Page 88 - UAE Ministry of Culture PR REPORT

Page 88 - UAE Ministry of Culture PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2025

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9/30/25, 11:52 AM Bana Kattan to curate UAE National Pavilion at 2026 Venice Biennale Art Exhibition
including Permanent Temporariness by Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti (2018), exploring

themes of displacement and refugeeness, and But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art
Community, 1988–2008 (2017), which highlighted a group of pioneering Emirati artists and

the interconnected nature of their community.

Born in Abu Dhabi and raised in the UAE, Kattan is deeply connected to the country’s cultural

landscape and has witnessed the growth and evolution of its artistic community. Drawing on

her experience in the region, she has played an active role in shaping discourse around the
UAE’s contemporary art scene. Her work engages with socio-political and historical themes

while fostering dialogue among both emerging and established artists, across generations,

disciplines and various media.

Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, said, “The Ministry of Culture is

committed to amplifying the UAE’s cultural and creative voices on the global stage. We are

pleased to welcome Bana Kattan as curator of the National Pavilion UAE at the Biennale Arte 2026. With
her curatorial expertise and deep connection to the UAE, she will bring forward perspectives

that resonate both locally and internationally. Through this exhibition, the Pavilion continues to

affirm the UAE’s role as a center for creativity and cultural dialogue.”

Bana Kattan said, “It is an honour to be appointed curator of the National Pavilion UAE for the

Biennale Arte 2026. Having worked extensively in the region and alongside a wide range of

multigenerational and transdisciplinary artists from the Arab world, I look forward to
contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape while

engaging with broader histories, complexities, and conversations.”