Dana Awartani’s colossal art work features Saudi pavilion as 61st Venice Biennale kicks off

RIYADH — Saudi artist Dana Awartani represents the national pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, which kicked off in Venice, Italy. Dana’s work titled ‘May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones,’ was curated by Antonia Carver, with Hafsa Alkhudairi as assistant curator. The work draws on geometric art forms and mosaic traditions, and is the result of in-depth research into places across the Arab world that have been subjected to damage in recent years, referencing 23 places recognized by international bodies that seek to preserve threatened legacies. The installation encompasses the entire floor of the pavilion, presenting mosaic patterns whose shared motifs and traditions reflect common cultures spanning successive historical periods. It was created over nearly 30,000 artisan hours within a collaborative “many hands” process based on participation in production and the transmission of collective skill and knowledge. The artist worked with 32 artisans at a studio site outside Riyadh, using four differently hued clay earths from distinct geographies across the Kingdom to create over 29,000 sunbaked clay earth bricks without binding agents. CEO of Visual Arts Commission Dina Amin said: “The national pavilion of Saudi Arabia in Venice creates a platform for the leading artistic voices of our time, and is an integral part of our support and celebration of the visual arts landscape within Saudi Arabia across local, regional and global contexts. This new commission has enabled Dana to create a work of greater concept, size, and intricacy than ever before.” Dana Awartani stated: “These sites are not merely stones – they are vessels that carry our stories and identities across time. The work is a composite of many sites that are and have been under attack, and which hold significant shared histories that surpass contemporary borders.” This marks Saudi Arabia’s fifth participation at the La Biennale di Venezia, where the 61st edition will be open to the public from May 9 until November 22, 2026 at the Arsenale. The national pavilion of Saudi Arabia is commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, one of the commissions under the Ministry of Culture.