Bana Kattan has been appointed curator for the National Pavilion UAE at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale.
The 2026 biennale’s theme is In Minor Keys, chosen by Koyo Kouoh.
Her previous roles include associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and curator at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery.
“I look forward to contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape,” Kattan said.
Bana Kattan, curator and associate head of exhibitions at Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will lead the National Pavilion UAE’s participation at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale.
Kattan was appointed by a committee of prominent figures in the UAE’s creative sector, including representatives from the government, museums and universities.
Details of the country's exhibition are yet to be revealed, but it will likely respond to the biennale’s title In Minor Keys, chosen by late Cameroonian-Swiss art curator Koyo Kouoh. The biennale will run from May 9 to November 22 next year.
Born and raised in the UAE, Kattan has seen the growth of the country’s arts scene first-hand and has strong links to its cultural landscape. Her work reflects on historical and sociopolitical topics while drawing connections between emerging and established artists, linking practices across generations, disciplines and media.
“It is an honour to be appointed curator of the National Pavilion UAE for the Biennale Arte 2026,” Kattan said.
“Having worked extensively in the region and alongside a wide range of multigenerational and transdisciplinary artists from the Arab world, I look forward to contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape while engaging with broader histories, complexities and conversations.”
This approach is evident in her work as associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, a role she had prior to joining Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. In Chicago, she presented exhibitions that featured works by multigenerational artists including British-Palestinian Mona Hatoum in 2023, Iranian-Canadian Maryam Taghavi in 2024 and Iraqi-American Wafaa Bilal in 2025.
Kattan was also part of the curatorial team behind exhibitions at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, including Permanent Temporariness in 2018. The research-driven exhibition featured work by architects Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, and explored themes of displacement as well as the refugee experience.
At the NYUAD Art Gallery, she also part of the team behind But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community, 1988–2008. The 2017 exhibition showcased a group of pioneering Emirati artists and the interrelated nature of their practices and community.
The UAE Minister of Culture Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi said Kattan’s deep connection to the UAE “will bring forward perspectives that resonate both locally and internationally. Through this exhibition, the pavilion continues to affirm the UAE’s role as a centre for creativity and cultural dialogue,” he said.
British Grand Prix free practice times in the third and final session at Silverstone on Saturday (top five):
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:28.063 (18 laps)
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.095 (14)
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.137 (20)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.732 (15)
5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.480 (14)
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Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
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Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Wicked: For Good
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
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How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
