Abu Dhabi Art has today announced the curator and participating artists for its 2025 Gateway exhibition: Seeds of Memory – Migration as Ceremony, Survival, and Renewal, which explores the intertwined emotional, cultural and ecological legacies of migration. Curated by Brook Andrew, artist and Adjunct Curator ngurambang-ayinya (First Nations)at Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, this year’s Gateway exhibition invites audiences to reflect on migration as an evolving, collective memory – one that can be celebratory, challenging and healing.
Bringing together the works of Stolon Press, Leila Shirazi, Natalia Papaeva & BANG ON, Issam Kourbaj, Mohamed Majeed Al Mubarak, Betty Muffler, Nomasmetaforas, Sa Tahanan Collective and Vincent Namatjira, the exhibition forms a vibrant chorus of voices spanning continents and cultures. The featured artists, from diverse backgrounds, offer deeply personal and communal perspectives on migration, memory, and renewal.
“I’m incredibly excited to curate the next Gateway exhibition for Abu Dhabi Art, which explores the intertwined, global theme of migration,” said curator Brook Andrew. “From artists engaging with the complex histories of ancestral images to those sharing deeply personal stories of ongoing ceremony, this exhibition will highlight diverse journeys. It will bring together voices that reveal often invisible histories, celebrate the flourishing of new pathways – like seeds taking root – and recall the power of performance and music to awaken cultural memory.”
Stolon Press’ altered objects and site-specific photography explore the poetics of place and the evolving meaning of displacement, reflecting on the migratory nature of language and history. These resonate with Leila Shirazi’s intricate reinterpretations of Persian and Mughal miniature paintings and her ecological research into botanical and cosmological histories. Natalia Papaeva centres the endangered Buryat language in her video and performance works, reclaiming Indigenous identity through acts of public ritual and resistance to cultural erasure.
Mohamed Majeed Almubarak’s film-based works explore personal and collective memory within the Arabian Gulf, portraying migration as a universal story of connection and belonging.
Issam Kourbaj’s sculptural works evoke the psychological contours of forced migration. His assemblages of loss and resilience echo both ancient knowledge and contemporary urgency. Betty Muffler, a senior Pitjantjatjara artist and ngangkari (traditional healer), expresses spiritual renewal and the healing of Country through her large-scale paintings that connect people, land, and ancestral care.
Sa Tahanan Co., a UAE born curatorial platform, alongside artists Anna Bernice Delos Reyes, Augustine Paredes, Alexis Convento, Jou Pabalate, Pauline Doctolero, Leon Luebe, Martin Yambao, grounds the exhibition in diasporic remembering and care through contemporary art: textile, paintings, film, sculpture, food installation emphasize connection through cultural continuity. Nomasmetaforas, a creative collective, explores migration as an ecological and communal dialogue, blending Indigenous knowledge and contemporary art to reimagine movement beyond human borders.
In parallel, Vincent Namatjira’s incisive portraiture expands the framework of migration to include ancestral displacement, inherited trauma and First Nations sovereignty. His bold, satirical works challenge dominant historical narratives and reclaim visibility for Indigenous voices.
Seeds of Memory, Migration as Ceremony, Survival and Renewal opens a space for reflection on migration, highlighting the beauty, resilience and complexity of movement. Through Gateway, Abu Dhabi Art continues to position itself as a platform for global dialogue, platforming diverse histories and future possibilities. Abu Dhabi Art Director Dyala Nusseibeh stated: “This year’s Gateway exhibition invites visitors to lengthen their time at Abu Dhabi Art, to linger in a more contemplative space of discovery within the fair. Brook Andrew’s proposal unearths powerful stories of migration that connect us across continents, generations and time. Visitors are invited to understand migration not just as an outcome of crisis and trauma, but also as an opportunity for creative regeneration and potential.”
Supporting the Gateway exhibition this year is HSBC. As a Global Partner, HSBC further strengthens Abu Dhabi Art’s efforts to present ambitious exhibitions such as Gateway. By supporting this year’s Seeds of Memory exhibition, HSBC underscores its commitment to initiatives that foster international exchange, celebrate shared human experiences, and provide new platforms for artists to explore themes of migration, memory, and renewal.
Abu Dhabi Art returns for its 17th edition from 19 to 23 November 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, bringing together leading galleries and artists from across the globe.
