Dubai’s Jameel Arts Centre continues to assert its position as a champion of contemporary art in the region, presenting a curated selection of exhibitions that speak to the intellect, the senses, and the soul. This summer, four distinct showcases invite connoisseurs and collectors alike to explore themes of ecological resilience, collective memory, and cultural heritage through the lens of globally acclaimed artists.
Mohammad Alfaraj: Seas are sweet, fish tears are salty
In his first institutional solo exhibition, Saudi artist Mohammad Alfaraj unveils a poetic and immersive body of work that spans photography, video, sculpture, and sound. Drawing inspiration from the oasis city of Al-Ahsa, Alfaraj’s installations explore ecological transformation and oral storytelling, intertwining motifs of palm trees, birds, and hands to convey multispecies narratives.Curated by Rotana Shaker, the exhibition invites viewers to become storytellers themselves, engaging with site-specific works that respond to the Centre’s gardens and outdoor spaces.
June 26, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Galleries, Jameel Arts Centre
Asunción Molinos Gordo: The Peasant, the Scholar and the Engineer
Spanish artist Asunción MolinosGordo presents her first West Asia retrospective, a deeply researched and visually arresting exploration of agricultural heritage and food politics. Spanning fifteen years of practice, the exhibition reclaims the intellectual legacy of farming communities, challenging urban-centric narratives of innovation. Highlights include the recreated World Agriculture Museum and Como solíamos, a rammed-earth installation echoing traditional irrigation systems. This exhibition is a celebration of pensamiento campesino, or peasant knowledge, and its relevance to sustainability and cultural continuity.
April 16, 2025 – September 28, 2025
Galleries, Jameel Arts Centre
Eltiqa: How to Work Together? A Collective Artistic Practice from Gaza
A rare and poignant presentation of collective resilience, Eltiqa, a Gaza-based artist collective, offers a deeply personal and politically resonant exhibition. Curated by The Question of Funding, the show features artworks preserved through a global network amid ongoing conflict. Through an annotated timeline and intimate narratives, Eltiqa reflects on two decades of artistic solidarity, survival, and cultural resistance. This exhibition is a testament to the enduring power of collaboration and the role of art in navigating adversity.
February 6, 2025 – July 20, 2025
Galleries 9 & 10, Jameel Arts Centre
Artist’s Garden: Samur by Zheng Bo
Hong Kong-based artist Zheng Bo invites audiences into a meditative dialogue with nature through his ecological art practice. Inspired by the resilient Samur tree, native to the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, Bo choreographed a dance with two human performers and a tree in the Mleiha desert. Presented as a film installation within a garden of indigenous desert flora, the work is a poetic homage to the tree’s strength and symbolism. Guided by Daoist philosophy, Bo’s practice fosters a deeper kinship with the living world, offering a serene yet profound experience of ecological awareness.
February 4, 2023 – September 28, 2025
Artist’s Garden, Jameel Arts Centre
