For the first time since 2022, the Syrian pavilion will return to the Venice Biennale this May with a solo presentation by Damascus–based artist Sara Shamma.
One of Syria's prominent creative voices, Shamma is known for her psychological portraiture, executed with bold and unusual colors. Her work has been shown internationally in locations including London, Beirut, Dubai, and Cairo. Last year, Shamma was the subject of a solo show, “Inference Green,” at Mark Hachem Gallery in Beirut.
Commissioned by the Syrian Ministry of Culture, Shamma’s participation in Venice takes place after the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024. The choice of a solo artist presentation at the pavilion also marks a departure from previous editions that featured group displays. In 2022, the Syrian pavilion showcased work by five contemporary Syrian artists, including Omran Younis and Aksam Tallaa.
This year’s pavilion is curated by Yuko Hasegawa, an art critic and director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. The multi-sensory pavilion will be titled “The Tower Tomb of Palmyra” and will focus on the ancient city of Palmyra, once ruled by the legendary warrior queen Zenobia and located in central Syria. The city was destroyed during the Syrian War of 2011–24, and many funerary portraits were looted and sold abroad.
Untitled, 2018
Sara Shamma
Mark Hachem Gallery
“Through The Tower Tomb of Palmyra, I aim to honor Syria’s cultural heritage and the resilience of its people," Shamma said in a statement. "Palmyra’s towers, though destroyed, continue to speak to the strength and diversity of our history. This exhibition is not only a reflection on loss, but a message of hope, unity, and the importance of protecting and restoring our shared heritage.”
Showcased in the open-air courtyard of the Università Iuav di Venezia, the pavilion is an homage to Syria's rich cultural heritage, particularly Palmyra's funerary towers that were built between the first and third centuries AD in the area’s desert landscape. Through painting, architecture, light, sound, and scent, Shamma will explore the themes of memory, loss, and resilience with a large-scale immersive installation inspired by the ancient monuments, which fell to dust in recent attacks.
“The exhibition invites audiences to experience these themes through an immersive artistic experience, and positions Syria firmly within global contemporary art discourse,” said Hasegawa in a statement.
