Venice Architecture Biennale: Sea-side meanderings

On a trip to the colorful Burano Island. Courtesy Ruwaya Alshamsi

In May, a six-month rolling internship programme began in Venice hosted by the National Pavilion UAE, who are participate in the architecture Venice Biennale for the first time this year.

Every two weeks, The Art Blog features a diary-style entry from one of those interns who each spends a month in Venice living and working as custodians and docents of the National Pavilion throughout the duration of the exhibition Lest We Forget: Structures of Memory in the UAE. A group of 19 Emiratis and long-term residents of the UAE were selected for the programme in addition to eight Italian interns from the prestigious Ca'Foscari University in Venice, whom will be partnering with the Emiratis for cultural and language exchange.

Here we hear from Ruwaya Alshamsi:

“Being raised to love the sea, it was my dream come true to be in a city that is surrounded by water. I did not mind the fishy smell, or the humidity; I actually enjoyed it (at times!) and felt connected to my world as I walked so close to the waters. Wearing my Nikes, I walked all around Venice discovering good food and gelato cafes.

Back home, I always feel restricted to go wherever I wanted because of the cars and roads and I also feel like I’m enclosed in a box, going from house to a mall to a shop; there is always something limiting my movement. But being in Venice, it felt wonderful to be able to walk and take in the fresh air. I did not mind walking for hours and hours, because in each direction was a new experience and a new route. It was a relief to be away from car noises, polluted air and air conditioning. It was good to be away from modernism and feel connected to the simple life of the past where neighbours were still so close to each other, traditional cafes had old men in them chatting about politics, and reminiscing about their golden days and shop owners sold their mothers’ handmade goods and products. Nothing was fake about Venice, it was all real.

Even though Venice was packed with tourists from all over the world, I tended to stay away from touristic areas and chose the quieter alleys. I was drawn to places where I would see old ladies with supermarket roller bags or young men reading books on a bench. As an interior designer, I was fascinated by the classical interiors of many cafes, which looked like they were from another century. I also preferred eating in authentic Italian restaurants instead of the touristic ones. Carmela, one of the Italian interns invited us to her home for an authentic home-cooked Italian meal, we ate so much and had the time of our lives!

However, there were some days where I felt homesick. I tried to over come that by turning to Arabic calligraphy. I made some sketches with different words and names just to feel connected back to Dubai and to my world back home.

Venice opened up my eyes to new experiences, new friends and new values. It helped me understand that the world is a beautiful and simple place. It showed me that the past is what makes the world today, and that sometimes, it is better to have a break from the fast and busy lifestyle. It was a self-enriching experience to be away from the modern and materialistic world.”

* Ruwaya Alshamsi is an Emirati interior designer who is studying at Zayed University. When not designing she turns towards Arabic calligraphy, painting and sports. Follow her on Instagram @ruwayaalshamsi. You can also follow all of the interns adventures on @veniceinterns on Instagram and Twitter.