View of Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021, one of the Arab pavilions present at the global cultural event this year. HW Architecture / Alain Fleischer
View of Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021, one of the Arab pavilions present at the global cultural event this year. HW Architecture / Alain Fleischer
View of Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021, one of the Arab pavilions present at the global cultural event this year. HW Architecture / Alain Fleischer
View of Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021, one of the Arab pavilions present at the global cultural event this year. HW Architecture / Alain Fleischer

Venice Biennale of Architecture: A closer look at the Arab pavilions, from UAE to Palestine


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It seems quite incredible that even as the world continues to come to terms with the ravages wreaked by the coronavirus, 64 countries have sent participants to take part in the 17th Venice Biennale of Architecture.

In fact, it is nothing less than a miracle. And this is no virtual manifestation, but a real-life event, which will run for the next six months until November 21, with the prospect of 8,000 daily visitors to Venice’s grand venues, the historic Giardini gardens and sprawling shipyards of the Arsenale, all under sensible sanitary control and social distancing.

The theme of this year’s Biennale is itself an apposite call to arms that has been enthusiastically embraced by everyone.

Hashim Sarkis, the Lebanese curator of the 2021 iteration, asks the question, "How will we live together?". 

"It may be a coincidence that the theme was proposed a few months before the pandemic, but many of the reasons that initially led us to ask this question – the intensifying climate crisis, massive population displacements, political instabilities around the world, and growing racial, social, and economic inequalities, among others – have led us to this pandemic and have become all the more relevant," he says. 

"We can no longer wait for politicians to propose a path towards a better future. As politics continue to divide and isolate, we can offer alternative ways of living together through architecture.”

Postponed from last year but now displacing the scheduled Biennale of Art, this newly-opened Biennale of Architecture is attracting attention, not just because it is the first global cultural event since the beginning of the pandemic, but also because there are some notable developments.

Entrance to the central pavilion curated by Hisham Sarkis. John Brunton
Entrance to the central pavilion curated by Hisham Sarkis. John Brunton

Many presentations in the venerable National Pavilions of the Giardini that have established newer homes in the raw, semi-industrial warehouses of the Arsenale, are more exciting and innovative, and catching people’s attention.

And this edition has certainly been marked by a strong and influential presence from the Arab world, with National Pavilions representing the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as a Palestinian presence, albeit participating in the Central Pavilion curated personally by Sarkis.

The Biennale, as always, is not without a buzz of controversy. Over the last few iterations, the national presentations hawve increasingly blurred the line between the Architecture and the more prestigious Art Biennales, a renowned event that dates back to 1895.

This week, Marino Follin, former rector of IUAV, Venice's prestigious architecture school, said that "this Biennale is everything, but it is not architecture", and there is an undeniably growing presence of artistic works, poetry, music, video and avant-garde installations alongside the more classical building maquettes that once dominated the pavilions.

Installation of view of UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 with an image by Farah Al Qasimi in the background. John Brunton
Installation of view of UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 with an image by Farah Al Qasimi in the background. John Brunton

The UAE commissioned a renowned art photographer to exhibit creative images to complement its innovative construction module. The Chile pavilion is dominated by paintings, Egypt uses reportage photographs, Brazil presents videos, while stunning African sculptures dominate the As New Households exhibition at the entrance of the Corderie section in the Arsenale.

Rushing from one pavilion inauguration to the next on the opening days, Sarkis takes a more even-handed approach.

"It is something of a miracle that this has all come together, and I am happy with everything because as you look all around, people seem happy – the participants and the visitors – and for a beginning, after all that has happened in the world, that is the most important thing," he says.

The National Pavilions of UAE and Saudi Arabia sit physically side by side in the Arsenale, but have taken very different approaches to the theme.

While UAE curator Wael Al Awar has overseen Wetland, a groundbreaking project to create environmentally-friendly cement made from recycled brine waste, Saudi Arabia, for only its second participation at the Architecture Biennale, has put together a team of new-generation architects and curators from Brooklyn to examine the theme of Accommodations, through the lens of quarantine, from the current times of face masks to historical enclosures.

For the moment, the vast hall in the Arsenale's Artiglierie building slated to house Kuwait's exhibition, intriguingly entitled Star Wars, is bare and empty, as Covid-19 issues in Kuwait itself have forced a postponement of the installation until this summer.

Next door though, dynamic young architect Noura Al Sayeh has supervised a team of local Venetian workers to install her co-curated show, In Muharraq. This pays homage to Bahrain's Unesco World Heritage Pearling Path by constructing a giant artificial plateau that poses the question of whether coral stones, cars and humans can sustainably cohabit today.

View of the Bahraini pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021. John Brunton
View of the Bahraini pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021. John Brunton

This is the first-ever presence in Venice for Iraq, and it has not been simple, with the original location for the National Pavilion in a traditional Venetian boatyard falling through at the last minute, replaced with a temporary presence in the Oceanic collateral show housed in San Lorenzo church owing to precautionary measures.

But this is certainly not dampening the enthusiasm of the pavilion’s irrepressible artist Rashad Salim, who has already become a distinctive figure around Venice with his traditional headgear and a carved gondola that he carries everywhere.

Salim is determined to make presentations throughout the six months of the Biennale and to create a dialogue with the city as he presents Ark Re-imagined, which focuses on the Arch of Ctesiphon, a 1,700-year-old arch in Iraq which needs preservation.

Iraqi artist Rashad Salim with his carved gondola. John Brunton
Iraqi artist Rashad Salim with his carved gondola. John Brunton

“For Iraq’s first time here in Venice, ours is very much an expeditionary presence,” he says. “Being expeditionary affords us both flexibility and living urgency as we pose the question, how could the Arch [were it built] have been constructed in its time and place?

"The answer is an attempt to understand how we got to where we are, what we have lost along the way, and what may be good to recover and regain including our connection with the ecology that inspired our culture and, through the climate change event of the ancient Flood, gave birth to our civilisation," he adds. 

Over in the Giardini, the Across Borders section of the Central Pavilion addresses border control issues at the Palestinian exhibit which looks at how Israel's control of the border impacts farmers in Gaza. In contrast, just across the gardens, the Israel Pavilion invites visitors to discover its provocative presentation Land.Milk.Honey, which examines how plenitude can be achieved through reciprocal relations between humans and animals.

Egypt possesses one of the oldest pavilions in the Giardini, inaugurated in 1932, but is presenting an unconventional, non-architectural exhibition called The Blessed Fragments. Created by photographer Mohamed Al Hosary, 26, it is a series of eye-catching black-and-white Pop Art portraits of what the curator describes as “the common people’s true value, unity, the power of integration and the emerging balance”.

That is in response to the theme of How will we live together?

The Lebanese National Pavilion is located outside the Giardini and Arsenale sites, in the quiet Venetian neighbourhood of Dorsoduro. Despite the recurring troubles in Lebanon, its citizens seem to thrive at overcoming problems and their National Pavilion, A Roof for Silence, aims to raise awareness of the rehabilitation of the damaged architectural and cultural heritage of Beirut.

The Lebanese pavilion's exhibition is titled A Roof for Silence and is curated by architect Hala Warde. John Brunton
The Lebanese pavilion's exhibition is titled A Roof for Silence and is curated by architect Hala Warde. John Brunton

Hala Warde, who realised Louvre Abu Dhabi with France's celebrated architect Jean Nouvel, has created an intense, emotional installation in the serenissima's ancient Magazzini del Sale, the salt warehouse on the Giudecca canal.

It utilises the symbol of 1,000-year-old olive trees through not just architecture, but also painting, music, poetry, video and photography.

And to emphasise the delight at being present at the Biennale, Lebanon was one of the few pavilions to organise a festive vernissage on a floating canal pontoon outside the pavilion, complete with music by a DJ, home-baked zaatar flatbread and special Lebanese lemonade.

All that was missing in this time of social distancing was dancing, but the positive atmosphere most definitely augurs well, not just for the future of this Biennale, but the future of Venice itself, the economy of which is desperate for the return of visitors in a post-­lockdown, vaccinated world.

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
 
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
 
Don’t be afraid to negotiate

It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
 
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
 
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?

If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal. 

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.” 

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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