Washwasha at National UAE Pavilion

Washwasha is a group show presented in the National Pavilion, UAE, in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026. Curated by Bana Katan and assistant curator Tala Nassar, Washwasha examines temporary soundscapes and how they carry traces of memory, movement, and rapid transformation, bringing together six artists – Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash, and Taus Makhacheva. A phonetic transliteration of the Arabic word for ‘whispering,’ Washwasha is an onomatopoeic word that suggests sound at the threshold of audibility – serving as a starting point for exploring themself in movement, technology,  and oral histories.

Taking its starting point from the curatorial statement, the design provides a journey through the pavilion that traces the progression of sound through multiple modes, from oral histories to movement, migration, and technology.

Photos by Photo by Ismail Noor of Seeing Things

Status

Completed in 2026

Program

Art Exhibition

Area

241 sm

Location

The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 

Upon entry, the visitor is greeted by a round masonry form, an enduring presence that has long served as the container for the intangible character of sound. Behind the form is a halvet – a small private chamber traditionally located off the main steam room in a Hammam. Entering the halvet, visitors are surrounded by artwork of Jawad Al Malhi, a series of oral histories, and invited to sit on benches to experience the encapsulating nature of storytelling amplified by the dome. In capturing sound, the architecture makes sound tangible and conveys its importance for communicating culture through the practice of oral history. Photography by Ismail Noor of Seeing Things.

Upon exiting the halvet, the spaces open to an inner courtyard, housing works by Farah Al Qasimi, Lamya Gargash and Mays Albaik that each reflect on sound through the cultural landscape of the UAE; one as a soundscape integrated into a wall and the others as discrete, frozen moments set within the open space. Together, the works encourage visitors to contemplate sound transmission through the land.!

The exhibition ends with two chambers. The first, a completely dark, disorienting room with the work of Alaa Edirs, inspired by what noise and sound feel like in contemporary culture. In the second, a gallery with 52 hanging speakers suspended mid-air, physical space dissolves as a constant digital noise we are exposed to via the internet and social media platforms.

B-KD worked closely with LSTN acoustical consultants to provide sound-absorbent thresholds between each chamber to avoid sound leakage without any physical barriers. Close collaboration with SEED lighting consultants produced a wayfinding lighting design.  

Team

Design Team : Koray Duman, Vernice Riego, Angel Rodriguez, Vishesh Sahni

Lighting Design : The SEED Lighting Design Studio

Acoustical Consultant : LSTN Consultants