Venice: Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and organized and produced by the Lebanese Visual Art Association (LVAA), the Pavilion of Lebanon at La Biennale Arte 2026 was inaugurated on May 6. Featuring an immersive installation by artist Nabil Nahas titled "Don't Get Me Wrong" and curated by Dr. Nada Ghandour, the scenography was conceived by Charles Kettaneh and Nicolas Fayad of EAST Architecture Studio.
According to National news agency - Lebanon, the inauguration was attended by prominent figures including the Lebanese Minister of Tourism, H.E. Mrs. Laura El-Khazen Lahoud, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Italy, H.E. Mrs. Carla Jazzar, and representatives of partner institutions, alongside numerous Lebanese citizens and friends of Lebanon. La Biennale Arte 2026 is set to open to the public on May 9 and will run until November 22, 2026.
H.E. Mrs. Laura El-Khazen Lahoud emphasized the centrality of culture in Lebanon's global engagement during her address, stating, "As Minister of Tourism, I see culture as central to how Lebanon welcomes the world. A visitor who comes to Lebanon will see a beautiful country, a country that thinks, creates, remembers, argues, and offers the world something irreplaceable."
Dr. Nada Ghandour highlighted Lebanon's enduring identity in her speech, noting, "Today, we are gathered here in Venice under the cedar of Lebanon-a powerful symbol of a country whose name is mentioned many times in the Bible, reflecting a land that has existed and been recognized since antiquity, embodying continuity and rooted identity."
Artist Nabil Nahas expressed his pride in representing Lebanon at La Biennale Arte 2026, stating, "My artistic practice is deeply rooted in the country's rich and layered heritage. For thousands of years, this land has been remarkably eclectic. Long before the Phoenicians, Lebanon was already multicultural and cosmopolitan; this diversity is embedded in who we are."
The installation, "Don't Get Me Wrong," spans forty-five linear meters within the Arsenale and consists of twenty-six acrylic-on-canvas panels, each three meters high. The paintings form a monumental frieze that envelops visitors, offering both a visual and spiritual experience.
The artwork explores the relationship between humanity, nature, and the cosmos, using a rich visual language that blends geometric abstraction from Islamic and Western traditions with figuration and fractal patterns. This synthesis reflects Lebanon's multicultural distinctiveness, shaped by successive civilizations and celebrated through unity in diversity.
Nabil Nahas' work connects earth and sky, microcosm and macrocosm, using Islamic geometric forms and fractal patterns to evoke infinity and cosmic movement. Inspired by Persian miniatures, the paintings resist linear narratives, inviting viewers to interpret the dense and coherent composition individually.
Nahas, a major figure in contemporary art, was born in Beirut in 1949 and has works featured in major institutions globally. Represented by prominent galleries in Beirut, Dubai, Munich, London, and Hong Kong, his body of work presents a sensitive topography of Lebanon, resonating with his personal history and the country's rich cultural legacy.