Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman, through its national pavilion, will take part for the first time in the 59th Binnale Arte 2022 exhibition, due to be held in Venice, Italy, from 22 April 2022 till 27 November 2022.
The participation in this event aims to introduce the Omani culture locally and internationally.
The opening exhibition displays works of three generations of Omani artists, whose activities span 50 years in visual and contemporary arts. The exhibition provides a model for the broad global range of Oman’s cultural history and unique traditions in visual arts.
The participating artists represent a continuous stream of influence in Omani art and they include Anwar Sonya, Hassan Meer, Budoor Al Riyami, Radhika Khimji and the late Raya Al Rawahi.
His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth said, “It is a great pleasure for the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, to participate for the first time in the 59th Binnale Arte 2022 Exhibition, which is one of the most prestigious international art fairs.
This participation reflects the importance of arts in forming cultural awareness. It also promotes cultural and intellectual exchange between peoples and communities.”
On his turn, Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, Commissioner-General of Oman’s pavilion in the exhibition said, “The Sultanate of Oman’s participation in the 59th Venice Biennale 2022 art exhibition is a testimony to Oman’s prominent position in the world cultural map and the role it plays in supporting artistic works, as well as boosting cultural initiatives and promoting the exchange of expertise in this field.
By participating in the exhibition, we strive to achieve the ministry’s vision to map Oman as a leading cultural destination on the global cultural arena. We also aim to affirm the existing balance between local culture, assimilation and cultural exposure to enable and enhance cultural production on the basis of innovation and creativity.
On the sidelines of Oman’s participation, training programmes for the Biennale will be unveiled. The programme will be available for Omani youth who are interested in partnering with educational institutes. The event provides an opportunity for dialogue with artists and international trainees, as well as exchanging expertise and developing the trainees’ information to gain a deep understanding of Omani art’s history. The selected elite learners will work side by side with artists in Oman’s pavilion.”
The participation comes within the framework of the strategic programs set to enhance the external presnce of the Sultanate of Oman.
The move also serves Oman Vision 2040's cultural strategy represented in the axis of exchanging experiences at the external level in the cultural field, as well as enhancing communication and cultural dialogue with other countries.
Oman's participation aims to invest in cultural diversity as a means of promoting and introducing the Sultanate of Oman to the world, and achieving partnerships and integration with local and international institutions in the cultural fields, as well as highlighting Oman's role in the global cultural map.
The participation of the Sultanate of Oman in Biennale Arte 2022 in Italy is a great opportunity to highlight Omani history, as the festival is expected to allure high media coverage around the world.
The number of visitors to the festival annually ranges between 600,000 to one million from all over the world, and the number of views of the festival’s website reaches 10 million.
This international event provides a unique global platform for Oman to bring contemporary Omani visual artists to the World Art Fair and engage in a mutual artistic dialogue between other national pavilions.
The Sultanate of Oman will present a dynamic multimedia presentation of a selection of Omani visual artists. Training programs will be announced before and during the Biennale.
The programme will be open for Omani youth (18 years and above) who are interested in visual arts, history, international relations or representing Oman in the global arena.
The training programme will kick off in the Governorate of Muscat in partnership with local educational institutions, which will enable trainees to engage with a wide range of audiences and provide them with an in-depth knowledge of Omani art history.
The Omani participation in this event will also be documented in a broader context such as printings and publications on the history of visual art in the Sultanate of Oman for academic purposes and serve those interested in art.
After the end of Binnale Arte 2022 exhibition, there is a plan to bring the exhibition to Oman, as a similar programme will be set in a bid to enhance the benefit of this historical participation.
