The Sublime Nature of Being is a breathtaking collective exhibition curated and produced by Indian artist, designer, and curator Ambika Hinduja Macker. On view at ICD Brookfield Place, this show reimagines her 2022 immersive art experience and marks her second collaboration with the ICD Brookfield Place Arts Programme. Rooted in the concept of the sublime, the show displays 75 works by 16 artists and will remain open until tomorrow, 22 February 2025.
Described by Hinduja Macker as an Alchemic Sonic Environment, the exhibition features sculptures, drawings, paintings, installations, sound, and scent, transporting visitors into a realm of contrasts of light and shadow, fluid forms, and a play on time and space. It explores the mysteries of nature and celebrates the elemental forces of Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Spirit.
Visitors embark on an exciting journey where the fluidity of water restores the soul, fire ignites passion, and earth provides grounding. Air symbolises freedom and inspiration, while spirit connects all elements in a cosmic harmony. The exhibition invites one to meditate on purity, interconnectedness, and the unseen forces that shape existence.
Among the standout pieces are Silent Thinker, a stainless steel sculpture by Lebanese sculptor, painter, and artist Nadim Karam, and French designer and artist Mathieu Lehanneur‘s Pocket Ocean. The latter is a shimmering palladium-finish wall sculpture that mimics ocean waves. Also on view are Exilumen Tables by Irish designer Joseph Walsh, crafted from Connemara marble fused with translucent resin stalactites. English wax sculptor Annette Townsend presents exquisitely lifelike botanical sculptures made from beeswax, copper wire, tissue, and thread.
Other highlights include The Aquifer (2024) by American artist Jacob Hashimoto, a striking wall-hanging composition of bamboo, acrylic, paper, wood, and dacron, with colourful, patterned discs suspended by wire in a hypnotic display. English multimedia artist Rowan Mersh, famous for his works made of thousands of components of different materials engaged to create an effect of fluidity and soft-like appearance, also displays a wall-mounted, sculptural piece — Ignis Aeris (2024). Additionally, one can admire Hinduja Macker’s 3D installations that integrate sound, scent, and organic elements, creating a multisensory experience.
The exhibition also showcases works by Belgian sculptor and artist Fred Eerdekens, Brazilian artist Janaina Mello, German glass artist Simon Berger, Belgian artist Stefan Peters, Lebanese-Mexican artist Sami Hayek, French artist Marc Brousse, Indian composer, sound artist and producer Satya Hinduja, American artist Bill Claps, and English artist Michelle McKinney.
To get more information about The Sublime Nature of Being, please go to the official web page of the show.
In addition, you might be interested in exploring Native: Plants in the UAE and viewing Samur by Zheng Bo. We also recommend that you visit Four Birds and One Soul, a solo exhibition by Melis Buyruk.
