"The national wing of the state" Organizes an exhibition "And a mess" At the Venice Biennale next May
Abu Dhabi, April 7, 2026 – The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates is organizing its exhibition entitled “Washwasha” during the period from May 9 to November 22, 2026, as part of the activities of the sixty-first session of the 2026 International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
The exhibition is curated by Bana Kattan, curator and assistant head of the exhibitions department at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project, with assistant curator Tala Nassar.
The exhibition brings together the works of six prominent artists: Alaa Idris, Mais Al-Beik, Jawad Al-Malhi, Farah Al-Qasimi, Lamia Gargash, and Taos Makhacheva. Their artistic works explore contemporary sound spaces in the UAE and their ability to preserve traces of memory, monitor rapid transformations, migration and travel movements, and a close connection to the land.
As an onomatopoeia, “Washwasha” suggests a voice at the threshold of hearing, and serves as a starting point for exploring themes of movement, technology, oral history, and the relationship between language, body, and identity.
These themes reflect the living conditions of many who shape and are influenced by the cultural landscape of the UAE. Sound has long represented a platform for collective self-expression, from oral storytelling and poetry recitals to local broadcasting efforts, and Washwasha places contemporary artistic practices within this extended context of transmission and exchange.
These historical stations reveal the role of the UAE as a space shaped by movement, communication, and multiple forms of listening across land and sea, and not as a fixed cultural perspective. The exhibition reflects on the impact of transformations in the UAE’s infrastructure, whether architectural, technological or social, on the ways communities hear and are heard.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the National Pavilion will issue a publication containing a collection of articles and talks that address sound from a historical, personal and theoretical perspective.
The pavilion works to engage local communities in the country to support the growth of cultural and creative sectors, through general programs and specialized professional opportunities.
His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, said that the UAE National Pavilion, since its founding and through participation in the Venice Biennale, has formed a platform for embracing the country’s creative talents, celebrating them and presenting them to the whole world. Today, the pavilion continues, year after year, to consolidate its pivotal role in our cultural system and enhance its status and presence at the local level, stressing the keenness to support the pavilion to achieve its goals as a vital cultural platform that highlights the role of the UAE in enriching the global dialogue about… Art, design and architecture.
For her part, Angela Majli, Executive Director of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, said that the country’s national pavilion continues its commitment to supporting artistic research that reflects the diversity and complexity of our contemporary reality, and this project combines research, practice and public dialogue, to create a space for contemplation, exchange and presenting new visions, pointing to participation in the 2026 Arts Biennale with an exhibition that provides a qualitative addition to global discussions, while maintaining a deep connection to the cultural contexts from which it began.
For her part, Bana Qattan, the curator of the exhibition, said that “Washwasha” is an experience led by the participating artists. Each of them offers a unique and valuable approach to the exhibition’s title and themes, noting that the research stimulated by the exhibition offers multiple insights into the fleeting nature and ambiguity of intangible histories.
For her part, Laila Ben Brik, Director of the UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, said that the pavilion is committed to sharing and celebrating heritage stories through the highest forms of artistic expression. This group exhibition brings together artists from different generations, expressing pride in seeing the rich cultural fabric of the country reflected in the folds of this exhibition.
She explained that this session, in addition to the evaluative vision of Bana Kattan and the elite artists participating in it, embodies the wing’s ongoing commitment to fostering artistic growth and enhancing ways of cooperation, pointing out that two of these artists were graduates of the wing’s training program in its previous sessions.
It is worth noting that the state’s national pavilion assumes its duties by decision of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and occupies a permanent headquarters in the “Arsenale – Sally d’Arme” area in Venice.
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