UAE Opens Call for Venice Biennale 2027 Architecture

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: WAM

The National Pavilion UAE has announced an open call for proposals to curate the United Arab Emirates’ Pavilion at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. This event will take place from May to November 2027 in Venice, Italy.

The call is open to architects, designers, artists, historians, and researchers. People who have studied or worked in the UAE or the wider MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia) can send in their ideas. They are encouraged to share a unique and untold story from the UAE’s architectural world.

The proposal should match the goals of the Venice Biennale, which is a place where people from all over the world share ideas. Each proposal must have a strong theme or story that connects local and global thoughts. It should also relate to what the National Pavilion UAE has shown in past exhibitions.

Anyone can apply — UAE citizens, residents, and even international applicants. You can apply alone or as part of a group. But if you're applying as a team, at least one person must live in the UAE.

Angela Migally, Executive Director of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and the Commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE, said that the Biennale is a space for deep thinking, new ideas, and reflection. She added that this is a great chance for curators in the UAE to be part of global discussions through research that reflects their own region and experience.

Laila Binbrek, Director of the National Pavilion UAE, said that the Pavilion continues to support creative and meaningful research from the UAE. Each year, it welcomes voices from around the world who are connected to the UAE and want to share new ideas about architecture and future challenges.

To help those interested, information sessions will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The dates for these sessions will be announced soon.

The deadline to submit your application is midnight (UAE time) on 30th September 2025. Finalists will be selected and invited to send in a complete proposal in the next round. For all details and how to apply, visit: http://nationalpavilionuae.org/open-call/