Umberto Ciceri

Oblong Contemporary is delighted to present La Danza, a new solo exhibition by Umberto Ciceri, where dance is transformed into a powerful meditation on movement, empathy and the ever-changing nature of human existence.

Inspired by the famous philosophical notion that one can never step into the same river twice, Ciceri reminds us that we can never dance the same dance twice, nor ever encounter the same ballerina in exactly the same way. Every moment is unique, and every perception is shaped by time, light and our own inner state.

At the centre of the exhibition stands La Ballerina, a figure in perpetual rotation around her own axis. Suspended between earthly and ethereal dimensions, she becomes a metaphor for the fragile and temporary balance that governs our lives. Her movement is not an act of repetition, but one of continuous transformation.

The choreography that inspired the work is drawn from The Dying Swan, the iconic solo piece created by Russian choreographer Michel Fokine to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns. Through this reference, Ciceri explores the universal transition between life and death, articulated through four emotional stages: disorientation, anger, acceptance and transformation.

Throughout the exhibition, rhythm becomes a physical experience. The works invite visitors to move around them, to engage with their orbital energy and to participate in an ongoing search for both individual and collective centrality. These are rhythmic works to be walked through, moving paintings that remind us that balance itself is a miracle and that we are all, willingly or unwillingly, engaged in permanent action.

A recurring concept in Ciceri's practice is resonance. For the artist, resonance symbolises human empathy: a harmonious interaction between ourselves and the world that surrounds us. As sequences of movement and colour repeat, a dialogue gradually emerges between the artwork and its observer, until both begin to resonate together, as though sharing a single note.

La Danza ultimately privileges experience over observation. Each encounter with the work is unique, shaped by the quality of light, the passing of time and the emotional, physical and psychological state of each viewer.

With this exhibition, Umberto Ciceri creates a ceremonial space of shared participation, where contrasts transform into harmony and movement becomes a collective act of belonging.

In a world in constant motion, La Danza invites us to embrace instability not as a condition of uncertainty, but as a force capable of generating connection, empathy and unity.

A Return to Presence

50 New Artworks
Dubai, 6 May 2026

Oblong Contemporary presents A Return to Presence, a significant new exhibition unveiling a curated selection of 50 newly arrived artworks.

More than a presentation of new works, the exhibition marks a moment of recalibration — a return to the essential experience of art as presence, encounter, and shared space.

The selection brings together long-awaited works by Annalù, Stefano Bombardieri, Umberto Ciceri, alongside the sculptural animal bronzes of Giuseppe Maiorana, and the refined visual compositions of Robert Hromec. Complementing the dialogue, the sculptural forms of Gustavo Vélez, carved in marble, introduce a dimension of material clarity and meditative balance. The newest works by Cveto Marsič will also be on display, expanding the exhibition with a distinct painterly perspective rooted in landscape, rhythm, and abstraction.

At its core, the exhibition unfolds as a conversation between form and perception — where sculpture and painting operate not only as objects, but as presences.
Maiorana’s bronzes distill the animal figure into archetypal form — silent, grounded, and enduring. Bombardieri explores weight and existential tension, while Ciceri introduces movement and poise. Annalù expands material language through light and layered transparency. Hromec constructs visual depth through gesture and rhythm, and Vélez shapes marble into meditative clarity, balancing void and volume.

In a time marked by complexity and fragmentation, the exhibition offers something increasingly rare: a space to gather, to reconnect, and to experience art in its most immediate form.

The exhibition opens on 6 May 2026 from 7 PM, with a cocktail reception at Oblong Contemporary, Al Khayat Art Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai.

This presentation introduces a highly limited selection of works, many of which are unique or part of small editions, and will be made available for acquisition for the first time during the evening.

Collectors are invited to engage closely with the artworks and to secure key pieces prior to wider release.

RSVP required
info@oblongcontemporary.com

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