Adam is the curator of RASEEF, New York Arab Festival's recurring symposium on the intersections of urbanism and art.

Congestion. Friction. Possibility. Raseef’s 2025 edition explored the frictions of the city not as obstacles to human flourishing but rather prerequisites for it. New York City’s congestion charges; Riyadh’s paid parking regime; Cairo’s heritage-demolition for overpasses: some cities are introducing frictions while others are bulldozing them away. What possibility does friction open up for the city dweller? And how do artists encourage these moments of pause, contestation, and catharsis?

Over the course of two days of discussions, panels, and showcasings of creative work, Adam was joined by multidisciplinary artist Jenny Marketou, architect and theorist Raafat Majzoub, photographer and actor Amr al-Bayoumi, architect and researcher Ziad Gamaleddine, illustrator Omar Houssein, and public art curator Marissa Lazar, hosted by Buro Happold.