ICD Brookfield Place hosts ‘The Sublime Nature of Being’ exhibition
Sublime Silence, a composition by Nadim Karam.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The Sublime Nature of Being, an immersive, multi-sensory group exhibition of innovative works by contemporary artists, has been unveiled (Jan. 23 - Feb. 27) at the Summer Garden of ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai, in the presence of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
Aimed to revolutionise art experience in the region, the exhibition explores the universal human experience of awe and reverence inspired by nature, and its ability to conjure an emotional understanding that transcends thought, words and language.
Curated and produced by Ambika Hinduja Macker, artist, founder and creative director of art and design firm Impeccable Imagination, in collaboration with ICD Brookfield Place, The Sublime Nature of Being brings ten internationally renowned artists under one roof, and invites the viewer to participate emotionally, imaginatively and sensorially, while exploring relationships with the surrounding environment.
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From the ethereal and divine to the ephemeral and personal, the exhibition is an Alchemic Sonic Environment (ASE) that features a variety of sculptures, modular components and spatial sound, aimed to stir hope and reflection. What is the sensation we experience while interacting with nature when words fail, or we find ourselves awed beyond reason? How does an artist convey the indescribable and translate the metaphysical to material?
The Sublime Nature of Being explores the purity of the natural cosmos and our relationship to it by creating imagined, transportive worlds, conjured through the magic of creativity. For centuries, scholars have debated the term ‘sublime’ in relation to works of art, and artists have sought to evoke or respond to it. But what is the ‘sublime’? The sublime can be defined as a philosophical approach and state of mind as having the quality of such greatness — whether spiritual, physical, aesthetic or moral — that our ability to perceive or comprehend it is temporarily overwhelmed by a sense of the wonder and impermanence of the universe.
The exhibition explores aspects of this philosophy and the modern interpretation of the Japanese term ‘Ukiyo’, meaning ‘living in the moment, detached from the bothers of life,’ and examines the belief that contemplation of these themes leads to the subsequent feelings of admiration and responsibility.
This allows for the intertwining of aesthetics and ethics, two key elements that are relevant to society, especially in light of change and apprehension, as one considers the future of humanity. “It is the greatest honour to be able to share artworks from some of the most inspired and exciting artists I know, presenting art that conjures the grace of nature, in this dynamic and inventive city which I now call home,’’ said Macker.
“My hope is that the ‘The Sublime Nature of Being’ will transport the audience to an oasis of tranquility and beauty which stirs a sense of optimism, harmony, and equanimity.” The exhibition includes three-dimensional installations, sound and scent, a play on time and space, contrasts of light and shadow, elemental materials and fluid forms, and the experience invites the audience on a journey with a contemplative dimension — a search for a higher truth. By stepping into the space, one is transported into a utopian sanctuary of peace and hope, providing a temporary reprieve and poetic antidote to the external chaos of the present day.
Participating artists who are showing their mixed media works include Nadim Karam, Lebanese sculptor, painter and artist; Jacob Hashimoto, American contemporary artist; Fred Eerdekens, Belgian sculptor and contemporary artist; Mathieu Lehanneur, French designer and artist; Hadieh Shafie, Iranian visual artist; Rowan Mersh, English multimedia sculptor; Xavier Lust, Belgian furniture designer and sculptor; Janaina Mello, Brazilian contemporary artist; Michelle McKinney, English contemporary artist; and Satya Hinduja, Indian composer, sound artist and producer. ASE is a multi-sensory deep listening experience designed to invoke states of reflection, receptivity, and exchange. It is held to be an intimate and subtle journey, informed by ancient wisdom and quantum theory.
Alchemic Sonic Environments are positive experiences rooted in sound work and guided by rapidly emerging studies in the fields of epigenetics and cognitive neuroscience. It explores the nature of health as a process, rather than as an event and works to redefine the transformative power of sound. It is evolving into a cross-disciplinary research and education platform, informed by partners across the arts, sciences, health, and technology industries.
Founded by composer and sound artist Satya Hinduja, ASE materialises through performances, installations and education. The artist’s work focuses on the sensory processing system and its impacts on human potential, while reframing the collective memories of communities and potentialising the future of sound within integrative medicine. ASE collaborates with communities, conferences, galleries and festivals, among others. Impeccable Imagination is a cross-disciplinary, innovative art and design firm, based in Mumbai and Dubai. It aims to relate to “the divine purity of nature, conjured through the alchemy of creativity.” ICD Brookfield Place is one of the region’s premier lifestyle and business destinations with over four acres of curated dining, retail and community space, alongside 990,000 square feet of future-ready workspace. ICD Brookfield Place Arts Programme supports innovation in music, dance, theatre, film and visual art, by pushing boundaries to create works of art and cultural experiences, presented for free.
