Saudi Arabia evokes the memory of human heritage at the Venice Art Biennale

2026/05/08 4:55:17 PM

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Saudi Arabia evokes the memory of human heritage at the Venice Art Biennale

The National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia opens its participation in the sixty-first session of Venice Art Biennale, by presenting artist Dana Awartani’s work “Do not let your tears dry, O you who wept over the ruins,” under the supervision of curator Antonia Carver, and with the participation of assistant curator Hafsa Al-Khudairi.

The work is based on engineering arts practices and mosaic traditions, and comes as a result of research into a number of historical sites in the Arab world that have been subjected to damage in recent years, as it brings to mind 23 sites It has been recognized by international bodies concerned with the preservation of Heritage.

The work extends over the entire floor of the pavilion, presenting models inspired by mosaic patterns that reflect a common cultural extension across successive historical periods.

Supporting the artistic scene in the Kingdom

The work was completed through approximately 30,000 hours of craftsman’s work, within a framework based on participation in production and the transfer of craft knowledge, as the artist cooperated with 32 craftsmen in a studio outside the city of Riyadh, using four types of clay from different regions in the Kingdom, to produce more than 29 thousand sun-dried clay bricks, without the use of adhesives.

CEO of the Visual Arts Authority, Dina Amin, confirmed that the Saudi Pavilion in Venice represents a platform for the most prominent contemporary artistic voices, and reflects efforts to support the artistic scene in the Kingdom at the local, regional and international levels.

For her part, artist Dana Awartani explained that the work highlights historical sites as carriers of memory and identity, stressing The shared cultural heritage transcends geographical borders, and that its preservation is a collective human responsibility.

This is the fifth participation of the Saudi National Pavilion in the Venice Art Biennale, whose session will be held from May 9 to November 22, 2026 at the Arsenale Complex.