Malath – Haven

Artists

Alia al Farsi, Essa al Mufarji, Adham al Farsi, Sarah al Olaqi, Ali al Jabri

Press release

National Participation - Oman (Sultanate of)

Oman is returning to the Venice Biennale for the second time. The country will be represented with a National Pavilion that will showcase the works of five Omani artists who have been praised for “revitalising” the country’s contemporary art scene.

The group exhibition, titled Malath – Haven, has been conceived to reflect on the biennial’s curatorial theme Foreigners Everywhere. The artists involved include Ali Al Jabri, renowned for large-scale sculptures made of marble and wood; Essa Al Mufarji, known for his clay-based works, which vary in scale; artist and photographer Sarah Al Olaqi, who is also the founder of Muscat’s Cure8 Art Gallery; and Adham Al Farsi, who is known for interactive installations and has been a driving force in Oman’s cultural scene for almost three decades.

Malath – Haven will be curated by Alia Al Farsi who, in 2017, became the first Omani artist to participate in the biennial. Al Farsi's work will also be on display in the exhibition.
Al Farsi says that the artists selected have each made “noteworthy and commendable" contributions to their communities, "effectively revitalising the contemporary art scene" in Oman.

Commissioner: Sayyd Saeed bin Sultan bin Yarub Al Busaidi
Curator: Alia Al Farsi