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

During Milano Design Week 2026, Oblong Contemporary presents an extended selection of artworks at Giorgetti Spiga – The Place, where contemporary art enters into a precise and considered dialogue with architecture, design, and material research.

Conceived as an integrated presentation rather than a traditional exhibition, the selection unfolds across the interiors of the historic residence on Via della Spiga, where each work is positioned in direct relationship to space, light, and proportion. Within this context, sculpture and painting are not treated as autonomous objects, but as active elements that shape the perception of the environment.

At the core of the presentation are the works of Stefano Bombardieri, whose sculptural language investigates weight, suspension, and existential tension. His practice is rooted in a deep reflection on balance — both physical and symbolic — where mass appears simultaneously grounded and unstable. Works such as Balancing on the Past 4 (2021), La forma e il contenuto lucido (mini) (2024), and La forma e il contenuto nero (piccolo) (2024) articulate this duality through bronze, while Tutto andava a fuoco (2020) introduces a more conceptual dimension, combining material transformation with a sense of contained fragility.

In dialogue with Bombardieri, the works of Sauro Cavallini bring a distinct expressive intensity. Cavallini’s sculptural practice is defined by movement and emotional force, where figures and animals are captured in moments of tension and release. From the dynamism of Passo di danza (1979) and Ballerina (1981), to the powerful presence of Cavallo con criniera e coda, his works translate gesture into form. Complementing the sculptures, works on paper such as Passo a due in volo (1977) and Cavallo eretto (1969) reveal the immediacy of his line and the foundational role of drawing in his practice.

A more subtle and material-driven approach is introduced through Candida Ferrari, whose works in plexiglass and acrylic investigate transparency, light, and spatial layering. Pieces such as Luce trasparente (2026) and COSE RITROVATE (2000) operate through restraint, where minimal intervention produces a refined visual tension. The works shift depending on light conditions, creating a constantly evolving perception that is both delicate and precise.

The exploration of surface and structure continues with Omar Ludo, whose Estroflessione bianca grande (2022) expands the pictorial plane into a sculptural dimension. The work moves beyond traditional painting, where the canvas itself becomes a three-dimensional object, emphasizing volume, rhythm, and repetition.

A central role within the presentation is held by Fiedler O Mastrangelo, whose practice navigates between architecture, abstraction, and material experimentation. The large-scale Topografie triptych (2026) establishes a spatial rhythm through layered surfaces and gestural marks, while works such as Solomon Chopsticks (2024) — executed in Murano glass and forged steel — introduce a complex dialogue between fragility and structural precision. Sculptural works including Pillars of Creation (2024) further reinforce this interplay between mass and lightness, solidity and transformation.

The sculptural narrative is extended by Nicola Salvatore, whose Il carro degli idei (2009) reflects a more symbolic and narrative approach, rooted in classical references yet articulated through a contemporary lens.

In contrast, Umberto Ciceri’s HYPERTRAIT QUALIA (2014) introduces a conceptual investigation of perception and image, combining optics, photography, and layered materials to question the nature of representation.

Completing the selection, Gustavo Vélez presents Expansión Geométrica II (2023), a work that exemplifies his internationally recognised approach to geometric deformation. In Vélez’s practice, rigid structures appear to bend and expand, creating the illusion of movement within static material, and transforming geometry into a fluid, almost organic presence.

Across the presentation, a unifying thread emerges: a continuous negotiation between weight and lightness, structure and fluidity, permanence and transformation. Each work contributes to a broader narrative where contemporary art is not isolated, but embedded within the experience of space.

This approach reflects Oblong Contemporary’s ongoing commitment to placing artworks within lived environments — where sculpture and painting become part of a larger architectural and cultural context.

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