Venice Architecture Biennale: Simplicity and light

The view of Venice from the top of San Marco’s bell tower. Courtesy: Azza Abou Alam

Azza Abou Alam is a graduate from the American University of Sharjah with a Bachelors in Interior Design. She is one of 19 Emiratis and long term residents of the UAE who took part in this year’s internship programme with the National Pavilion of the UAE in Venice. Spending one month living and working in the city, with the guidance of students from a local university, Azza is one of many interns who have shared their thoughts and feelings about the trip with The Art Blog in a diary style entry.

Here Azza writes:

“When was I around 8 years old, I saw a documentary on TV about a city that floats on water. There were no roads, no cars or vehicular transportation, just water. I was suddenly fascinated with this peculiar situation, ‘How do people move around the city?’ I asked myself. ‘Do they swim in the canals to go to work? Do they suffer from motion sickness from riding boats all day?’

As I grew older I came to know that the city in the film was the magical city of Venice. Even though when I was younger I couldn’t fathom the idea of living in a city that didn’t have roads, now I can’t imagine going back to driving around all day.

Venezia, in true Italian fashion, can be described by two perfect words in my dictionary, light and simple. The lightness in this city is indescribable; you can find it in the air, in the Venetians’ way of life, in the piazzas and campos and even in the fresh pastries. Walking around all day and crossing the endless bridges in this picturesque city cannot be understood unless you experience it yourself. Taking a pastry freely from coffee shops’ display or ordering a coffee and paying for it later is another sign of the simplicity of Venetian and Italian life. Listening to random music from balconies and cafes as you take a stroll adds to this lightness, it completes the ethereal feel this city has.

Ironically enough, former architects in centuries gone by wanted to imitate stone and heavy cladding on buildings by using plaster and lighter materials, in order to not add extra weight to the lagoon’s unstable foundation.

I have found a lot of connections between Venetian traditions and the city’s architecture. In the same way as people would wear Venetian masks at the famous carnival, builders and artisans would make masks for the houses and palazzos by using layers of plaster and painting frescos to imitate bricks. Another example is the library and bookshop Acqua Alta, which refers to the high tide phenomenon that hits Venice, usually in the winter months. The owner used gondolas as book displays, which could float if the tide rises and water would flow through the bookshop.

Finally, almost everyone is friendly and always smiling here, the people I’ve met in Venice have completed the image of this perfect city. I wouldn’t have had this enriching experience without them.”

Azza Abou Alam, currently works as an interior designer for the Government of Sharjah’s Department of Public Works. With an interest in architecture and design, she loves to visit design events and experience international masterpieces in this field. In her free time, she experiments with painting. Follow her adventures in Venice by following @veniceinterns and #veniceinterns on instagram and twitter, as well as her personal account on Instagram and twitter: @azza__a