Haitham Al Busafi Brings Omani Horse Adornment Tradition to Venice Biennale

Haitham Al Busafi represents Oman at the 61st Venice Biennale with an immersive installation titled Zīnah, housed in the Arsenale. The work draws from the Omani tradition of Al Zaanah—silver adornments made for horses—transforming it into a spatial environment where visitors walk on sand from Oman's desert interior while suspended metal forms derived from horse adornments move overhead. Al Busafi describes adornment not as decoration but as recognition, a declaration that another being is worthy of beauty. The installation responds to the Biennale theme In Minor Keys by emphasizing quiet forces like weight, friction, shimmer, breath, and sound. Al Busafi notes that the tradition of Al Zaanah is not widely known even within Oman, and he aims to bring it to visibility for both international and Omani audiences. He cites Anwar Sonya, a pioneer of modern Omani art, as a foundational figure whose etched contributions are incorporated into the silver canopy of Zīnah. The Biennale runs from 9 May through 22 November 2026. The interview is part of a series by ArtReview in partnership with Versace.