UAE’s Venice sound piece

The United Arab Emirates is turning its Venice Biennale pavilion into a listening space, with “Washwasha” built around whispers, echoes and layered sound. (wam.ae) The show opens to the public on May 9, 2026 and runs through November 22 as part of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. It will be installed at the Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi, one of the Biennale’s main venues. (labiennale.org; universes.art) Bana Kattan is curating the pavilion with assistant curator Tala Nassar. The six artists are Alaa Edris, Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Lamya Gargash and Taus Makhacheva. (wam.ae; nationalpavilionuae.org) “Washwasha” means “whispering” in Arabic, and the pavilion says the exhibition looks at contemporary soundscapes in the United Arab Emirates. The project ties those sounds to memory, migration, rapid change and long-term ties to land. (nationalpavilionuae.org; al-monitor.com) That approach fits the wider 2026 Biennale, which is titled “In Minor Keys.” La Biennale says the exhibition follows the curatorial vision of Koyo Kouoh and asks visitors to move more slowly through sound, atmosphere and other senses. (labiennale.org; labiennale.org) The pavilion’s architecture is being used as part of the work, not just as a container for it. My Art Guides says the exhibition design by Büro Koray Duman Architects organizes the rooms into chambers that shift from intimate listening to zones of sonic overlap. (myartguides.com) For the United Arab Emirates, this is its ninth participation in the International Art Exhibition at Venice. The National Pavilion says its program has focused on stories about the country’s art, architecture and intangible heritage. (nationalpavilionuae.org; nationalpavilionuae.org) The result is a national pavilion that asks visitors to do less looking and more listening. In Venice this year, the United Arab Emirates is using sound itself as the exhibition’s main material. (wam.ae; myartguides.com)