Monira Al Qadiri, solo exhibition Hero at Berlinische Galerie
Published on 08/27/2026 at 10:41 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Monira Al Qadiri presents her expansive solo exhibition Hero at Berlinische Galerie in Berlin. According to the museum's exhibition overview, the show runs until August 17, 2026 and focuses on crude oil's entanglement with consumer capitalism and geopolitical power. Berlinische Galerie exhibition overview 2026
Solo exhibition Hero in Berlin
The Berlinische Galerie describes Hero as a major solo exhibition that brings together sculpture, video and painting to examine the sociocultural, environmental and political dimensions of the global oil industry. e-flux exhibition announcement
On view from July 11, 2025 to August 17, 2026, the exhibition situates Al Qadiri's practice within broader debates on fossil fuels, prosperity and structural dependency, using immersive installations and spectrally colored objects to evoke both seduction and toxicity.
How the exhibition frames recognition
Within the current award and prize landscape, Hero functions as an institutional recognition of Al Qadiri's sustained engagement with oil imaginaries, even though it is not tied to a single named prize. The long run through summer 2026 underscores the museum's commitment to giving her work extended public visibility.
By foregrounding oil as both engine of prosperity and source of exploitation, the exhibition aligns with curatorial discourses that increasingly highlight environmental justice and Gulf histories, positioning Al Qadiri alongside peers who critically revisit resource economies.
All news and background on Monira Al Qadiri
Further reports on Monira Al Qadiri's exhibitions, commissions and public projects can be found in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The work core in Hero
Al Qadiri's works in Hero often draw on petrochemical aesthetics, using iridescent surfaces and speculative forms to echo the shimmer of oil and the allure of consumer objects. The Berlinische Galerie overview highlights how she links these visual strategies to histories of prosperity, exploitation and ecological crisis.
Across sculptural ensembles and video installations, the artist traces how crude oil fuels both material abundance and deep structural dependencies, inviting viewers to consider the long arc from twentieth century fossil capitalism to current debates on transition and repair.
Where the artist stands now
Monira Al Qadiri's exhibition Hero remains on view at Berlinische Galerie in Berlin until August 17, 2026, with the museum framing it as a major institutional presentation of her ongoing engagement with oil-driven economies and their cultural imaginaries.
Key facts on Monira Al Qadiri
- Artist: Monira Al Qadiri
- Medium / Genre: Installation and sculpture (conceptual)
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice based between Berlin and the Gulf region
- Active since: Mid-2000s, with increasing international exhibitions in the 2010s
- Key work groups: Hero, First Sun, Geologies of Time, Man of War
- Current/last exhibition: Hero, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, July 11, 2025 - August 17, 2026
- Major collections: Berlinische Galerie (Berlin), Public Art Fund (New York, through commission), Planeta Ulmo Estate (Sicily)
- Awards: Participation in curated programs such as Viaggio in Sicilia #10 at Tenuta Planeta Ulmo (2026)
- Next date: August 17, 2026 - final day of Hero at Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
Frequently asked questions about Monira Al Qadiri
Where is Monira Al Qadiri currently on view?
Her major solo exhibition Hero is on view at Berlinische Galerie in Berlin from July 11, 2025 to August 17, 2026, presenting sculptures, videos and paintings around the global oil industry.
What does the exhibition Hero focus on?
Hero explores how crude oil underpins consumer capitalism, prosperity and geopolitical power, while also driving exploitation and environmental damage, using iridescent objects and immersive installations to visualize these tensions.
How does Monira Al Qadiri connect to public art projects?
Beyond Hero, Al Qadiri has realized public works such as First Sun with Public Art Fund in Central Park and the site-specific project Geologies of Time at Planeta's Tenuta Ulmo estate in Sicily.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
