Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture proudly announces its participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from Saturday, May 9 to Sunday, November 22, 2026. Celebrated contemporary artist Nabil Nahas has been selected to represent Lebanon at this prestigious global event, with Nada Ghandour serving as Commissioner and Curator of the Lebanese Pavilion. The country’s participation is organized in collaboration with the Lebanese Visual Art Association (LVAA). Nabil Nahas, recipient of TAKREEM’s Special Distinction Award in 2017, is internationally recognized for his distinctive visual language that bridges abstraction and figuration. Born in Beirut in 1949, he moved to the United States in 1969 and earned his BFA from Louisiana State University and MFA from Yale University. Today, he lives and works between Beirut and New York. His works are held in prominent museums and private collections across the globe, reflecting his significant contribution to the contemporary art world. The Selection Committee, composed of Nada Ghandour, Maria Sukkar, Basel Dalloul, and Elie Khouri, issued the following statement: “Nabil Nahas has an extraordinary ability to explore the intricate relationships between nature, geometry, and the cosmos, creating a unique visual language that seamlessly blends abstraction and figuration. His monumental works—existing between painting and sculpture—employ fractal forms with both scientific precision and artistic sensitivity. The result is an immersive, sensory, and meditative experience that navigates the tensions between chaos and harmony. Through his art, Nabil Nahas offers a poetic vision of the world—one that resonates with contemporary concerns while evoking both the spiritual and the material, the intimate and the cosmic.” The Lebanese Pavilion will be located in the Arsenale, one of the Biennale’s principal historical venues. The pavilion is produced by the Paris-based Lebanese Visual Art Association (LVAA), a non-profit dedicated to supporting Lebanese contemporary art on the international stage. Selection Committee Members: Nada Ghandour, Chair of the Committee, Art and Heritage Curator; Commissioner and Curator of the Lebanese Pavilion, Biennale Arte 2022 and 2024. Maria Sukkar, Co-Chair of Tate’s MENAAC, Trustee at ICA London and Bidoun NY, and Founder of the ISelf Collection. Basel Dalloul, Founder and Chairman of the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF). Elie Khouri, President of the Elie Khouri Art Foundation (EKAF), UAE. This marks a significant moment for Lebanon’s cultural presence on the world stage and honors the legacy of one of its most visionary artists.

For the full article: https://nna-leb.gov.lb/en/miscellaneous/781415/nabil-nahas-to-represent-lebanon-at-the-61st-inter