SIMONE FATTAL in
A Necessary Fiction: Maps, Art, and Models of Our World

The Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia

Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice
May 6 – Nov 22, 2026

A Necessary Fiction grapples with the digital revolution that has profoundly altered our relationship with cartography. In this multi-generational exhibition, early-modern maps are placed in conversation with works by contemporary artists. European maps depict the Arabian Peninsula as Arabia deserta, while first-century CE historical artifacts like incense burners and eighteenth-century decorative manuscripts from the Arabian Peninsula demonstrate the legacy of trade and multifaceted cultural interaction that has always shaped the region.

The exhibition is curated by Sara Almutlaq and Aurora Fonda with associate curators Zaira Carrer and Amina Diab.

To learn more, visit here.