Hello from Venice

UAE Pavilion 2021

“A bold experiment which encourages us to think about the relationship between waste and production at both the local and global scales, and opens to new construction possibilities between craft and high technology,” said the international jury, chaired by Kazuyo Sejima.

The United Arab Emirates' Wetland pavilion curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2022.

The exhibition explored the fragile link between waste and production with an investigation into using salt as an alternative to Portland cement. It was awarded for its forward-thinking, innovative and responsible solutions. 

"A bold experiment which encourages us to think about the relationship between waste and production at both the local and global scales, and opens to new construction possibilities between craft and high technology," said the international jury, chaired by Kazuyo Sejima.

This was a momentous occasion for the National Pavilion UAE and gave further cause to celebrate for the Emirates, who marked 10 years of exhibitions at Venice, both at the architectural and art biennales. 

The UAE has made huge strides to establish itself on the cultural stage, and in our film series, beautifully directed by Moustafa Zakaria, we encounter the  artists, curators, interns and stakeholders of the National Pavilion UAE as they reflect back on the 10 year journey and share their hopes for UAE’s cultural future.

Type:
subjects:

further reading

The New Muslim Consumer

The Arab Youth are redefining self definition and cultural currency.

read more

Cross Cultural Pollination

TikTokers explain how today’s traditions lend themselves to cultural cross-pollination.

read more
Yevu, Citizen Insight Research Content Global

Ghana’s Ethical Fashion

Ethical fashion brand, Yevu, celebrates the vibrancy and colour of West African wax print and handmade textiles.

read more
Indian commute, Citizen Insight Research Content Global

The Commuter

Who in the world has the toughest daily commute? We look at how people across the globe travel to work.

read more