Installation View: Washwasha. Lamya Gargash. Majlis. Image courtesy of National Pavilion UAE – La-Biennale di Venezia, 2026. Photo: Ismail Noor of Seeing Things.
Lamya Gargash participates in Washwasha, a group exhibition presented by the National Pavilion UAE at the 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia.
In her Majlis (2009) series, artist Lamya Gargash positions the majlis—a room in traditional Emirati homes dedicated to welcoming guests—as a sonic gathering space that facilitates the social practice of hosting, listening, celebrating, grieving, and solving problems.
Washwasha, an Arabic word for 'whispering,' is an onomatopoeia that describes sound at the very threshold of audibility: subtle forms of communication, background noise, and intangible sonic traces that risk going unnoticed. Taking this concept as a starting point, the eponymous exhibition explores themes of migration, technology, and oral histories.
Washwasha is curated by Bana Kattan, Curator and Associate Head of Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, with Assistant Curator Tala Nassar.
Visit the National Pavilion UAE's website to learn more about the exhibition.
