Wetland Lab at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Noura Al Kaabi, UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth, has inaugurated Wetland, the National Pavilion UAE’s tenth exhibition at the Biennale Architettura 2021 (Venice Biennale).

Curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto, Wetland presents an environmentally friendly salt-based cement alternative which could reduce the climate impact of the construction industry.

Created from recycled industrial waste brine, the MgO cement has been hand-cast into organic shapes recalling the UAE’s traditional coral-built houses, forming a hand-built 7 x 5 metre prototype structure.

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The prototype is accompanied by large-scale images created by New York-based Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi of the UAE’s UNESCO World Heritage Site-nominated sabkhas (salt flats), which provided inspiration for the research process.

Al Kaabi said: “Over ten fantastic exhibitions, the National Pavilion UAE has brought some of the best of the UAE’s cultural stories to a global audience, demonstrating our ambition, our creativity and our commitment to cross-cultural exchange while making a tangible contribution to national development.

“Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto’s work embodies the UAE’s national spirit of creativity, innovation and cutting-edge thinking about global issues, while remaining informed by our heritage, and is a true exemplar of the National Pavilion UAE’s role as a bridge from the UAE to the world.”

  Wetland exhibition at National Pavilion UAE La Biennale di Venezia.

The inauguration was attended by Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Chairperson of the Board of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage; Salem Al Qassimi, Assistant Undersecretary of Heritage and Arts Sector, UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth and Roberto Cicutto, President, La Biennale.

Also in attendance were Lubna Al Gergawi, Minister Office Director; Alia Al Qassimi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Cultural and Creative Industries Sector from the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth; Maitha Alabdouli, Assistant Project Manager, UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth and Nasser Al Khaja, Head of Media and Public Diplomacy Section, Embassy of the UAE.

Laila Binbrek, Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE, said that “in 2021, the National Pavilion UAE is celebrating its tenth exhibition at the Venice Biennale and thinking about our future as the most consistent international cultural platform to showcase the UAE’s talent and perspectives.

“Presenting our tenth exhibition here in person enables us to bring a fresh, timely and locally-informed perspective to the global issue of climate change.” Curators and architects Al Awar and Teramoto said: “Exploring the relationship between nature and the built environment and developing new and more sustainable architectural methods are vital for our future, and this global conversation is long overdue.

“The theme for the 2021 Biennale, How Will We Live Together? asks us to consider new modes for a shared future. For us, that meant examining the relationship between urban development and nature, but also reconsidering how we worked throughout our research process to bring a new focus on collaboration and collective thinking.”

The curators collaborated with specialist teams at three universities in developing the project. NYU Abu Dhabi’s Amber Lab contributed to the chemical formula for the cement; the University of Tokyo’s Obuchi Lab and Sato Lab supported the development of the construction modules and used advanced 3D remote engineering technology to formulate a viable hand-built structure in Venice and the American University of Sharjah’s Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences contributed research that advanced understanding of the sabkhas.

Al Awar is also participating in the Curators’ Collective, a collaboration between curators of many of the national pavilions at the 2021 Biennale. Throughout the extended preparation period of this edition, the curators met regularly to develop a manifesto for the future of architecture, generate ideas through dialogue and investigate new avenues to fulfill the Biennale’s platform for accessible collaboration. Wetland is open to the public at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale until Nov. 21. The National Pavilion UAE has made available a digital version of the exhibition on its website where a virtual tour is also at hand. Throughout May, experimental early versions of the prototype are on display at the Wetland research lab in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue.

The National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia curates untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture through its participation at the Venice Biennale, and provides a high-profile platform for curatorial concepts that address critical international conversations from a distinctive local perspective.

For each annual edition of the Biennale, one of the world’s most significant and rigorous cultural platforms, the National Pavilion UAE appoints and works with curators, artists and contributors to conceive, research and develop an exhibition and accompanying publication that advance and preserve understanding of the UAE’s cultural landscape. Since 2009, its exhibitions have explored the nation’s cultural evolution from 20th century experimental artists to the diverse contemporary scene.

In 2019, the National Pavilion UAE presented an acclaimed installation exploring geographic and psychological displacement from filmmaker Nujoom Alghanem. In parallel with its exhibitions in Venice, the National Pavilion UAE engages with communities in the UAE to support the growth of the local cultural and creative industries, through public programming and professional opportunities. Alongside an extensive pool of artists, curators, researchers and partners who have contributed to its exhibitions over the years, the UAE’s Venice Internship programme has provided training and hands-on experience to more than 200 interns, many of whom are now working successfully in cultural fields.

The National Pavilion UAE is an independent non-profit organisation commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth.