October brings the autumn art exhibitions season properly into focus, and this month many of the region’s strongest shows are preoccupied with memory and the slippery idea of place. In Dubai, Nada Elkalaawy buries family photographs beneath translucent paint, while Consolidation is Reconsolidation in Abu Dhabi asks what happens every time a memory is recalled and subtly rewritten.
Consolidation is Reconsolidation at Hyphen Contemporary, Abu Dhabi
15 October - 19 October, 2026
Hyphen Contemporary is a new Abu Dhabi curatorial platform founded by Cecelia Jihu-Sara to champion emerging artists while bringing their work to younger collectors. Its inaugural exhibition, Consolidation is Reconsolidation, takes its cue from neuroscience: each time a memory is recalled, it is subtly rewritten. Five UAE-based artists explore that idea from very different angles. Rayan Aljneibi looks at archival memory and place, while Layla Doueidi turns to family histories through photography and scent. Elsewhere, Sara Kamar considers digital infrastructure, Martin Ong Yambao reflects on loss through wax and found photographs, and Husna Samer explores the shifting meaning of home. From the looks of the lineup, it is certainly shaping up to be a very exciting start for the platform.