Oman picks Biennale artist

Oman has picked artist, architect and curator Haitham Al Busafi to represent the country at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a national pavilion in Venice. (artasiapacific.com) The pavilion will present a new installation, “Zīnah” (“Adornment”), and Al Busafi will also serve as its curator. 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. (labiennale.org) Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth is commissioning the project, and the pavilion is set for the Arsenale Artiglierie, one of the Biennale’s main exhibition sites. Oman announced this month that it would take part with a national pavilion. (omanobserver.om) Al Busafi’s work is built around sand, suspended metal and collectively generated sound. The project reworks the Omani tradition of silver horse adornment, known as Al-zannah, into an immersive installation. (arabnews.com) That choice puts a specific local form at the center of Oman’s pitch on an international stage. In statements carried by Omani and regional outlets, Al Busafi said the Biennale offers a chance to present Omani culture through the 2026 exhibition theme, “In Minor Keys.” (timesofoman.com) The 2026 edition was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, whose theme calls for art made in “quiet tones and lower frequencies,” according to Biennale organizers. That framework gives national pavilions room to lean on material, sound and atmosphere rather than spectacle alone. (labiennale.org) For Oman, the pavilion also extends a broader state-backed push to raise its cultural profile overseas. Oman’s culture minister, Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, said the Biennale participation reflects a national effort to strengthen the country’s presence on the international cultural stage. (canvasonline.com) Al Busafi has described the project as a way to move horse adornment beyond the category of craft and into a shared spatial experience. Press material for the pavilion says “Zīnah” will treat adornment as something collective, with visitors helping produce the work’s sound environment. (artdaily.com) The result is that Oman will arrive in Venice with a pavilion anchored in one artist, one site and a handful of materials. When the Biennale opens on May 9, Al Busafi’s installation will be the country’s public introduction to that strategy. (myartguides.com)