Somalia Pavilion 2026: Sadaxleey

Ayan Farah has been invited to represent the Federal Republic of Somalia at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia – together with Asmaa Jama and Warsan Shire.

This marks Somalia’s inaugural presentation on a dedicated national platform at the Biennale. Curated by Mohamed Mire and Fabio Scrivanti, the exhibition takes place at Palazzo Caboto in the heart of via Garibaldi. Titled SADDEXLEEY (sa-DEH-ley), the Pavilion takes its name from a Somali poetic form shaped through triadic composition. Derived from saddex (sa-DEH), meaning three, it describes a generative logic in which meaning unfolds through repetition, variation, and relation. Rooted in Somalia’s oral tradition, where poetry functions as social architecture and lived philosophy, the exhibition spatializes poetic form in resonance with Koyo Kouoh’s theme In Minor Keys. Word, sound, and matter converge as a living poem, oscillating between fragility and endurance. SADDEXLEEY proposes belonging not as a declaration, but as sensation.

What to expect:
Installation