National Pavilion UAE announces open call for next Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023

The pavilion will accept curatorial proposals from architects, designers, artists, historians or researchers by October 31

Wetland, the UAE's exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Wael Awar and Kenichi Teramoto. National Pavilion UAE / La Biennale di Venezia

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."

Kenichi Teramoto and Wael Al Awar examine minerals,​​​​​​ collected for their 'Wetland' exhibition at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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