Thaer Select’s Mélange, The Most Anticipated Group Show of Paris Art Week, Opens Today at 7 Avenue Roosevelt

By Sophie Mayuko Arni

Published on October 22, 2025

A year after his opening at Mamar Lab, MiZa Abu Dhabi, rising art dealer Thaer Select presents an unmissable 17-artists group show in an Haussmann Parisian apartment, 7 Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, right in front of the buzzing Grand Palais.

The exhibition venue: 7 Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Paris. Photo courtesy of 36 degrés.

From October 22 to 24th, in an apartment in front of the buzzing Grand Palais, Thaer Select presents Mélange, a hyper-collaborative and exceptionally diverse exhibition of emerging and mid-career artists co-curated by New York-based Ward Gallery, with strong representation of MENA and GCC-based artists exhibiting in Paris for the first time.

1. Adam Rouhana, Arabian Horse, 2022, Archival pigment print, 222 x 148 cm. Courtesy of Thaer Select.

Produced by Thaer Select and co-curated by New York-based gallery Ward, Mélange brings together emerging and mid-career artists all celebrating hybrid identities in our new age interconnected pluricentral world.

At the heart of the 3-day exhibition is a spirit of collaboration, where contemporary art and creative energy exists beyond borders. With a dose of chaos, magic, and incredible support, this show brings together artists hailing from the U.S., Canada, UAE, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, who are all currently based between New York, Miami, Abu Dhabi, London, Riyadh, Paris, and Dubai. In a time of polarization, exile, and crises, Mélange blends painters, sculptors, photographers, and multimedia artists who all believe in cross-continental and pluridisciplinary collaborations.

At the heart of the 3-day exhibition is a spirit of collaboration, where contemporary art and creative energy exists beyond borders.

2. Cornelius Tulloch, Give them their flowers; Mompantero, 2025, Oil on canvas, mixed media collage, 9 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Thaer Select.

As an independent initiative, relying on a hyper-collaborative network, this is set to be one of the most-talked-about satellite group shows of the week.
While Thaer Select presents some of the most exciting voices of the emerging Gulf art scene including Amir Hazim (Iraqi, based in Dubai), Christopher Joshua Benton (American, based in Abu Dhabi), and Hayfa AlGwaiz (Saudi, based in Riyadh), Ward presents some New York’s rising stars Gala Prudent (American, New York) and Dean Majd (American-Palestinian, New York). Mélange is also showing works on loan from various galleries of Miles Greenberg, Zainab Alshibani and Georges Rouy.

The idea to collaborate sprung when Saam Niami, Ward’s co-founder, met Thaer Select’s founder Moustafa Thaer in Dubai last March during the annual art season of the UAE. With similar interests to foster future voices of a diversified, changing art world, they aligned on the vision of the exhibition.

“Mélange is the mixing, is the action of taking different items and combining them together. Mélange is the coming together of distant realities, overlaying and exchanging memories and beliefs. From the artist selection to the gallery collaboration, the show is a celebration of both the similarities that bring us together and the differences that set us apart,” reflect Moustafa Thaer, founder of Thaer Select, and Saam Niami, co-founder of Ward.

Mélange is the coming together of distant realities, overlaying and exchanging memories and beliefs.

Photography is a strong suit of the exhibition. Exhibiting some of most prolific and critically-acclaimed photographers of the MENA region, including Palestinian London-based Adam Rouhana and Iraqi Dubai-based Amir Hazim, the selection blends scenes of daily life and striking animal photography.

3. Left: Amir Hazim, Mercy, 2020, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 84.1 cm x 118.9 cm. Right: Amir Hazim, Solar waves, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 29.7 cm x 42 cm.
Bottom: Amir Hazim, Enemy, 2021, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 84.1 cm x 118.9 cm. All courtesy of Thaer Select.

Painting is also very much represented: an incredible oil on linen by Paris-based Giovanni Leonardo Bassan adorns one of the rooms. Not to miss is Hayfa AlGwaiz’s incredibly detailed painting of a draped abaya, the cloak worn by women across the Gulf. Especially for the exhibition, AlGwaiz is showing a custom-sized oil on canvas, entitled A Veil Past Which You Cannot See IV (2025). Exhibited in the grandiose interiors of this Parisian salon, the drapery takes on another meaning – suggesting Italian Renaissance painting but in a distinctively Khaleeji style. AlGwaiz is also showing three paintings across the road at ATHR Gallery’s booth at Art Basel Paris.

4. Giovanni Leonardo Bassan, BLUE TEMPLE, 2025, Oil and pastel on linen canvas, 115 x 155 cm. Courtesy of Thaer Select.

4. Hayfa Algwaiz, A Veil Past Which You Cannot See IV, 2025, Oil on mdf, 70 x 47 x 2 cm. Courtesy of Thaer Select.

Also a highlight is a new edition of GCC Best Friends II, by Global Art Daily-regular Christopher Joshua Benton. I remember presenting the first edition of three-part thob/kundura in Tokyo in 2021. Seeing it here in Paris, in a winter grey version, is a beautiful moment of GCC unity – shows the distinctive collars of Kuwait’s, the UAE’s, and Saudi Arabia’s national male dress.

5. Christopher Joshua Benton, GCC Best Friends II, 2025, Fabric, 143 x 105 cm. Courtesy of Thaer Select

Showing in Paris during Art Week was an intentional choice. “Mélange reflects the spirit of the city itself, a crossroads where cultures converge and artistic practices intermingle. By situating the exhibition in Paris during Art Basel, the project becomes part of a larger dialogue, allowing audiences to encounter new perspectives,” share Thaer and Niami.

As an independent initiative, relying on a hyper-collaborative network, this is set to be one of the most-talked-about satellite group shows of the week.

Seeing the installation unfold over a few days of Paris Art Week frenzy, this feels like history in the making. Showing right in front of the most established art fair, this grouping of friends – old and new – is a takeover by a new generation of half-halfs, born-here-grew-up-there artists. We speak a mix of French, English, and Arabic – yalla habibi is heard as often as merci. This show couldn’t be more line with Global Art Daily’s ethos to amplify local voices of the global art world.

6. Installation process of Mélange in Paris, images courtesy of Global Art Daily.

On her way to Paris, AlGwaiz reflects: “I’m truly grateful. I was emotional on the plane ride today. I was listening to a podcast that was talking about how a tree is as strong as the forest it exists in. We’re all interconnected. In this moment, I feel like I belong in a very powerful, a strong forest.”

Nicolò Venelli, founder of Vertygo, a new Lake Como-based art residency who welcomed many of the participating artists of the exhibition earlier this summer, including Christopher Joshua Benton and Cornelius Tulloch, helped on the production of the show as well. He shares, “it was chaos everywhere, and nothing seemed that it was going to work, but there was the sensation that even if there’s an anxiety of doing it, you know there’s a solution and a way to make it work. Putting up a show like this is possible only because it’s a community that makes it happen.”

Exhibition Information

Venue
7 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 75008, Paris – next to Grand Palais

Opening Hours
Opening reception / Vernissage: October 22nd 18:00 - 21:00
Open days, October 23 and 24th (both days): 14:00 - 21:00

Participating Artists

Adam Rouhana – Palestine, based in London
Amir Hazim – Iraq, based in Dubai
Christopher Joshua Benton – USA, based in Abu Dhabi
Cornelius Tulloch – USA, based in Miami
Dean Majd – Palestine/USA, based in New York
Gala Prudent – USA, based in New York
George Rouy – British, based in London *
Giovanni Leonardo Bassan – Italy, based in Paris
Hayfa Algwaiz – Saudi Arabia, based in Riyadh
Hugo Servanin – French, based in Paris * (on loan from Nicoletti Contemporary)
Ireland Wisdom – USA, based in New York
Mamali Shafahi – Iran, based in Marseilles * (on loan from Barō Gallery)
Margot Anquez Bariseau – French/Spanish, based in Madrid
Miles Greenberg – Canadian, based in New York *
Miramar Alnayyar – Jordan/Iraq, based in Abu Dhabi/Amman
Tiago Tebet – USA, based in New York-Paris * (on loan from Barō Gallery)
Zainab Alshibani – Qatar, based in Doha * (on loan from Wusum Gallery)
_{*denotes works on loan or on consignment}

Public Program

GAD Talks Series
October 24, 14:00 - 16:00
At the exhibition venue
Presented by Global Art Daily, moderated by Sophie Mayuko Arni with participating artists
Full program & speaker details announced soon
No RSVP required

^{Production support was provided by Sinda Drine, independent Paris-based curator, and Nicolò Venelli. The hosting venue 7 Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt belongs to Georges de Saint Mars, from digital art and production agency 36 degrés, and is managed by strategic partner Fabio Trotabas from Culturing Company.}

About Thaer Select
Founded by Moustafa Thaer in 2024, Thaer Select is an agency building new pathways for collaboration across the global art world. Rooted in connecting the Middle East and Europe, it represents artists and practitioners who have worked with major institutions, brands, and public commissions. Projects include residencies with Vertygo Art in Italy and one of the largest diplomatic events for artists in the UAE’s history, hosted by the French embassy’s Institut Français. Represented artists have also engaged in collaborations with Adidas, BMW, Architectural Digest, the Louvre and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as well as Zayed Museum. Thaer Select’s approach is collective, experimental, and ambitious, focused on creating spaces for dialogue and expanding opportunities for regional artists on international stages.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thaer.select/
Website: https://thaerselect.com/

About Ward
Ward is a New York–based independent gallery and curatorial project founded in 2024 by Saam Niami and Gabrielle Richardson. Known for landmark exhibitions New York…NOW! and The Blueprint, Ward has quickly become a touchstone in New York’s emerging scene. Ward’s mission is to highlight young artists engaged in critical investigations of society through rigorous practice and aesthetic brilliance. Project-based and community-oriented, Ward has attracted both grassroots audiences and institutional recognition. At a moment when many claim the “art world is dead”, Ward insists on artistic excellence over private interests.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wardgallerynyc

About 36 degrés
Based in Paris, 36 degrés is a new media art media, curatorial, and production agency active since 2019. Open to collaboration and commissions, they are based on Avenue Roosevelt, central heart of Paris yet look towards the new horizons of tomorrow.
Website: https://www.36degres.art/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/36.degres_/

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Thaer Select’s Mélange, The Most Anticipated Group Show of Paris Art Week, Opens Today at 7 Avenue Roosevelt

At the heart of the 3-day exhibition is a spirit of collaboration, where contemporary art and creative energy exists beyond borders.

Mélange is the coming together of distant realities, overlaying and exchanging memories and beliefs.

As an independent initiative, relying on a hyper-collaborative network, this is set to be one of the most-talked-about satellite group shows of the week.

Exhibition Information

Participating Artists

Public Program

︎︎︎Previous Next︎

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E-02++ Spring/Summer 2021

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🎙️GAD Talk Series –– Season 1 2020

About ––

Interviews ––

Open Call ––

Newsletter ––

Chronological Archive ––

🔍 Legal

Thaer Select’s Mélange, The Most Anticipated Group Show of Paris Art Week, Opens Today at 7 Avenue Roosevelt

At the heart of the 3-day exhibition is a spirit of collaboration, where contemporary art and creative energy exists beyond borders.

Mélange is the coming together of distant realities, overlaying and exchanging memories and beliefs.

As an independent initiative, relying on a hyper-collaborative network, this is set to be one of the most-talked-about satellite group shows of the week.

Exhibition Information

Participating Artists

Public Program

︎︎︎Previous Next︎

E-Issue 09 –– RUH/JED
Spring 2025

E-09++
Fall 2025

E-Issue 08 –– SEL
Summer 2024

E-08++
Fall 2024

E-Issue 07 –– AUH
Winter 2023-24

E-07++
Winter/Spring 2024

E-Issue 06 –– DXB/SHJ
Spring 2023

E-Issue 05 –– VCE
Fall 2022

E-05++
Fall/Winter 2022-23

E-Issue 04 –– IST
Spring 2022

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Spring/Summer 2022

E-Issue 03 ––TYO
Fall 2021

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Fall/Winter 2021-22

E-Issue 02 –– NYC
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