National Pavilion UAE Announces Final Selection of Interns for the Venice Internship Program

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 8 May 2011 – Following a nation-wide recruitment and screening process, twenty Emiratis and long-term residents have been chosen to represent the United Arab Emirates by manning the national pavilion at the 54th International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy.

The Venice Internship is a specialized program launched to recruit Emiratis and long-term residents of the UAE to manage the UAE’s national pavilion at the Venice Biennale from 28 May to 28 November 2011. The program has been developed by the office of the UAE Pavilion and is generously supported by the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, the Tourism Investment and Development Company (TDIC), and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

Interns will work alongside distinguished curator Vasif Kortun and the team of the UAE Pavilion office prior to their stay in Venice where they will serve in the national pavilion as Exhibition Managers. They will engage in a comprehensive art educational program based on the extraordinary art and cultural institutions in Venice and the temporary exhibits at the Biennale.

The interns will undergo a month of in-depth training in the UAE under the guidance of the country’s top cultural authorities from the Sharjah Art Foundation, TDIC, UAE galleries and the wider arts community, including the Italian Embassy.

The principal objective of the Venice Internship is to groom the next generation of UAE arts practitioners and managers with the skills needed to place national cultural initiatives at the forefront of the global art scene.

“The Venice Internship will allow interns a unique opportunity and unrivaled experience in the making of, and caring for, an international exhibition.” Vasif Kortun, Curator of the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, 2011.

On the back of the success of the UAE Pavilion Volunteer Program in 2009, which saw almost 50 volunteers sent to Venice in partnership with Takatof and Emirates Airline, the program for 2011 will see a smaller number of candidates deployed with an increased focus on specialization in contemporary arts training.

“The Venice Internship is designed to demonstrate to parents, teachers and the public that art is a serious career vocation,” said Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Commissioner of the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. “The program requires a minimum of arts related experience, fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, and either UAE citizenship or long-term residency in the UAE.”

The recipients of the 2011 Venice Internship are:

Ali Abu Amer
Afra Al Dhaheri
Faisal Abdalla Al Dhahri
Mona Faisal Al Gurg
Alanood Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi
Afra Abdulla Juma Al Kaabi
May Rashed Al Hosan Al Shamsi
Amal Al Shehhi
Sarah Alagroobi
Hessa Ali AlJoker
Raisa Obaid AlMansoori
Hamed Ali Hamed Alqamshouai
Habiba Nader Azab
Firas Saeed Bardan
AlAnood Bin AlShaikh
Manal Bin Obood
Nada Salem Bin Thabet
Mitra Birgani
Yosra El Hassan
Fatima Saif Ahmad Ghazal
Sharifa Horaiz

“The Venice Internship Program is one of several opportunities that Emirates Foundation offers to empower highly motivated Emirati young people. Internships and residencies provide practical experience in a new environment offering interns an opportunity to achieve their intellectual and personal potential,” said Salwa Mikdadi, Head of Arts and Culture Program at the Emirates Foundation.

Rita Aoun-Abdo, Director, Cultural Department, TDIC said; “TDIC is pleased that this year, our involvement in the UAE Pavilion extends to providing training opportunities for young Emiratis at the Venice Biennale, to allow for artistic and cultural exchange, as well as learning opportunities, in this international platform. This initiative is one of many set to prepare the future Emirati work force for the Saadiyat Island cultural institutions.“

The UAE’s second national pavilion at the 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia has been initiated by the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and is supported by the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy TDIC.