The National Pavilion UAE is accepting proposals to curate the UAE’s exhibition at the next Venice Architecture Biennale, which will take place in 2023.
Curators and curatorial teams – architects, designers, artists, historians or researchers with experience working in the UAE or the Menasa region – are welcome to participate in the open call, which will ask for concept proposals exploring the architecture of the UAE or its built environment. In addition, the proposals should add to the discourse within architecture locally, regionally and internationally.
The selected proposal will be shown at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, to be held from May to November 2023.
UAE citizens, residents of the UAE and international applicants who can demonstrate local expertise, experience and understanding are all eligible to apply, individually or as teams. Applications will close on Sunday, October 31, after which selected finalists will be invited to present a full proposal for the second round of the process.
“The curatorship of the National Pavilion UAE’s 2023 exhibition presents an opportunity to share an untold story of UAE through the lens of architects at the forefront of international contemporary discourse and culture,” Angela Migally, executive director of Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE, said.
This marks the second open call for the National Pavilion UAE at the Venice Biennale. In a statement to The National, Laila Binbrek, co-ordinating director of the National Pavilion UAE, pointed out the pavilion’s role in telling the story of the UAE to an international audience. “Our driving purpose is to uncover and present valuable stories from the UAE that relate to a global discourse. La Biennale is an exceptional platform for artists, architects and researchers to put forward their thought driven research creatively on a global stage,” she said.
“Our second open call welcomes new voices and curatorial proposals from professionals working across the spectrum who have expertise in the UAE’s built environment. Over the next 10 years, through these voices, National Pavilion UAE will continue telling the UAE’s stories and engaging in global cultural discourse."
At this year’s exhibition, which runs until November, the UAE presents the Wetland, which looks at the potential for creating renewable building materials from the UAE’s salt flats or sabkhas. Wetland is curated by Wael Al Awar, principal architect and founding partner of the architecture studio waiwai and architect Kenichi Teramoto, a founding partner of waiwai and founder of the Office of Teramoto in Japan.
More information is available at nationalpavilionuae.org/open-call
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
