ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Group Exhibition Explores the Swimming Pool as a Symbol of Luxury and Leisure

exhibition · 2026-04-22

There's an exhibition called 'The Swimming Pool' featuring nine artists who dive into themes like joy, relaxation, and excess tied to swimming pools. Some notable names include Olaf Breuning, Gil Heitor Cortesāo, and Philip Mueller, along with rising stars like Nazgol Ansarinia and Tamara Al Samerraei. Cortesāo brings nostalgic vibes from the '60s and '70s with his oil paintings on clear Plexiglas. Mueller paints a lively scene at Tiberio Beach Resort, while Breuning contrasts luxury's impact on nature. Ansarinia tackles urban gentrification in Tehran, and Al Samerraei mixes different art forms. Bußmann's tiny tin pieces are literary-inspired, Izmaylov looks at escapism with toys, and Al Remeithi captures quarantine beauty through Polaroids. Overall, it reflects the swimming pool as a modern symbol of status.

Key facts

  • The exhibition is titled 'The Swimming Pool'.
  • It features works by nine artists: Olaf Breuning, Gil Heitor Cortesāo, Philip Mueller, Nazgol Ansarinia, Tamara Al Samerraei, Maria Bußmann, Alexei Alexander Izmaylov, and Sultan Al Remeithi.
  • The common theme is the swimming pool as a symbol of luxury, leisure, and indulgence.
  • Cortesāo uses oil on transparent Plexiglas to depict nostalgic pool scenes from 1960s and 1970s architecture.
  • Mueller's invented locale includes pools at Tiberio Beach Resort for his Black Flamingo Sad Boys gang.
  • Breuning uses woodcut to contrast natural world with environmental impact of man-made luxuries.
  • Ansarinia comments on gentrification in Tehran through architectural minimalism.
  • Al Remeithi's works are based on Polaroid pictures of his quarantine space.

Entities

Artists

  • Olaf Breuning
  • Gil Heitor Cortesāo
  • Philip Mueller
  • Nazgol Ansarinia
  • Tamara Al Samerraei
  • Maria Bußmann
  • Alexei Alexander Izmaylov
  • Sultan Al Remeithi

Locations

  • Tehran
  • Iran

Sources