On 6 May 2026, the Pavilion of Lebanon was inaugurated at La Biennale Arte 2026 in Venice under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and organized and produced by the Lebanese Visual Art Association (LVAA). This year, Lebanon presents “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” an immersive installation by Lebanese-American artist Nabil Nahas, curated by Dr. Nada Ghandour, with scenography by Charles Kettaneh and Nicolas Fayad of EAST Architecture Studio.
Held at the Arsenale, the inauguration brought together the Lebanese Minister of Tourism, H.E. Mrs. Laura El-Khazen Lahoud, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Italy, H.E. Mrs. Carla Jazzar, representatives of partner institutions and members of the Lebanese community and friends of Lebanon. The exhibition opens to the public on 9 May and remains on view until 22 November 2026.
Spanning 45 linear meters, “Don’t Get Me Wrong” consists of 26 acrylic-on-canvas panels, each three meters high. Installed side by side, they form a monumental frieze that visitors move through rather than simply observe. The work invites a visual and spiritual encounter, engaging the senses before the intellect.
Through geometric abstraction, figuration and fractal patterns, Nahas explores the relationship between humanity, nature and the cosmos. Drawing from Islamic and Western traditions, the paintings bring together Mediterranean influences — Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian, Byzantine and Islamic — into a layered visual language shaped by plurality and continuity. Motifs such as polygons, spirals and trees evoke infinity, cosmic movement and the link between earth and sky.
For Nahas, the work also reflects a personal geography. Born in Beirut in 1949, he grew up between Lebanon and Cairo before settling in New York. After an eighteen-year absence, he returned to Lebanon following the civil war — a visit that marked the beginning of increasingly frequent returns.
At the inauguration, Minister Laura El-Khazen Lahoud described culture as central to how Lebanon welcomes the world. That spirit resonates throughout the pavilion, where Don’t Get Me Wrong presents Lebanon not as a fixed identity, but as a living crossroads where cultures meet, interact and remain vibrantly alive.
If you enjoyed reading this, check out our interview with Nabil Nahas.
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