ever, we feel the responsibility to do better, think deeper and act with intention.
Thank you to our community for sharing their thoughts on Earth day.
Sumithra, the founder of @the.bestory
Batul and Anupama, the founders of @upcycleletstransform
#EarthDay #SustainabilityNOW #AvidLearning
