Venice Architecture Biennale: Adrift

Meeting up with the October batch and getting to know the Italian interns on our first day in Venice. (Courtesy: Amal Murad)

It has been six months since we started the series of blog entries from the 19 Emiratis and long term residents who each spent one month in Venice acting as custodians of the UAE National Pavilion, which opened for the first time this year at the architecture biennale in Italy’s city on the water. Today we bring you the last of the series, which is written by Amal Murad, an Emirati multimedia design graduate from the American University of Sharjah.

Amal writes:

“Maneuvering our way through narrow alleyways, getting on the wrong vaperetto and losing faith in Google maps; this is what Venice is all about. It is about getting lost, both literally and figuratively.

This trip, to me, was all about self-discovery. Being a fresh graduate, your life becomes a very complicated whirlpool.Regardless of the squares being packed with tourists (who were also lost, if I may add), I found myself being more focused on my goals than before coming on this trip.

I was very overwhelmed with all the culture, art and architecture that Venice had to offer to the extent that I actually got myself a small dictionary to learn Italian in order to fit in. According to the laughs of our coordinator and other Italian interns, I don’t think I am as good as I think I am. I still have hope, though, to be able to learn as much Italian as I can before I leave!

Although I might not be fluent in speaking Italian, my struggles to learn the language worked as a great ice-breaker when speaking to the Italian architects and other people who visited the national pavilion. It gave a good laugh that subsequently resulted in a light exchange of cultural stories about family values, tradition and lifestyles.

After viewing and reading the blog posts from my other fellow interns, I realized I’m probably one of the very few that cannot draw. However, I find myself pushing myself to do so. It’s impossible to walk the streets and not get the urge to grab a pen and sketch out every line and corner you see. I think Venice has that effect on people. It makes you think that everything is possible.

From the unbelievably light and delicious pastries you get from cafes to yesterday’s frozen pizza that was too good to throw out, Venice has a way to reel you in. Although I have only been here for a short period, I feel that it has already become my home. As I said before, Venice is all about getting lost; getting lost in the moment and getting lost in the beauty of everything you see. I’m hoping that I will still pursue learning Italian when I’m back home and further enhance my drawing skills even though I believe that no drawing can truly do this beautiful city justice.”

Amal Murad is currently working as a freelance graphic designer and filmmaker. Follow her on Instagram on @smallpackages_ to see what kind of projects and adventures she will embark on as well as on @veniceinterns on Instagram and Twitter.