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9/30/25, 11:52 AM Bana Kattan Appointed Curator For National Pavilion UAE At Biennale Arte 2026 - OneArabia
Bana Kattan To Lead National Pavilion UAE At La Biennale Di Venezia In

2026

By OneArabia
Published: Monday, September 29, 2025, 14:39 [GST] The National Pavilion UAE has appointed Bana Kattan as the curator for its
participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026. Kattan, who is the Curator and Associate Head of Exhibitions at

the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, was chosen by a committee comprising leaders from the UAE's creative sector, including government, museums, and
universities.

Before her role at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Kattan was an Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. There, she curated
exhibitions featuring artists like Wafaa Bilal (2025), Maryam Taghavi (2024), and Mona Hatoum (2023). Her earlier work at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
included research-driven exhibitions such as Permanent Temporariness by Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti (2018) and But We Cannot See Them:
Tracing a UAE Art Community, 1988–2008 (2017).

Kattan was born in Abu Dhabi and grew up in the UAE. Her deep connection to the country's cultural scene has allowed her to witness its artistic
evolution. She actively shapes discussions around contemporary art in the UAE by engaging with socio-political themes and fostering dialogue
among artists across generations and disciplines.

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