Sara Shamma to Represent Syria at 2026 Venice Biennale with Palmyra Installation

Artist Sara Shamma will represent Syria at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May through 22 November 2026. The Syrian pavilion is located at the Universitá Iuav di Venezia (Cotonificio campus). Shamma will present a 15-meter-high immersive installation titled 'The Tower Tomb of Palmyra,' combining painting, architecture, light, sound, and scent. The work is inspired by the ancient funerary towers of Palmyra, which were destroyed during the Syrian War (2011–24), and reflects on loss, resilience, and cultural memory. Shamma collaborated with curator Yuko Hasegawa, visited the National Museum of Damascus, worked with traditional perfume makers, and recorded desert sounds in a cinema studio. She cites Apollodorus of Damascus, the 2nd-century Syrian architect of Trajan's Column and Trajan's Market in Rome, as a key influence. The Biennale's theme, 'In Minor Keys' by curator Koyo Kouoh, resonates with Shamma's focus on quieter emotional frequencies. The project is part of a series of questionnaires published by ArtReview, in partnership with Versace, leading up to the Biennale.