Rizq Art Initiative in Abu Dhabi unveils The Imaginary Museum, an expansive exhibition featuring 27 artists from the UAE and around the world, offering a rich, multi-layered conversation across cultures, generations, and artistic practices. Curated by Meena Vari, the exhibition takes inspiration from André Malraux’s visionary idea of a “museum without walls,” suggesting a space where art is liberated from physical limitations and exists vividly within the realms of memory, imagination, and interpretation.
In this spirit, the exhibition reframes artworks as evolving vessels of collective and personal remembrance. Rather than presenting art as static or self-contained, The Imaginary Museum invites audiences to view each piece as part of a living continuum, an ever-shifting narrative shaped by the viewer’s own perceptions and experiences. Drawing on Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of cultural hybridity and Umberto Eco’s theory of the “open work,” the show celebrates ambiguity, fluidity, and the transformative power of interpretation.
Spanning painting, sculpture, digital art, and experimental material practices, the exhibition highlights the diverse ways artists negotiate themes of memory, identity, and cultural consciousness. The result is a dynamic constellation of works that collectively reflect how stories are reimagined and meanings redefined across time and geographical boundaries.
Participating Artists
The exhibition gathers an eclectic roster of artists whose backgrounds and practices enrich its thematic scope:
Abdulrahim Ibrahim Al Kendi (Oman), Afra Al Dhaheri (UAE), Akhil Mohan (India), Alla Abdunabi (Libya/UAE), Angel Hui Hoi Kiu (Hong Kong), Anupama Alias Anil (India), Bharrati Verma (India), Camelia Mohebi (UAE), Christopher Joshua Benton (USA/UAE), Dhbaya Al Qubaisi (UAE), Dina Nazmi Khorchid (Palestine/USA), Hassan Sharif (UAE), Hasseena Suresh (India), Indu Antony (India), Jimmy Jinuchi Sugiura (Japan), Katarzyna Dzikowska (Poland/UAE), Maitha Al Omaira (UAE), Maktoum Al Maktoum (UAE), Mibin Bhaskar (India), Mohsen Hazrati (Iran/Berlin), Reem Al Hashmi (UAE), Roudhah Al Mazrouei (UAE), Sabin Mudappathi (India), Samo Shalaby (Egypt/UAE), Sara Al Sulaimani (UAE), Solimán López (Spain), and Vikram Divecha (India/UAE).
Together, these artists weave a rich tapestry of perspectives, each contributing to the exhibition’s exploration of how memories and identities are constructed, contested, and continually reshaped.
A Living Museum of Ideas
By embracing an open-ended approach to interpretation, The Imaginary Museum positions itself not merely as an exhibition but as an active cultural space, a meeting point where ideas circulate, histories intersect, and viewers become co-authors of meaning.
The exhibition is on view until 30 November 2025. Photo Credit: Rizq Art Initiative