TRACES OF HOME: Landscape | Memory | Belonging
Marilina Marchica & Salmah Almansoori
Curated by Mara Firetti
Italian Cultural Institute, Abu Dhabi
17 November 2026 | Invitation-only vernissage
18 November – 29 November 2026 | Open to the public
The Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Firetti Contemporary, presents Traces of Home, an exhibition bringing together Italian artist Marilina Marchica and Emirati artist Salmah Almansoori, on view from 17 to 29 November 2026. Curated by Mara Firetti, the exhibition places the landscapes of Sicily and Ghayathi in dialogue, exploring how memory and belonging endure as the places that shape us are transformed.
Home is often imagined as somewhere to which we can return. Yet buildings disappear, familiar environments change, and the places we remember may no longer resemble those we encounter. Traces of Home considers how artists preserve these evolving relationships through materials, images and fragments drawn from their surroundings.
“The encounter between distinct cultural and artistic identities lies at the heart of our Institute’s mission. By bringing together artists from different backgrounds and geographical contexts, we seek to create a platform for dialogue in which Italian culture becomes both a point of departure and a space for meaningful exchange. We are proud to play this role in the UAE, a global centre for contemporary art, and to build bridges of peace, understanding and cultural enrichment through the transformative power of art.”
— Susanna Iacona-Salafia, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi
“In an increasingly interconnected world, caring for our roots can give us a sense of identity and continuity, helping us encounter other cultures with confidence and openness. As an Italian gallerist who has lived in the UAE since 2021, this dialogue holds particular meaning for me. Bringing Marilina Marchica and Salmah Almansoori together connects two places that shape my own life. Through their distinct experiences of Sicily and Ghayathi, the exhibition invites us to consider how we can remain connected to where we come from while making room for new relationships and ways of belonging.”
— Mara Firetti, Curator and Founder of Firetti Contemporary
For Marchica, this enquiry begins with the landscape of Sicily and an intimate relationship with ruins and abandoned domestic spaces. Her research encompasses buildings connected to her family history, as well as sites such as Poggioreale, which was devastated by the 1968 Belice earthquake. Through drawing, frottage, collage, décollage, silicone casting and painting, she isolates the imprints of walls, traces of wallpaper and architectural fragments. Pigments, mineral oxides, charcoal and earth connect her work materially to these environments, while lines, horizons and empty spaces register what has disappeared.
Almansoori’s practice is rooted in Ghayathi, in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region, where she was born and raised. Walking and close observation form the basis of an evolving personal archive of buildings, surfaces and objects. Photographs and collected materials are reinterpreted through memory and experimentation across painting, sculpture, ceramics and installation. Her recent handmade papers incorporate palm fibres, desert grasses, recycled paper and discarded fabrics gathered in Ghayathi, carrying the physical substance of the landscape into the work alongside its remembered images.
The exhibition brings together two distinct approaches to landscape and memory. While Marchica distils places into elemental traces, Almansoori gathers and reconstructs their fragments. Both explore how what remains can preserve a connection to places transformed by time, making art an act of care for the histories they hold.
About Marilina Marchica
Marilina Marchica (b. 1984, Agrigento, Italy) lives and works in Agrigento, Sicily. She studied Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna and completed part of her education at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Her practice spans painting, drawing, installation and material experimentation, with a sustained focus on landscape, architecture and memory. Selected exhibitions include Lo spazio fragile (FAM Gallery, Agrigento, 2023), Custodire l’immagine (Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania, 2024) and Memoria e Paesaggio (Studio Pelicula, Pesaro, 2025).
About Salmah Almansoori
Salmah Almansoori (b. 2001, Ghayathi, UAE) lives and works in Abu Dhabi. Her interdisciplinary practice explores place, memory and cultural identity through material research and archival processes. She received her BFA in Visual Arts from Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, in 2023. In 2025, she received the UAE Ministry of Culture’s National Grant for Culture and Creativity and the Abu Dhabi Art Beyond Emerging Artists Commission. Recent exhibitions include Who I Become (Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah, 2026), And After (Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, 2025) and Manara (Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, 2025).
About the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi
The Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi is a diplomatic entity as the cultural office of the Italian Embassy to the U.A.E. It creates, produces and organize events to bring and spread the Italian Culture in the Emirates. Its cultural activities range from art, music, conferences, literature, cinema, theatre etc. The premise is in Abu Dhabi, in Al Bateen district, playing an important role in the artistic scenary of Abu Dhabi and the U.A.E.
About Firetti Contemporary
Firetti Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery based in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai. Founded by Mara Firetti and co-founded by Celine Azem, the gallery presents regional and international artists through exhibitions, public projects, institutional collaborations, and art fair presentations. Its multidisciplinary programme supports emerging and established practices, with a particular focus on artists from the UAE and the wider region.
Press enquiries
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Firetti Contemporary
info@firetticontemporary.com | +971 50 858 3442