Research in Oman (2009–2010)

Research status: 🟡 Ongoing

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Research objective

This research aims to reconstruct the period during which Brazilian artist Roberto Gallo stayed in the Sultanate of Oman between April and May 2009.

The project seeks to document the artworks created during this trip, the Wadi Haybi Panel, the paintings inspired by Oman, the Brazilian paintings taken overseas for sale, and the exhibition Scenes of Oman, announced for January 2010.

The goal is to locate photographs, archival documents, institutional records and personal testimonies that may help reconstruct this important chapter of Roberto Gallo’s international career.

Background

Between January and April 2009, Roberto Gallo lived for approximately three months at my home in Florence, Italy.

During this period he combined artistic production with technical training, attending a course on Fresco Technique and Methodology at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.

While in Florence, he also prepared the materials he would later take to Oman, including a large roll of canvas brought from Brazil to produce new paintings.

In the beginning of April 2009 he travelled to Muscat, where he stayed for approximately one month with Maria das Graças Serqueira Rosa.

During this stay he produced a series of paintings inspired by the Omani landscape, executed the Wadi Haybi Panel, and prepared the exhibition Scenes of Oman.

In early May he returned to Florence for about one week before travelling back to Brazil.

Because I lived with the artist throughout this period, part of the information presented here comes from direct personal knowledge, later verified through documents preserved in his personal archive.

Loss of the photographic archive

According to Roberto Gallo himself, the camera he used during his stay in Oman was lost during the trip.

As a result, nearly all of the photographs documenting this period disappeared.

This explains why no photographs of the Wadi Haybi Panel or its execution have yet been located.

At present, the surviving documentation consists mainly of photographs of thirteen paintings produced in Oman, promotional material related to Scenes of Oman, the 2009 article published by The Week, and documents preserved in the artist’s personal archive.

Paintings taken from Brazil

During the cataloguing of Roberto Gallo’s archive, a handwritten document dated 2 May 2009 was discovered.

Entitled “List of artworks with Maria Graça Rosa”, it was written by Roberto Gallo and signed by Maria das Graças Serqueira Rosa.

The document records artworks delivered on consignment during his stay in Oman.

Another folder prepared by Roberto Gallo before the trip, titled “Paintings for Sale”, was also found.

By comparing both documents it was possible to identify several paintings taken from Brazil, including:

* Alto da Boa Vista

* Canal da Ilha

* Andorinhas

* Ilha Comprida

* Angra dos Reis

* Cais de Niterói

* Botafogo

* Oman I

* Oman II

Several of these works belong to one of the most significant periods of Roberto Gallo’s artistic production during the early 2000s.

To date, their whereabouts remain unknown.

None of these paintings ever returned to Brazil through the artist or were subsequently returned to his family.

Contact with Maria das Graças Serqueira Rosa

As part of this research, several attempts were made to contact Maria das Graças Serqueira Rosa, identified in Roberto Gallo’s professional résumé as the owner of the residence where the Wadi Haybi Panel was created.

Initially, photographs of the panel, information about its execution and details regarding the exhibition Scenes of Oman were requested.

The first responses were limited.

Later, a copy of the consignment document signed by her was sent for confirmation.

After receiving the document, she acknowledged it and stated that she owned one painting by Roberto Gallo, expressing her intention to return it to the family.

However, despite subsequent attempts to continue the conversation, communication eventually ceased.

Questions regarding the remaining paintings, the Wadi Haybi Panel and the exhibition have remained unanswered.

According to statements made by Roberto Gallo during his lifetime, he believed he had been wronged regarding the artworks left in Oman.

This testimony forms part of the family’s oral documentation and represents one of the main reasons why this research project was initiated.

Research on the exhibition Scenes of Oman

The exhibition brochure made it possible to identify several artists who exhibited at Al Madina Gallery around the same period.

Among them was British artist Michael Hamilton-Clark.

He was contacted directly by email in March 2026.

In his reply, Michael explained that his exhibition took place between 8 and 11 December 2009, whereas Roberto Gallo’s exhibition was scheduled for 19–22 January 2010.

He also clarified that he did not live in Oman and was only present during his own exhibition.

Therefore, he never met Roberto Gallo and did not attend his exhibition.

Nevertheless, his response provided an important lead by identifying Richard Woodhead as the owner of Al Madina Gallery at that time.

Michael also expressed interest in the research and kindly asked to be informed if Roberto Gallo’s Omani paintings are eventually located.

Contact with Richard Woodhead

Following Michael Hamilton-Clark’s recommendation, attempts were made to contact Richard Woodhead, who owned Al Madina Gallery during the period when Scenes of Oman was organized.

Messages requesting information about the exhibition, photographs and archival records were sent through publicly available channels.

To date, no reply has been received.

Contact with Al Madina Gallery

The gallery itself was also contacted by email and social media.

Research indicates that the gallery changed ownership several years after Roberto Gallo’s exhibition.

So far, no response has been received and it has not yet been possible to determine whether archival material from exhibitions held between 2009 and 2010 has been preserved.

Contact with Crowne Plaza Muscat

Since Scenes of Oman was announced as taking place at Crowne Plaza Muscat, the hotel was also contacted.

The staff kindly searched their historical records in an attempt to locate photographs or documentation related to the exhibition.

Unfortunately, no records from that period could be found due to the time elapsed since 2009.

Search for journalist Nicola Goodson

In 2009, The Week magazine published an article about Roberto Gallo and Scenes of Oman, written by journalist Nicola Goodson.

Efforts are currently underway to establish contact with the journalist in the hope that she may have photographs, interview material or other documentation related to the exhibition.

Documents currently preserved

The following documents have been identified so far:

* Roberto Gallo’s professional résumé.

* Handwritten consignment document dated 2 May 2009, signed by Maria das Graças Serqueira Rosa.

* The folder “Paintings for Sale”, organized by Roberto Gallo.

* Photographs of thirteen paintings created in Oman.

* Promotional material for Scenes of Oman.

* The 2009 article published by The Week.

* Email correspondence produced during this research.

* Oral testimony preserved by the artist’s family.

Outstanding questions

This research seeks to answer the following questions:

* Does the Wadi Haybi Panel still exist?

* Are there photographs of the panel or its creation?

* Was Scenes of Oman held as announced?

* Which artworks were actually exhibited?

* What happened to the paintings left on consignment in Oman?

* Are there surviving records held by Al Madina Gallery, Richard Woodhead, members of the local press or private collectors?

* Can additional documents help reconstruct Roberto Gallo’s artistic production during his stay in Oman?

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