Venetian whispers: National Pavilion of United Arab Emirates exhibition at hand
- Last updated: April 9, 2026 | 10:06
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates has announced its forthcoming exhibition Washwasha at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (May 9 – Nov. 22, pre-opening on May 6, 7, 8). Washwasha (“whispering” in Arabic) is curated by Bana Kattan, Curator and Associate Head of Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, and Assistant Curator Tala Nassar.
It brings together artists Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash and Taus Makhacheva, whose practices contemplate contemporary soundscapes in the UAE, shaped by migration, transience, and long-term ties to the land. A phonetic transliteration of the Arabic word for “whispering”, Washwasha is a starting point for exploring themes of movement, technology, oral histories, and the relationship between language, body, and identity. The themes reflect the lived conditions of many who shape and are shaped by the UAE’s cultural landscape.
The exhibition reflects on how shifts in infrastructure in the UAE - whether architectural, technological, or social - have transformed the ways communities hear and are heard. Inside the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates, Washwasha, designed by Büro Koray Duman (B– KD) Architects, responds to the acoustic signature of the building’s materiality and architecture.
The exhibition is organised as a sequence of chambers, guiding visitors from zones of close listening to areas consumed by noise and sonic overlap. From oral storytelling to poetry circles and locally initiated broadcasting efforts, sound has long functioned as a platform for collective self-representation. Washwasha situates contemporary artistic practices within this continuum of transmission and exchange.
The Pavilion’s presentation at the Biennale Arte 2026 will be accompanied by a publication. The Pavilion also continues its commitment to its Venice Internship programme, now in its fifteenth year, with over 300 interns having completed the programme. Two of the participating artists in the current exhibition are Venice Internship alumnae: Alaa Edris (2009) and Mays Albaik (2016). Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, said that “since its inception, the National Pavilion UAE has nurtured and celebrated the country’s leading creative talents. The Pavilion demonstrates how the UAE contributes to global conversations on art, design, and architecture.”
Angela Migally, Executive Director, Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, Commissioner, said that “the National Pavilion UAE continues its commitment to supporting artistic inquiry that speaks to the complexities of our time.” Bana Kattan said that “each artist brings a unique and valuable approach to the title and its themes.” Laila Binbrek, Director, National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia, said that “this exhibition, bringing together artists whose practices span generations, reflects the depth, continuity, and evolving nature of creative life in the UAE.”
Mays Albaik (b. 1991, Abu Dhabi, where she lives and works) is a visual artist working across video, performance, text, and installation. Her practice examines conditions of migration and displacement. She currently heads the Programs and Community Initiatives at 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi. Jawad Al Malhi (b. 1969, East Jerusalem, Palestine; lives and works in East Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi) works in painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation. His works are held in the British Museum, Imperial War Museum, Centre Pompidou, Kamel Lazzar Foundation, Barjeel Collection, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah Art Foundation.
Farah Al Qasimi (b. 1991, Abu Dhabi, UAE; lives and works in New York, US, and Abu Dhabi) works with photographs, films, and music. Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Guggenheim New York and Abu Dhabi. Alaa Edris (b. 1986, Dubai; lives and works between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi) uses photography, film and performance, to contend with issues from the field of Arab artistic research. Lamya Gargash (b. 1982, Dubai, where she lives and works) is a visual artist working primarily in photography and film. Her practice explores the aesthetics of overlooked and transitional spaces within Emirati society, during rapid urban change, through images of abandoned homes, budget hotels, and domestic interiors.
Taus Makhacheva (b.1983, Moscow, Russia; lives and works between Dubai and Moscow) creates works that explore the connections between historical narratives and fictions of cultural authenticity. Her work is held in Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Art Gallery of Ontario, Sharjah Art Foundation and Van Abbemuseum. Bana Kattan (b.1986, Abu Dhabi, UAE; lives and works in New York, US) has served as Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Curator at the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery. Tala Nassar (b. 1997, Amman, Jordan; lives and works in Boston, US) is a curator and researcher whose work focuses on modern and contemporary Arab art.
The National Pavilion UAE is an award-winning pavilion that curates the untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture. It is an independent non-profit organisation, commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture. The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF) is a private not-for-profit foundation committed to the cultivation of a more creative, connected, and thriving UAE community. It is based in Abu Dhabi. The UAE Ministry of Culture is committed to enriching the cultural sector in the United Arab Emirates. The Biennale Arte 2026 marks the UAE’s fifteenth participation at the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia and its ninth participation in the International Art Exhibition. The National Pavilion has a permanent space at the Arsenale – Sale d’Armi.