Everything to Know About the UAE Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

The United Arab Emirates has unveiled its national presentation for the 61st Venice Biennale, titled Washwasha, an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition that transforms the concept of a whisper into a profound exploration of sound, memory, and identity.

Curated by Bana Kattan with assistant curator Tala Nassar, the exhibition runs until November 22, 2026, in the UAE's permanent pavilion space. The title itself is an onomatopoeic Arabic word for whispering, serving as a conceptual anchor for a show that investigates the various forms a whisper can take: oral history, intrusive thoughts, rumors, and the ambient noise of daily existence. Rather than relying on visual spectacle alone, the pavilion invites visitors into a landscape where voices drift before their meaning fully settles, blending mechanical noises, water, and robotic sounds to create an atmosphere of constant, overlapping communication.

The Architecture of Intimacy and Oral History

At the heart of the exhibition lies a deep engagement with the personal and the communal, challenging the traditional detachment often found in contemporary art. The show opens with Palestinian artist Jawad Al Malhi’s Naiman, a site-specific installation originally created in 2008 for a hammam in East Jerusalem. Rebuilt for Venice as a domed chamber within a room, the work features recordings of men recalling celebratory wedding rituals from the eve of their marriages. This reconstruction emphasizes the inseparability of the artwork from its architectural context, allowing sound to permeate the space and evoke a sense of place that transcends physical restoration. The piece serves as a poignant reminder of oral history and social rituals, particularly resonant given the ongoing conflicts in the region, offering a platform to speak about home and heritage through the medium of memory.

Embodied Language and the Shape of Silence

Exploring the physicality of speech, Emirati artist Mays Albaik presents Kuni Kai Akuna Kama Aqul! (Be, so that I may be as I say!), a series of glass sculptures that capture the precise moment before sound is produced. Using alginate to cast the interior of her mouth while holding specific shapes associated with Arabic phonetics, Albaik translates these biological forms into hand-blown glass. The work draws connections between the Arabic phrase kun fayakun ("be, and it is"), the Thuraya constellation used for navigation, and the idea of language as a physical compass. By freezing the gesture of speaking rather than the act itself, the sculptures immortalize the indecipherable yet valuable biological liminality of human communication, highlighting how much of language exists within the body before it ever reaches the air.

Social Spaces, Intrusive Thoughts, and the Noise of Connection

The exhibition expands its scope to examine the social dynamics of listening and the psychological impact of modern information overload. Lamya Gargash contributes her 2009 photographic series Majlis, depicting the traditional gathering space as a room shaped by hosting, grief, and problem-solving, while also marking her return to the pavilion after representing the UAE in 2009. In contrast, Farah Al Qasimi’s The Curse offers a linear narrative about a young person grappling with the belief that their scream has cursed a village, exploring childhood guilt and the power of sound once it leaves the body. Emirati artist Alaa Edris pushes the concept of the whisper into the realm of interference with Wiswas, a work featuring wooden faces with electronic eyes that merge natural materials with cold technology to represent the overwhelming nature of notifications, surveillance, and intrusive thoughts in contemporary life.

Gossip as Material and the Evolution of a Cultural Scene

Russian artist Taus Makhacheva, based between Dubai and Moscow, contributes two significant works that treat gossip and delayed communication as tangible forces. Her installation Dear R., R., K., S., M., A., C., S., K., I., G., L., A., A., L., P., G., E., J., D., M., C., B., O., F., F., R., D., M., E., L., I., F., L., A., M., T., K., K., L., P., F., V., A., L., L. fills a room with hanging speakers broadcasting variations of apologies and delayed replies, reflecting the exhaustion of a hyper-connected culture. Her second piece, And What Did You Say?, transforms gossip into a performance structure involving a bench and audio narratives, utilizing costumes and objects like non-reflective mirrors and blunt scissors to explore how rumors are metabolized by the body. The pavilion also honors the UAE's sonic history through an activation commemorating the founding of Ajman Radio in 1961, featuring new sound works by Moza Almatrooshi, Roudhah AlMazrouei, and Spencer Shea that capture the everyday sounds of the country.

Redefining the National Narrative

A defining characteristic of Washwasha is its inclusive representation of the UAE's vibrant art scene, featuring artists born in the UAE as well as those who have made it their home, such as Al Malhi and Makhacheva. Curator Bana Kattan emphasized that the exhibition reflects the reality of the local art ecosystem, which is diverse and internationally connected, rather than adhering to a narrow definition of nationality. The show also highlights the success of the Venice Internship programme, now in its 15th year, which has nurtured over 300 participants, several of whom are directly involved in this year's presentation. By prioritizing the autonomy of its artists and allowing them to lean deeply into their personal biographies, the pavilion challenges outdated assumptions about the region's cultural capacity, presenting a sophisticated, layered narrative that rewards both global audiences and those with a deep connection to the UAE.