Arts & Culture | The National

Dutch artist Dries Verhoven sits at the entrance to the Dutch Pavilion, closed to the public due to a pro-Palestine strike at the 61st Venice Art Biennale. EPA

Several Venice Biennale pavilions close amid strike over Israel

Protest action follows demonstrations at the Israeli exhibition during preview week

Hokum review: A haunted hotel mystery rooted in grief and unease

Adam Scott horror film, Hokum, looked to Abu Dhabi's Remah Desert for key scenes

United front: Zayed National Museum traces roots of the UAE Armed Forces

Five David Attenborough documentaries filmed in the Middle East

Video

Spotlight

Features

Sara Shamma’s solo exhibition is now on show at Syria’s national pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Photo: The National Pavilion of Syria - Venice Biennale

Sara Shamma brings Syria’s cultural renewal to Venice Biennale

A solo exhibition by the Damascus-born artist draws on ancient heritage, a personal return and a country rebuilding its place in the world

Widow’s Bay review: A cursed island where the jokes land and the dread lingers

The National Pavilion UAE's latest exhibition at Venice Biennale features work from six artists from the UAE. Photo: National Pavilion UAE - Venice Biennale

Inside the UAE Pavilion at Venice Biennale, a whisper becomes a portrait of a nation

Can the Venice Biennale still bring the world together?

An iron age statuette of a woman with a tambourine, from between 800 and 601 BC, discovered in Gaza. Photo: Alberto Ricci

Ancient Gaza artefacts meet contemporary Palestinian stories in Turin exhibition

Remembering Hany Shaker, a balladeer caught between old and new music traditions

Music & On-stage

AI filmmaker James Gerde finds a creative testing ground in Abu Dhabi

The Devil Wears Prada 2 offers more sobering view of media landscape

Simone Ashley asks herself if she is ‘setting a good example’ for young women

Adam Scott stars as Ohm Bauman, an American novelist who travels to an Irish coastal hotel connected to his parents’ past following their death. Photo: Neon

Hokum review: A haunted hotel mystery rooted in grief and unease

Adam Scott stars in Damian McCarthy’s Irish-UAE horror, where a writer’s search for closure leads him into a sealed room and a past that refuses to settle

Adam Scott horror film, Hokum, looked to Abu Dhabi's Remah Desert for key scenes

Blacklisted Scream actress to launch production company for pro-Palestine voices

Five David Attenborough documentaries filmed in the Middle East

European Film Festival puts on Dh25 screenings in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah

Widow’s Bay review: A cursed island where the jokes land and the dread lingers

The Devil Wears Prada 2 offers more sobering view of media landscape

Paula Nascimento, left, and Angela Harutyunyan are curating Sharjah Biennial 17, which opens in January 2027. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation

How two curators who had never met before are shaping Sharjah Biennial 17

Paula Nascimento and Angela Harutyunyan discuss site visits, shared trust and the role of existing buildings in the 2027 staging

Sara Shamma brings Syria’s cultural renewal to Venice Biennale

Inside the UAE Pavilion at Venice Biennale, a whisper becomes a portrait of a nation

Can the Venice Biennale still bring the world together?

Emirates Literature Foundation founder Isobel Abulhoul says the honour carries both personal and institutional significance. Photo: Emirates Literature Foundation

Sheikh Zayed Book Award win aids Literature Foundation’s goals for young readers

Founder Isobel Abulhoul says recognition comes at a pivotal time, as the focus is on children’s reading habits and global reach for Emirati writers

Rise in reading Arabic literature - but bookworms in UAE prefer digital formats

Five books to read to children under five, from Charlotte's Web to Narnia

Sharjah named Guest of Honour at Warsaw International Book Fair

Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the Headlines

Delve deeper into the biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world

Culture Bites

Culture Bites

Your guide to the arts and culture scene in the UAE

Business Extra

Business Extra

The stories, companies, trends, tech, Innovation and leaders shaping your world

Tarab

Tarab

Explore the creative worlds of the Middle East’s most compelling musicians

Most popular today

1

Opening of Ras Al Khaimah's landmark Wynn gaming resort delayed by Iran war

2

Al Nassr v Al Hilal: Ronaldo v Benzema and all you need to know ahead of Saudi Pro League title decider

3

Iran war latest: UAE responding to missile and drone threats, Ministry of Defence says

4

Historical Pentagon UFO files show strange craft flying over UAE waters

5

Register now for The National’s award-winning journalism – free and tailored to you

Newsletter

The Arts Edit

The insider’s guide to arts and culture in the Middle East

Preview Sign up

More Newsletters