Oman’s Pavilion Pick

Oman has picked artist, architect and curator Haitham Al Busafi to represent the country at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. (artasiapacific.com) Al Busafi’s project is titled “Zīnah,” and it is set to open with the Biennale on May 9, 2026, with preview days on May 6, 7 and 8. The exhibition runs through Nov. 22, 2026. (labiennale.org) The pavilion will be installed in the Arsenale Artiglierie, and Al Busafi will serve as both the artist and the curator. Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth commissioned the project. (artdaily.com) “Zīnah” reworks Al-zannah, the Omani tradition of silver adornment for horses, into an immersive installation built from sand, suspended metal and sound generated by visitors. Art Asia Pacific reported the work as a material-and-sound installation; later coverage described it as participatory and tied it to horse ornament traditions. (artasiapacific.com) (artdaily.com) The Venice Biennale is one of the art world’s main national-pavilion stages, where countries use solo or group presentations to define how they want to be seen internationally. In 2026, the central exhibition will proceed under the title “In Minor Keys,” a show La Biennale said it is carrying forward with the support of curator Koyo Kouoh’s family. (labiennale.org) Oman announced this Biennale participation in April 2026, framing it as part of a broader state-backed cultural push. Canvas said Culture Minister Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi described the pavilion as part of Oman’s effort to strengthen its international cultural presence. (canvasonline.com) The selection also fits a wider curatorial pattern in Venice, where national pavilions increasingly favor installations that visitors move through rather than paintings hung on walls. Al Busafi’s proposal centers on raw materials, bodily movement and collective sound instead of a conventional object display. (artasiapacific.com) (artdaily.com) For Oman, that means its 2026 pavilion will hinge on a single environment: sand underfoot, metal overhead and a local craft tradition recast at Venice scale. The test comes in May, when “Zīnah” opens to the Biennale’s first preview crowds in the Arsenale. (artdaily.com) (labiennale.org)