At an event held in Venice that explored Arab artistic expression, cultural identity and solidarity with Palestine, the growing influence of Arab artists and curators on the global contemporary art scene took centre stage.
Around 100 students, researchers, academics and art enthusiasts gathered in Venice on 10 October for Rewriting Contemporary Art: Shifting Paradigms through Arab Artistic and Curatorial Practices, an initiative aimed at highlighting the expanding role of Arab artists and curators within the Biennale and the wider international art world.
Organised by curator and journalist Alba Nabulsi in collaboration with Ca’ Foscari University, the event formed part of the Biennale Sessions programme, which seeks to engage students and universities with contemporary art.
The initiative, supported by The New Arab and its Arabic-language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, also involved the University of Padua, Iscte University Institute of Lisbon and Cosmos Lab at the Scuola Normale Superiore.
Growing Arab presence at the Venice Biennale
The programme began with a guided tour of Arab national pavilions at the Giardini, offering participants an opportunity to explore how artists from the region are challenging established narratives and bringing new perspectives to contemporary art.
Among the highlights was Qatar's debut pavilion, the first new national pavilion space to be introduced at the Giardini in more than three decades.
Titled Untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people), the pavilion brings together music, film and food in a multidisciplinary programme celebrating artistic exchange.
Participants met members of the pavilion's team and discussed the project with its public relations adviser, Dr Laura Alfieri.
The group also visited Egypt's pavilion, one of the oldest national presences at the Giardini, where artist Armen Agop presented Silence Pavilion: Between the Intangible and the Tangible, an exhibition inviting visitors to reflect on time, stillness and human presence.
The tour continued at the Arsenale, where participants explored a selection of Arab national pavilions showcasing the region's diverse artistic traditions and cultural heritage.
Saudi Arabia's presentation drew on ancestral knowledge rooted in Islamic and Arab art, seeking to connect historical traditions with contemporary expression.
Morocco's pavilion focused on ritual weaving, while Oman's explored the country's tradition of crafting silver ornaments for horses.
The programme also highlighted the growing visibility of artists with Arab roots beyond the region, including Khaled Sabsabi and Yto Barrada, whose work featured in the Australian and French pavilions respectively.
Across the international exhibition, participants encountered expressions of solidarity with Palestine, reflecting the role of art in engaging with political struggles and questions of identity.
Art, resistance and the legacy of Koyo Kouoh
The afternoon programme shifted to discussions at the Arsenale, where curators and academics examined the changing place of Arab artistic practices within international institutions.
A central focus was the legacy of the late Biennale curator Koyo Kouoh and her exhibition In Minor Keys, which encouraged audiences to approach art through empathy, spirituality and postcolonial perspectives.
Rasha Salti, an adviser to the Biennale Arte curator, opened the first panel by reflecting on Kouoh's influence and her own experience as an Arab cultural practitioner.
Tom Eccles, co-curator of Qatar's pavilion, discussed the ideas behind its presentation, describing the exhibition as a symbol of resilience amid the wars affecting the Middle East.
The relationship between art and political resistance also featured prominently.
Marco Baravalle, founder and curator of S.a.L.E. Docks, discussed his involvement with the Art Not Genocide Alliance and the grassroots process behind People's Liberation, an exhibition by Indonesian art collective Taring Padi.
Dr Bishara Ebeid of Ca’ Foscari University explored the importance of contemporary art in education, highlighting how artistic expression can help students engage with language, culture and evolving ideas.
Curator Hesperia Iliadou also discussed her work on Aghrab Idrāk: Thresholds of Perception, an exhibition by Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar presented as a collateral event at the Biennale.
She reflected on her curatorial relationship with the Mediterranean and Arab region, and the importance of cultural exchange in shaping contemporary artistic practices.
Amplifying Arab voices through literature, media and music
A second panel broadened the discussion beyond visual art to examine how literature, journalism and music can contribute to the visibility of Arab cultural expression.
Algerian literary author Amal Bouchareb reflected on the responsibilities and challenges facing Arab writers, while Ibrahim Fakhri, creative manager at The New Arab and an artist, explored the role of media and artistic production in amplifying Arab voices.
Fakhri also addressed the challenges of producing art amid political conflict and the importance of creating spaces where artists from the region can tell their own stories.
The event concluded with two musical performances connecting Arab artistic heritage with contemporary experimentation.
Accordionist Margherita Berlanda performed TSLALIM by composer Samir Odeh-Tamimi, bringing together Western instrumental traditions and Arab musical influences.
Italian musician Toni Cutrone, performing under the name MaiMaiMai, presented music from his latest record, Karakoz, which was recorded in Bethlehem during Israel's war on Gaza.
The performances were accompanied by discussions with the musicians about the cultural and personal meanings behind their work.