Abdullah Al Saadi to Represent UAE at 2024 Venice Biennale

Abdullah Al Saadi has been chosen to represent the UAE at the upcoming 60th Venice Biennale in 2024, featuring a solo exhibition curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh. An influential artist in the UAE's contemporary art scene since the 1980s, Al Saadi's work spans painting, drawing, performance, and the collection of found objects, often reflecting on the UAE's landscapes and his familial heritage. This marks his return to the Biennale after his participation in the main exhibition in 2017 with 'Al Saadi's Diaries (2016)', showcasing three decades of diaries stored in tobacco and sardine tins. The exhibition is set to take place from April 2024 in the National Pavilion UAE's permanent location at the Arsenale – Sale d'Armi, coinciding with the Biennale, which runs from April 20 to November 24, 2024. Laila Binbrek, director of the National Pavilion UAE, emphasized Al Saadi's significant contributions to UAE art history and his previous involvement in group exhibitions in 2011 and 2015. Tarek Abou El Fetouh, who has previously worked with Al Saadi on 'Terhal' at Expo 2020 Dubai, is also recognized for his curatorial roles at various prestigious institutions, including the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.