A look ahead at participating countries and artists from across the SWANA region, as well as India and Pakistan.
Armenia
Zadik Zadikian, a US-based Armenian-born artist, will unveil a large-scale evolving installation entitled The Studio, as well as an outdoor sculpture. Commissioned by Svetlana Sahakyan, the Armenia Pavilion will be curated by Tony Shafrazi and Tina Chakarian and is located in the Arsenale.
Australia
Lebanese-born multidisciplinary artist Khaled Sabsabi, who was reinstated as the artist representing Australia following the cancellation of his selection, alongside curator Michael Dagostino, will present conference of one’s self at the Australia Pavilion in the Giardini.
Azerbaijan
Faig Ahmed will present The Attention, a collection of commissioned site-specific works, curated by Gwendolyn Collaço. The Azerbaijan Pavilion is located at the Campo de la Tana, Castello.
Canada
Iranian-born Montreal-based artist Abbas Akhavan is set to showcase Entre chien et loup at the Canada Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale, organised by Kim Nguyen and the National Gallery of Canada.
Egypt
Armen Agop will present Silence Pavilion: Between the Tangible and the Intangible in the Giardini della Biennale, acting as both artist and curator. The Egypt Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Accademia d’Egitto a Roma.
France
French-Moroccan artist Yto Barrada will reveal her upcoming project Comme Saturne at the France Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale, curated by Myriam Ben Salah and organised by the Institut Français, French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the French Ministry of Culture.
India
Entitled Geographies of Distance: remembering home and curated by Amin Jaffer, the India Pavilion gathers Alwar Balasubramaniam (Bala), Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Waqif and Skarma Sonam Tashi in a group exhibition in the Arsenale, presented by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, commissioned by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Ministry of Culture and in partnership with the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Serendipity Arts Foundation.
Kazakhstan
Artists Ardak Mukanova, Gulmaral Tattibayeva and Natalya Ligay (ADYR‑ASPAN), Anar Aubakir, Asel Kadyrkhanova, Smail Bayaliyev, Nurbol Nurakhmet, Mansur Smagambetov and Oralbek Kaboke have been selected to exhibit in a joint presentation. Qoñyr: the Archive of Silence is curated by Syrlybek Bekbota and organised by Aida Balayeva, Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the Kazakhstan Pavilion in the Museo Storico Navale in Castello, near the Arsenale.
Kyrgyz Republic
Alexey Morosov will present BELEK (meaning “gift” in Kyrgyz), a large-scale immersive installation commissioned by the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic and curated by Geraldine Leardi. The Kyrgyz Republic pavilion is located at the Ex Chiesa di Santa Caterina, Cannaregio.
Lebanon
Nabil Nahas will exhibit Don’t Get Me Wrong, commissioned by the Lebanese Visual Art Association and curated by Dr Nada Ghandour at the Lebanese Pavilion, located in the Arsenale.
Morocco
Amina Agueznay is set to present Asǝṭṭa, commissioned by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication led by Mohammed Benyaacoub and curated by Meriem Berrada. The Moroccan Pavilion can be found in the Arsenale.
Oman
Haitham Al Busafi will present ZĪNAH, commissioned by His Excellency Sayyid Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi,
and organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Sultanate of Oman. The pavilion is located at the Arsenale.
Pakistan
At the Ex Farmacia Solveni in Dorsoduro, Faiza Butt will present Punj•AB –A Sublime Terrain, commissioned by the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture with Yaqoob Bangash as commissioner and curated by Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano.
Qatar
The Qatar Pavilion, located in the Giardini della Biennale, will feature works by Sofia Al-Maria, Tarek Atoui, Alia Farid, Fadi Kattan and Rirkrit Tiravanija, commissioned by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and co-curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib.
Saudi Arabia
Commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, Ministry of Culture, the Saudi Arabia Pavilion will see craft-based artist Dana Awartani present May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones, curated by Antonia Carver and Hafsa Alkhudairi in the Arsenale.
Syria
Sara Shamma will showcase her installation entitled The Tower Tomb of Palmyra, commissioned by the Syrian Ministry of Culture and curated by Yuko Hasegawa. The pavilion is located at the Università Iuav di Venezia, Cotonificio campus (open-air courtyard).
Türkiye
Multidisciplinary artist Nilbar Güreş will present A Kiss on the Eyes in the Arsenale, coordinated by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts with the contribution of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and curated by Başak Doğa Temür.
UAE
In its permanent pavilion in the Arsenale, the UAE Pavilion, commissioned by the Salama bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation with support from HE Sheikh Salem bin Khaled Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, will bring together artists Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash and Taus Makhacheva in a joint presentation entitled Washwasha, curated by Bana Kattan with assistant curator Tala Nassar.
Uzbekistan
Organised by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and commissioned by ACDF chairperson Gayane Umerova, the Uzbekistan Pavilion will be curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, Aziza Izamova, Kamila Mukhitdinova, Nico Sun and Thái Hà. The exhibition, on view in the Arsenale and entitled The Aural Sea, will gather works by Jahongir Bobokulov, Zi Kakhramonova, Aygul Sarsen, Zulfiya Spowart, Xin Liu, A A Murakami and Nguyen Phuong Linh.
