Saudi returns to Venice with a bold architectural statement on pandemic living
Agencies | Venice
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Saudi Arabia has returned to Venice for a second time at the Architecture Biennale, with a bold response to how we live with pandemics.
The Biennale’s theme, ‘How Will We Live Together?’ has brought together acclaimed curators Uzma Z. Rizvi and Murtaza Vali, and architects Hussam Dakkak, Basmah Kaki and Hessa AlBader from Studio Bound. Looking at current and historical perspectives of quarantine and widening the definition of public and private spaces, the team has responded with ‘Accommodations’, which analyzes how design either unites – or separates – people. Dr Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission, and previous curator of the Pavilion in 2018 commissioned the exhibit.
Saudi architecture and design are rapidly developing their voice internationally, blending heritage-inspired with contemporary to design and build new spaces. This ethos will be on full display at the Saudi pavilion through the work of the design collective Studio Bound, a group that is currently leading several projects at UNESCO heritage sites in the Kingdom, as well as key projects along the Red Sea Highway.
Attending its opening, the Saudi Culture Minister HH Prince Badr bin Farhan Al-Saud said, “The exhibition invites us to explore and reflect on how architecture and the urban environment responds to our changed circumstances. As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of global lockdowns, our belief remains resolute: that culture will create new ways to connect people, build bridges between nations and make our shared world a better place. And La Biennale di Venezia is doing just that.”
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Also speaking at the event was Dr Sumayah Al-Solaiman, who said, “The Saudi National Pavilion is an extension of the Kingdom’s cultural vision.
It offers a dedicated space to showcase the very best of Saudi Arabia’s thriving architectural community at one of the leading cultural events in the world, and it will serve as a meeting place for exchanging ideas and dialogue between creative minds.” She also paid tribute to the curators and architects for facing the challenge of delivering an exhibition during the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia’s attendance at Venice reflects its greater presence in the international cultural sphere.
The Kingdom is undergoing an ambitious transformation as part of its Vision 2030 program, instigated by HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2016, of which culture is a key pillar. Cultural sectors are expected to provide an estimated three per cent of the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030 and create over 100,000 jobs.
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