The UAE National Pavilion will present at the 56th Venice Biennale a retrospective of contemporary art exhibitions held in the country over the past 35 years.
More than 100 works by 15 emirate authors will arrive at one of the most prestigious art shows. 250 sq. meters of exhibition space will be occupied by the works of Ahmed Al Ansari, Muhammad Kazem, Muhammad Al Kassab, Hassan Sharif, Abdul Kader Al Rais and 10 other local talents, grouped to open a dialogue between contemporary artists and their artistic practices. The Venetian public will be presented with the whole variety of art life of the UAE in the context of their recent history. The curator of the national pavilion is Sheikh Gur Al Kassimi, president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation. "Many recent exhibitions are a glimpse into the past for realizing the present. This exhibition is a demonstration of the connection between objects, historical archives and collective memory," sheikh said. The exhibition will also reflect the creative evolution of the artists themselves. It is worth recalling that the United Arab Emirates have been participating in the Venice Biennale since 2009.
