Mirage exhibition at Erth hotel in Abu Dhabi explores identity through 18 artists

Mirage, a group exhibition curated by Nicolò Venelli and presented in association with Thaer Select, is on view at the Erth hotel in Abu Dhabi until 27 December. Featuring 18 artists from the Arabian Peninsula and Europe, the show engages themes of revelation, uncertainty, and identity through sculpture and painting. Mamali Shafahi's flocked epoxy clay sculptures The Watcher I and The Watcher II (2025) serve as luminous guides, while Husna Samer's small-scale oil painting Wistful (2024) uses warm desert hues to evoke interior worlds. Works like HazzA's Air Time (2025) and Ziad Al Najjar's Harut and Marut (2025) examine masculinity and anxiety, with Al Najjar employing mixed media for mythic resonance. Samo Shalaby's paintings Ecdysis (2025) and Genesis (2025) depict moments of rebirth and metamorphosis. The exhibition design includes sand trails and water sounds, creating a journey-like atmosphere that blurs material and ethereal realms. Venelli describes Mirage as an oasis that does not exist, emphasizing its focus on ritual and imagination.