Art

It’s Not You, It’s Me

Second Time Around

Mohammed Kazem: Walking on Water

1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the UAE

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play

Nujoom Alghanem: Passage

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim: Between Sunrise and Sunset

Abdullah Al Saadi: Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia

Abdullah Al Saadi: Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia

2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2024

Architecture

Lest We Forget: Structures of Memory in the UAE

Transformations: The Emirati National House

Lifescapes Beyond Bigness

Wetland

Aridly Abundant

Biennale Architettura

2014
2016
2018
2021
2023
2025

The Pavilion

The National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia is an award-winning pavilion which curates' untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture and provides a high-profile platform for curatorial concepts that address critical international conversations from a distinctive local perspective.

Commissioner

The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation has served as Commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE since 2014, working collaboratively to showcase previously untold artistic and architectural stories from the UAE to local and international audiences.

Our Stories

In November 2021, the National Pavilion UAE held a dinner reception to celebrate 10 years in Venice and the UAE’s Golden Lion award for Best National Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia (Biennale Architettura 2021) under the presence of H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth and Commissioner, Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.

10 Years of The Venice Internship: The National Pavilion UAE created a short film documenting the impact of the Venice Internship on the personal development of its alumni, and as witnessed through the pavilions long standing collaborations.

National Pavilion UAE’s Legacy: The National Pavilion UAE created a short film documenting its role and achievements to date through the eyes of its colleagues, collaborators, and partners who have participated and witnessed the pavilion’s development and its impact on the creative ecosystem in the UAE.

10 years and one Golden Lion … UAE in Venice: Through filmed interviews and archival footage, the film traces the National Pavilion UAE’s journey through the past ten years and reflects on its future.