Muhannad Shono, Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Saudi Arabia returns for the third time to the Venice Biennale, presenting an exhibition of the works of Muhannad Shono curated by Reed Fada and Rotana Shaker. Shono’s uninhibited style manifests across mediums and forms, ranging from intimate drawings, large-scale sculptural works, and robotic and technological pieces. His upbringing in Riyadh and his family’s long history of migration have impressed a paradox in his work and defined his relationship to space; the artist creates a sense of embodied freedom by searching through concepts, materials, and techniques across cultures and times. As Fadda noted, Shono, “represents an energetic, progressive, and visionary mindset coming out of Saudi Arabia.”