Regional art shows to look out for in February-March 2025

The months of February and March are shaping up to be an exciting time showcasing some of the region’s most prolific artists- from Nada Elkalaawy’s Object of Attention inviting us into the overlooked corners of domestic life, to Monia Ben Hamouda’s Ya’aburnee merging Tunisian-Italian heritage with a powerful visual exploration of love and identity, to Mohamed Fariji’s revival of Casablanca’s forgotten Aquarium resurrecting local history, and everything else in between these exhibitions stand as a vibrant testament to the ever-evolving artistic voices of the region.

Object of Attention by Nada Elkalaawy

Gypsum Gallery, Cairo, Egypt

February 12^th – March 18^th

Object of Attention, a solo exhibition by London-based Egyptian artist Nada Elkalaawy, explores the everyday domestic objects that often go unnoticed in our daily lives. Focusing on items like metal tureens, porcelain figurines, and dinnerware, Elkalaawy’s paintings reframe these objects as carriers of memory and emotion. Drawing on family photographs, art historical references, and images from the internet, her work weaves together different times and places, inviting reflection on themes of attachment and belonging. Using techniques like cropping, blurring, and focusing, Elkalaawy turns the familiar into something slightly unfamiliar, giving these inanimate objects an almost animated quality. Reflections and shadows create a sense of movement, making it seem as though the paintings themselves are alive in some way. A recurring element in Elkalaawy’s work is the putti—winged infants typically seen in religious art—which she repositions from their usual passive roles to central figures, giving them a new sense of presence. The artist’s interest in the concept of hollowness—found in the empty spaces of porcelain figures or lidded serving bowls—suggests a different way of thinking about absence, as something that can be filled with meaning or memory. Through her work, Elkalaawy encourages the viewer to consider the deeper narratives embedded in everyday objects.

Ya’aburnee by Monia Ben Hamouda

Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia

February 26^th – April 19^th

Ben Hamouda, a Tunisian-Italian artist, presents Ya’aburnee as a reflection on the intersection of the importance of cultural identity and the intrinsic role of love. Showing at La Goulette’s Selma Feriani Gallery, the exhibition displays Ben Hamouda’s visual language, which encompasses a diverse range of media, including drawing, sculpture, and painting, through which she reinterprets traditional calligraphic forms in discordant, layered compositions. Deeply rooted in the cultural and religious symbolism of her Arabic heritage, Ben Hamouda’s work reflects her ongoing exploration of contemporary issues—symbolic, political, and personal—while drawing on her own complex history. Her practice navigates the human condition, using sculpture as a tool to reconsider and reframe her cultural lineage, exploring the connections between blood ties and broader, often invisible relationships. Her practice aims to bridge disparate histories—of art, language, culture, and religion—through a poetics that employs raw materials like metal, wood, spices, charcoal, and fire. These materials act as conduits for the forces that have shaped her identity, performing a ritual that channels the tension between the constraints of tradition and the urge for self-expression.

The Imaginary Aquarium, Episode #2 by Mohamed Fariji

L’Atelier 21, Casablanca, Morocco

February 18^th – March 22^nd

Mohamed Fariji returns for his second solo exhibition at L’Atelier 21 in Casablanca.This exhibition delves into the forgotten Aquarium of Casablanca, once a celebrated space adorned with marine-themed ceramics, now abandoned and left to time. Fariji brings this lost world back to life, reimagining the Aquarium’s figurative essence while questioning local mythologies and proposing alternative narratives for its future. His project reflects a commitment to the preservation of historical memory and engages the community in contemplating the city’s evolving identity. “Since 2012, I have been diving into the archives of this collective memory, in search of what has been forgotten and erased by the waves of time… My project aspires to recreate what has been lost and to give a second life to this Aquarium,” shares Fariji. His ambition is to restore the original ceramics of the Aquarium, revitalizing fragments of history that have long been overlooked. Through these restored pieces, Fariji calls for a reimagined future for the Aquarium, urging a collective vision of it as a place of art, memory, and hope. A graduate of the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tétouan and the Llotja School of Art and Design in Barcelona, Fariji’s multidisciplinary practice includes painting, photography, installations, and performances. His work has been showcased at renowned institutions like Kunsthal Aarhus, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, and the Sharjah Art Foundation.

(RE)VISIT THE PYRAMIDS Group Exhibition

Tintera Gallery, Cairo, Egypt

February 5^th – April 5^th

The exhibition is an engaging and thought-provoking journey through the diverse and imaginative ways in which nine distinguished artists have interacted with one of the world’s most iconic landmarks- the pyramids of Egypt. The artists featured in this exhibition—Nabil Boutros, René Clement, Denis Dailleux, Bryony Dunne, Nour Elmassry, Paul Geday, Anthony Hamboussi, Barry Iverson, and Maria Saba—bring their unique voices and creative visions to the subject, exploring themes ranging from the intersection of tradition and modernity to the ways in which these monumental structures continue to resonate within contemporary thought. With each work, the exhibition aims to highlight the enduring mystique of the pyramids but also invites an exploration of the personal, symbolic, and often unexpected meanings they hold in today’s world. Through a rich tapestry of media, from photography to sculpture and video, the exhibition challenges us to rethink how we relate to these timeless monuments and their ever-evolving significance in both the global imagination and individual experience.

Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine

Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

January 23^rd– April 17^th

Hayy Jameel in partnership with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, invites viewers to an exhibition which delves into the intricate and culturally profound world of Palestinian tatreez, hand embroidery that has long been a vital expression of identity, resilience, and resistance. The exhibition features a rich collection of over 30 historic and contemporary dresses, more than 100 archival photographs, and objects spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. It highlights the matrilineal tradition of embroidery, a craft predominantly passed down by women, and explores its evolution from the Nakba in 1948 to the present day, focusing on regional variations such as those of Jerusalem, Ramallah, Beit Dajan, and Bedouin communities. Thread Memory offers a poignant narrative of Palestinian survival, connecting the personal to the collective, while also reflecting the dynamic heritage of the Palestinian diaspora. The exhibition draws from the Palestinian Museum’s extensive archive, offering a glimpse into the visual language embedded in everyday life and passed down through generations. It also underscores the 2021 UNESCO recognition of Palestinian embroidery as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Thread Memory invites visitors to experience the enduring power of Palestinian craft, both as an artistic practice and as a symbol of cultural continuity and resistance.

Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial

The Art Gallery NYU, Abu Dhabi, UAE

October 1^st, 2024 – April 20^th, 2025

Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial offers an insightful exploration of the evolving artistic landscape across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, bringing together 21 artists and collectives from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia- amongst others, Alia Ahmad, Afra Al Dhaheri, Sophia Al Maria, Shaima Al Tamimi, Noor Al-Fayez, Mohammad AlFaraj, Abdulrahim Alkendi and Mohamed Almubarak. The exhibition, which spans visual arts, architecture, and design, features works in painting, video, installation, and sculpture, providing a dynamic cross-section of the region’s recent artistic production. Between the Tides reflects on significant moments within the last five years, rather than offering a comprehensive survey. The exhibition is rooted in ongoing dialogues with artists and curators from the region. Expanding beyond national boundaries, the show presents a shared regional ecosystem, with its title—a nod to the Gulf’s deep connection to lunar rhythms—capturing the cyclical nature of time and the tides that influence both the natural and cultural landscapes. Featuring emerging voices alongside established figures, Between the Tides delves into themes of urban growth, environmental change, heritage, identity, and representation, offering a nuanced and multifaceted portrait of contemporary art in the Gulf.

Something Else: Symposium

Darb 1718 and Bayt Al-Sinnari, Cairo, Egypt

February 9^th – February 22^nd

The latest edition of Something Else asks a provocative question that seems more urgent than ever: What then? In a time when traditional ideologies are crumbling and the planet faces mounting crises, the exhibition encourages reflection on how we should respond to these challenges. The show suggests that while art alone cannot stop wars or address climate change, it holds the potential to spark conversations about unity, identity, and the shared human experience. The exhibition examines how, in an age dominated by conflicting narratives and oversaturated information, art can provide a space to critically reflect on what we know—and question the truths we’ve been given. Drawing on the philosophies of thinkers like Friedrich Hegel and figures such as Bob Marley, Something Else pushes for a reimagining of how we engage with the world around us. With a focus on freedom and emancipation, the exhibition offers a platform for new ideas, inviting viewers to reconsider their perspectives and, perhaps, redefine the truths they live by.