Damascus, Sept. 17 (SANA)Syriais showcasing a large-scale installation inspired by the ancient funerary towers ofPalmyraat the 61stVenice Biennale, marking a renewed Syrian presence at one of the world’s leading contemporary art events.

The Syrian national pavilion features Palmyra Tower Tomb, a project by Syrian artist Sara Shamma that combines painting, architecture, sound, light and scent. The full-scale installation draws on Palmyra’s funerary architecture while using contemporary portraits to connect the ancient city’s memory with present-day experience.

The work has been on display at the IUAV University of Venice since May 9 and runs through Nov. 22. Wassim Abdulhamid, Director of Fine Arts at Syria’s Culture Ministry, serves as the pavilion’s commissioner, while Japanese curator Yuko Hasegawa oversees the project.

Culture Minister Mohammad Yassin Saleh told SANA that the participation is part of efforts to restore Syria’s presence in the international cultural scene and build new partnerships in art, heritage and knowledge.

“Through our participation in the Venice Biennale, we wanted to bring this living heritage to the world, together with contemporary art and new generations capable of transforming memory into creativity and history into energy for the future,” Saleh said.

Abdulhamid said Palmyra was selected not simply to present Syria’s archaeological heritage or evoke the past, but to explore questions of memory, loss and the role of contemporary art in engaging with the country’s cultural heritage.

Palmyra’s funerary towers were built between the first and third centuries AD. The site and its antiquities later suffered destruction and looting, with a number of funerary sculptures dispersed outside Syria, according to information published by the Venice Biennale.

Abdulhamid said the multisensory installation required extensive technical and logistical coordination among the Culture Ministry, the artist, the curator, IUAV University and Italian partners.

The pavilion has attracted artists, critics, curators, academics, students and other visitors, he said, though no verified attendance figures have been released.

The Culture Ministry plans to build on the Venice participation through partnerships with museums, universities, biennials and art institutions, Abdulhamid said. It is also working to launch a Syrian Biennale of Contemporary Art, with artist Khaled Barakeh serving as founding director and appointed curator.

“Participation in Venice is an attempt to open a new horizon for Syrian art, one rooted in its memory, open to the world and engaged in shaping the future,” Abdulhamid said.

Founded in 1895, the Venice Biennale is a major international contemporary art event bringing together artists, curators and cultural institutions from around the world.