mādar: Iran Relief Exhibition
Curated by Melika Abikenari and Golnar Adili
May 15–17, 2026
Sat + Sun Hours: 12–6 pm

Opening Reception: Friday, May 15th, 6 pm–late (sounds by Nar at 9 pm)

mādar is a group benefit exhibition and auction curated by Melika Abikenari and Golnar Adili that presents works by over 80 contributing artists. At a moment of ongoing uncertainty in Iran, the exhibition brings together artists spanning generations and disciplines—from Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran to Brooklyn, New York—in a collective gesture of solidarity. Each contribution carries a commitment to bearing witness.

While the bombing has temporarily paused, the situation remains precarious. Critical infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, and millions of people—already burdened by years of economic crisis, inflation, and U.S. sanctions—face the threats of displacement, food insecurity, and long-term instability. 

mādar features contributed artworks available for acquisition, with proceeds supporting humanitarian relief efforts through Moms Against Poverty and additional initiatives supporting people on the ground in Iran. An online auction featuring exhibited works will launch simultaneously with the opening reception, allowing supporters to view, learn more about, and acquire works both in person and remotely until 11:59 pm EST on Friday, May 15th. The event features sounds by Nar beginning at 9 pm, aragh cocktails by Sag, beer provided by Back Home Beer, and bites donated by Golbarg Jokar of food collective Bazm. Attendance is free and open to all; RSVPs are encouraged.

mādar will remain on view through the weekend at CUE’s gallery space at 137 West 25th St. Weekend gallery hours on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th are from 12–6 pm; no reservations are required. Works not acquired during the auction will be available for collection at the artists’ retail pricing following the opening.

Participating artists include:

About the Curators
Melika Abikenari (b. 1992, Iran) is a Brooklyn-based artist, educator, and organizer. She holds a BA from UCLA and an MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She is The Bronx Museum’s 2026 AIR fellow and a recent artist-in- residence at NARS Foundation. She has participated in the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Program and completed residencies at Cerámica Suro, Art Cake, and Textile Arts Center. Abikenari has received the Creatives Rebuild New York grant, the Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2020 Scholarship Partnership Program, and the Meredith Beau CAA ’97 and Scott Beau Materials Fund. Her work has been exhibited at ArteEast (Brooklyn, NY), the Bronx Council on the Arts (Bronx, NY), New York Live Arts (New York, NY), M. David & Co (Brooklyn, NY), Art Cake (Brooklyn, NY), Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), The Sculpture Center (Cleveland, OH), and The Main Museum (Los Angeles, CA), among others.

Golnar Adili (b. 1976, USA) is an Iranian American artist, designer, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. Adili holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Michigan and has participated in residencies with the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center (Bellagio, Italy), Center for Book Arts (NYC), Smack Mellon (Brooklyn, NY), Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown, MA), MacDowell (Peterborough, NH), Ucross Foundation for the Arts (Clearmont, WY), Lower East Side Printshop (NYC), Women’s Studio Workshop (Rosendale, NY), and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace (NYC), among others. Her work has been presented internationally in solo and group exhibitions organized by institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK), CUE Art Foundation (New York, NY), Craft and Folk Art Museum (Los Angeles, CA), and International Print Center New York (NYC). She is the past recipient of major grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, NYFA, and the Jerome Foundation. In 2021, Adili was a finalist for the Jameel Prize, sponsored by the V&A Museum and Art Jameel. Her artist books are in more than fifty collections, including the Library of Congress, the V&A Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University, and the Smithsonian.

Exhibition Materials

Press Release
Click here to download a PDF version of the exhibition press release. For more info or press materials, email press@cueartfoundation.org.

Exhibition Credits
mādar, curated by Melika Abikenari and Golnar Adili. Graphic design featuring an illustration adapted from an original image by Ali Akbar Sadeghi. Hosted by CUE Art, 2026.