National Pavilion UAE Announces Permanent Pavilion at la Biennale di Venezia

Abu Dhabi –21 May 2013 – la Biennale di Venezia has marked an important milestone in its long history by awarding the United Arab Emirates, the first Gulf National to participate in the Art and Architecture Biennale, with a long term hospitality agreement (permanent pavilion) in the Arsenale – Sale d’Armi. The agreement was finalized through the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs. la Biennale di Venezia is world-renowned for the biannual International Art Exhibition and Architecture Exhibitions, as wells as the International Film Festival, and continues the great tradition of the Festivals of Contemporary Music and Theatre, now flanked by the Festival of Contemporary Dance.

Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Commissioner of the National Pavilion of the UAE, commented: “By securing a “permanent pavilion” for the UAE in Venice we hope to ensure that the focus of the nations international artistic programming remains centered on promoting and empowering our local Emirati talent at the highest level possible, through our ongoing participation in the offerings of la Biennale de Venezia.”

Since 2011 la Biennale di Venezia has engaged in a dialogue with the foreign countries asking to participate with their own pavilion. Currently 30 out of the 86 National Participations (official figures – 2011) are housed in permanent pavilions, but a long-term hospitality agreement had not been awarded to any country since 1995. However with national participation increasing with each Art Biennale, la Biennale di Venezia has made it a priority to allow more space for new countries.

Commissioner Dr Lamees Hamdan with the support of the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development and the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation facilitated the signing of the 20 year agreement for the new pavilion.

Established to endorse the UAE’s art scene on an international platform and build on local projects, the National Pavilion will return to Venice to engage in vibrant cultural exchange – a significant part of the mission of the Office of the National Pavilion. “One of the main objectives of the Pavilion is to strongly communicate internationally the depth of contemporary art practices in the United Arab Emirates, and to provide a foundation to support the nation’s diverse and developing art scene,” says Dr Hamdan.

The new space will showcase the communication of Emirati visual arts and architecture. The farsightedness of this decision opens a myriad of opportunities for the UAE cultural scene which span art, architecture, film dance, music and theatre and cements the place of the UAE and its artists the forefront of international contemporary art.

The 2013 exhibition for the 55th International Art Exhibition will be curated by Reem Fadda, Associate Curator for Middle Eastern Art at the Guggenheim – Abu Dhabi Project, and will feature a solo presentation of the work of Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem. The National Pavilion has appointed the dynamic Emirati design house, Fikra, lead by Salem Al Qassimi, to produce the Graphic design elements of the exhibition.

The UAE has presented two widely acclaimed editions of the National Pavilion at the 53rd and 54th International Art Exhibitions. In 2009, the UAE became the first Arab gulf nation to present a National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The exhibition “It’s Not You, It’s Me” was curated by Tirdad Zolghadr and featured the work of Emirati artist Lamya Gargash alongside the work of showcase artists Ebtisam AbdulAziz, Huda Said Saif and Tareq Al Ghoussain. In 2011, the UAE presented its second National Pavilion curated by Vasif Kortun and featuring Emirati artists Reem Al Ghaith, Abdullah Al Saadi and Lateefa bint Maktoum.

The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates for 2013 has been made possible through the generous support of the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development.

– la Biennale di Venezia has marked an important milestone in its long history by awarding the United Arab Emirates, the first Gulf National to participate in the Art and Architecture Biennale, with a long term hospitality agreement (permanent pavilion) in the Arsenale – Sale d’Armi. The agreement was finalized through the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs. la Biennale di Venezia is world-renowned for the biannual International Art Exhibition and Architecture Exhibitions, as wells as the International Film Festival, and continues the great tradition of the Festivals of Contemporary Music and Theatre, now flanked by the Festival of Contemporary Dance.

Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Commissioner of the National Pavilion of the UAE, commented: “By securing a “permanent pavilion” for the UAE in Venice we hope to ensure that the focus of the nations international artistic programming remains centered on promoting and empowering our local Emirati talent at the highest level possible, through our ongoing participation in the offerings of la Biennale de Venezia.”

Since 2011 la Biennale di Venezia has engaged in a dialogue with the foreign countries asking to participate with their own pavilion. Currently 30 out of the 86 National Participations (official figures – 2011) are housed in permanent pavilions, but a long-term hospitality agreement had not been awarded to any country since 1995. However with national participation increasing with each Art Biennale, la Biennale di Venezia has made it a priority to allow more space for new countries.

Commissioner Dr Lamees Hamdan with the support of the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development and the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation facilitated the signing of the 20 year agreement for the new pavilion.

Established to endorse the UAE’s art scene on an international platform and build on local projects, the National Pavilion will return to Venice to engage in vibrant cultural exchange – a significant part of the mission of the Office of the National Pavilion. “One of the main objectives of the Pavilion is to strongly communicate internationally the depth of contemporary art practices in the United Arab Emirates, and to provide a foundation to support the nation’s diverse and developing art scene,” says Dr Hamdan.

The new space will showcase the communication of Emirati visual arts and architecture. The farsightedness of this decision opens a myriad of opportunities for the UAE cultural scene which span art, architecture, film dance, music and theatre and cements the place of the UAE and its artists the forefront of international contemporary art.

The 2013 exhibition for the 55th International Art Exhibition will be curated by Reem Fadda, Associate Curator for Middle Eastern Art at the Guggenheim – Abu Dhabi Project, and will feature a solo presentation of the work of Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem. The National Pavilion has appointed the dynamic Emirati design house, Fikra, lead by Salem Al Qassimi, to produce the Graphic design elements of the exhibition.

The UAE has presented two widely acclaimed editions of the National Pavilion at the 53rd and 54th International Art Exhibitions. In 2009, the UAE became the first Arab gulf nation to present a National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The exhibition “It’s Not You, It’s Me” was curated by Tirdad Zolghadr and featured the work of Emirati artist Lamya Gargash alongside the work of showcase artists Ebtisam AbdulAziz, Huda Said Saif and Tareq Al Ghoussain. In 2011, the UAE presented its second National Pavilion curated by Vasif Kortun and featuring Emirati artists Reem Al Ghaith, Abdullah Al Saadi and Lateefa bint Maktoum.

The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates for 2013 has been made possible through the generous support of the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development.