Curator Wael Al Awar with the award.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The National Pavilion UAE has been awarded the Golden Lion Award for best National Participation at La Biennale Architettura (Venice Biennale) 2021. The honour was conferred at an awards ceremony in Venice on August 30. The Golden Lion award is the Biennale’s top honour.

Curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto, Wetland, the National Pavilion UAE’s tenth exhibition at La Biennale Architettura, was selected by the Biennale jury for being “a bold experiment that encourages us to think about the relationship between waste and production on a local and global scale, and opens us to new construction possibilities between craft and high-technology.” This was stated by Kazuyo Sejima, President of this year’s jury.

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Laila Binbrek, Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE, said: “Following ten exceptionally thought-driven and creative exhibitions at the Venice Biennale, National Pavilion UAE is honoured to be chosen for the Golden Lion Award for best National Participation out of 60 national pavilions. “This is a testament to the work we have been doing to contribute to the UAE’s evolving art ecosystem, and a recognition of our continued efforts to tell the UAE’s untold stories in a globally relevant way. “Winning this award also coincides with a milestone participation for us, as well as the UAE’s landmark 50th anniversary this December. Wael and Teramoto have put forward a notable contribution at the heart of a global conversation surrounding sustainable building, which makes us very proud that Wetland demonstrates yet another exemplar untold story from the UAE.”

Curator and Architect Al Awar, who accepted the award on behalf of the Pavilion, said: “Marking a tenth successful participation for National Pavilion UAE in Venice, we are honoured to accept this award. “I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the National Pavilion UAE team, the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and Youth and all our cross-discipline collaborators who have enabled us to bring Wetland to life with their continued support. We are very proud and humbled as we continue to spotlight potential solutions to global issues and move towards the future.”

 Wetland being showcased by National Pavilion UAE in Venice.

Wetland presents a prototype of an environmentally friendly salt-based cement alternative from recycled industrial waste brine, which could reduce the impact the construction industry has on the environment. The exhibition, which will remain on display till November 21, 2021, also celebrates the UAE’s sabkhas (salt flats), which inspired the research for the development of the renewable building material, through large-scale images of the UAE’s UNESCO World Heritage Site-nominated sabkhas, created by New York-based Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi.

The curators worked with specialist teams at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Amber Lab, the American University of Sharjah’s Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences and the University of Tokyo’s Obuchi Lab and Sato Lab, to develop the chemical formula for the cement. A publication titled The Anatomy of Sabkhas, written by urban researchers Rashid and Ahmed bin Shabib and co-edited by Al Awar and Teramoto accompanies the exhibition and explores the ecological and socio-economic significance of these natural phenomena in detail based on case studies, personal essays and photography. A supplementary volume edited and written by Aga Khan Award-winning architect Marina Tabassum details the journey of Wael and Teramoto’s research for the Wetland exhibition.

The news marks the region’s second ever country pavilion to win the Golden Lion, following the Kingdom of Bahrain, which was awarded the Golden Lion for the best national participation at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition in 2010. The National Pavilion UAE is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Youth. Al Awar is the Principal Architect and founding partner of waiwai, an award-winning multidisciplinary architecture, landscape, graphic and urban design studio. Architect Teramoto was a founding partner of waiwai and recently founded the Office of Teramoto in Japan.

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, attempting to 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, National Pavilion UAE presented an acclaimed installation exploring geographic and psychological displacement from filmmaker Nujoom Alghanem. In the coming year, at the 2022 edition of la Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale), the National Pavilion UAE’s exhibition will showcase works by ground-breaking painter, sculptor and land artist, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim.

The National Pavilion UAE’s public programming and professional opportunities for an extensive pool of artists, curators, researchers and partners who have contributed to its exhibitions over the years, alongside its UAE’s Venice Internship programme, support the growth of local cultural and creative industries, and has provided training and hands-on experience to more than 200 interns, many of whom are now working successfully in cultural fields. Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF) is a private not-for-profit foundation based in Abu Dhabi. It oversees a portfolio of not-for-profit programmes and initiatives spanning the arts, culture, heritage, human development and early childhood development in the UAE and internationally. The Ministry of Culture and Youth is responsible for empowering and engaging the youth in the UAE by enhancing their leadership skills, involving them in decision-making process and programmes, and giving them opportunities to contribute to the creative development of the country.