Oman’s Venice Representation

Oman has picked Haitham Al Busafi to represent the country at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a new installation called “ZĪNAH (Adornment).” (artasiapacific.com) Al Busafi is an artist, architect, and curator, and the project was commissioned by Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. He is also serving as curator of the pavilion. (artasiapacific.com) The work is set for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, which runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with preview days on May 6, 7, and 8. The Biennale lists the main venues as the Giardini, the Arsenale, and Forte Marghera. (labiennale.org) (labiennale.vivaticket.it) Oman’s project will be installed in the Arsenale Artiglierie, according to coverage of the announcement. That places it inside one of the Biennale’s main exhibition zones rather than a peripheral collateral site. (arabnews.com) (artdaily.com) “ZĪNAH” is built from sand, suspended metal, and sound, and Al Busafi describes it as a participatory environment rather than a single object on display. The project draws on Omani silver horse adornment, known as Al-zannah or Al-zaanah. (artasiapacific.com) (arabnews.com) That reference matters because the pavilion is translating a tradition often classified as craft into an immersive installation format used by major contemporary art exhibitions. ArtDaily’s report says the work repositions horse adornment as “enveloping” art, while Oman’s own announcement frames it as a visual and sonic experience rooted in care and awareness. (artdaily.com) (muscatdaily.com) The 2026 Biennale itself is being staged under the title “In Minor Keys.” Ticketing material for the exhibition says the show will invite viewers’ senses to “interconnect,” a curatorial frame that aligns closely with Oman’s emphasis on sound, atmosphere, and bodily experience. (labiennale.vivaticket.it) The edition also arrives after a major disruption: curator Koyo Kouoh died unexpectedly on May 10, 2025, after accepting the Biennale appointment in October 2024. The Biennale decided to proceed with the exhibition according to her plans, with the support of her family. (universes.art) Oman’s culture minister, Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, said the country’s participation is part of a broader push to strengthen its cultural presence internationally. The pavilion now gives that policy a concrete form: one artist, one national commission, and one of the art world’s most visible stages opening on May 9, 2026. (canvasonline.com) (labiennale.org)