Oman picks Al Busafi

Oman has picked Haitham Al Busafi to represent the country at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a new national pavilion. (artasiapacific.com) The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia runs from May 9 to Nov. 22, 2026, with previews on May 6, 7 and 8. Al Busafi will present a new work titled “Zīnah (Adornment).” (labiennale.org) Al Busafi is an artist, architect and curator, and Oman said he will also curate its pavilion at the Arsenale Artiglierie, one of the Biennale’s main exhibition sites. The pavilion is commissioned by Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. (arabnews.com) “Zīnah” is built from sand, suspended metal and sound, and the project recasts Omani silver horse adornment, known as Al-zaanah, as a large-scale participatory installation. The work shifts that tradition from wearable object to immersive environment. (artdaily.com) The Biennale’s 2026 theme is “In Minor Keys,” a framework developed by curator Koyo Kouoh around quieter, lower-frequency forms of attention and listening. Oman’s pavilion language tracks closely with that brief through touch, sound and slow movement through space. (labiennale.org) Oman’s selection also extends a broader Gulf strategy of using Venice’s national pavilions to build cultural visibility through state-backed commissions. Oman’s culture minister, Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, said the Biennale is part of a national effort to strengthen the country’s international cultural presence. (canvasonline.com) This is Oman’s third participation in the Venice Biennale, according to Omani news reports, and its 2026 pavilion will sit inside the Arsenale rather than on the Giardini grounds where a smaller group of countries has permanent buildings. That placement puts Oman inside the Biennale’s main visitor circuit. (timesofoman.com) Al Busafi said the project aims to present Omani culture through the Biennale’s theme in “quiet tones and lower frequencies.” When Venice opens in May, Oman’s bet is that sand, metal and sound can carry that argument without raising the volume. (omanobserver.om)