For centuries, the Sublime has captivated the imagination of artists worldwide. What is the sensation we feel when words fail us, the quiet hum of wonder is sparked by nature’s grandeur? How does an artist convey the indescribable and translate the metaphysical into the material?
With her unique curatorial vision, artist Ambika Hinduja Macker, founder and creative director of the art and design firm Impeccable Imagination, explores these questions through a reimagining of her 2022 immersive art experience, The Sublime Nature of Being, opening on 17th January 2025. In collaboration with ICD Brookfield Place, she invites audiences to engage emotionally, imaginatively, and sensorially, embracing the universal human experience of awe and reverence inspired by nature.
This exhibition marks the second collaboration between Ambika Hinduja Macker and the ICD Brookfield Place Arts Program, led by Malak Abu Qaoud. This partnership further establishes ICD Brookfield Place as a leading destination for cultural and artistic innovation in the region.
Guided by the philosophy of ‘Discovering beauty in simplicity’, Ambika is renowned for curating ethereal environments and multi-sensory experiences that conjure the divine purity of the natural world. Recognized with the AD100 Excellence Award for ‘House of the Year’ in 2019, amongst other awards her work conjures flora, fauna, and the elements to seamlessly transform humble spaces into living works of art.
With “The Sublime Nature of Being,” Ambika has curated a world of three-dimensional installations, sound and scent, elemental materials, contrasts of light and shadow, fluid forms, and a play on time and space. Described by the curator as an ‘Alchemic Sonic Environment,’ this immersive encounter intertwines aesthetics and ethics, anchoring the healing power of nature at the heart of lived experience.
“I am very excited to launch the sequel to The Sublime Nature of Being at ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai, the city that welcomed and nurtured the earliest seeds of this transportive journey. I eagerly await the audience’s entry into this space, where they will find themselves immersed in a sanctuary of serenity and splendor,” said Ambika Hinduja. “Dubai is a constant source of inspiration. With its vibrant, globally connected audience of art lovers and collectors, this extraordinary city offers an unparalleled environment for creativity and expression. I’m honored to create and curate here,” she added.
“We are proud and delighted to once again join forces with Ambika Hinduja Macker and to bring ‘The Sublime Nature of Being’ to life at ICD Brookfield Place. This exhibition is a testament to our unwavering commitment and dedication to fostering cultural dialogue and championing avant-garde artistic expressions that resonate with diverse audiences. We look forward to welcoming tenants and visitors to experience this extraordinary multisensory journey,” said Malak Abu Qaoud, Director, ICD Brookfield Place Arts Program.
As part of her mission to promote excellence and mindfulness in Art and Design, Ambika represents esteemed conceptual and visual artists whose works have been shown in venerable institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Victoria and Albert Museum, The British Museum and Centre Pompidou to name a few.
Specially commissioned by Ambika for ‘The Sublime Nature of Being’, a roster of regional and international artists will be showcasing their mixed media: Jacob Hashimoto, American contemporary artist; Mathieu Lehanneur, French designer and artist; Joseph Walsh, Irish Designer; Bill Claps American mixed media artist; Fred Eerdekens, Belgian sculptor and contemporary artist; Nadim Karam, Lebanese sculptor, painter and artist; Janaina Mello, Brazilian contemporary artist; Michelle McKinney, English contemporary artist; Simon Beger, German contemporary glass artist; Stefan peters, ambidextrous Belgian artist; Sami Hayek, Lebanese-Mexican Artist; Rowan Mersh, English multi-media sculptor; Annette Townsend English wax sculptor; Marc Brousse, French artist; Ambika Hinduja, Indian artist, designer and curator; and Satya Hinduja, Indian composer, sound artist and producer.
Located in the Summer Garden, ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai International Financial Center, ‘The Sublime Nature of Being’ opens January 17th to February 22nd 2025.
Press release from ICD Brookfield Place
Image: Fred Eerdekens. Make light of it. 2024. Image courtesy of the artist
