Italian
Qatar will build a national pavilion in the historic Gardens of the Venice Biennale, open to the public for the first time in 1895. It joins the other 30 countries with permanent pavilions in the Gardens. Only two other nations have opened a pavilion here in the last 50 years (Australia and the Republic of Korea)
Doha/Venice. The announcement of the Qatar Pavilion follows the signing, in June 2024, of a Collaboration Protocol between Qatar Museums and the Municipality of Venice, a protocol under which the two parties intend to strengthen existing mutual relations and improve collaboration in the cultural and socio-economic sectors between Qatar, Venice, and the Italian Republic.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and Commissioner of the Qatar Pavilion, stated: “The Venice Biennale is the most prestigious event in the world in the fields of art and architecture, and the Gardens represent the historical landscape where extraordinary pavilions stand as ambassadors of their nations. Qatar is proud to join this international group, consolidating its role as a global leader in cultural diplomacy and offering an unprecedented platform to the creative talents of our country, as well as those from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.”
Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale di Venezia, stated: “Venice is the only European city with an Arabic name, Bunduqiyyah, since the year one thousand, demonstrating the rich intersection of languages and ethnicities that have always found hospitality here. In the spirit of curiosity, exploration, and genuine exchanges between peoples that characterize Venice and its Biennale, I wish to welcome Qatar to our Gardens, as a powerful global source of creativity and understanding among diverse cultures.”
The new Qatar Pavilion will be located in a central position in the Gardens, next to the iconic Stirling Pavilion.
Qatar will kick off activities at its venue in May 2025 during the 19th International Architecture Exhibition with the presentation of a significant installation: Community Centre, by Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari.
The installation will be part of the exhibition Beyti Beytak. My home is your home. La mia casa è la tua casa., presented both at the Gardens and at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti. To stay within the theme of the 2025 Architecture Biennale, Beyti Beytak. My home is your home. La mia casa è la tua casa. will explore how hospitality and traditions of welcoming are incorporated into contemporary architecture and landscapes in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA). Paying tribute to innovative architects and intellectuals, the exhibition will include works by over 20 modern and contemporary architects from the MENASA region, some of whom have never before exhibited their work in Venice.
Among the pioneers of modern architecture featured in the exhibition are: Raj Rewal (India), Nayyar Ali Dada (Pakistan), Abdel Wahed el Wakil (Egypt), and Minnette de Silva (Sri Lanka). Their work will be displayed alongside that of a range of contemporary designers and architects such as Marina Tabassum and Nabil Haque (Bangladesh), Sameep Padora and Vastu Shilpa (India), Daaz Studio (Iran), Abeer Seikaly (Jordan), Sumaya Dabbagh (UAE), Liz Diller (USA), Meriem Shabani (Iran), and New South Studio (France), among others.
The exhibition is commissioned by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa and Qatar Museums and organized by the future Art Mill Museum. It is curated by Aurélien Lemonier, Curator of the Architecture sector at the Art Mill Museum, and Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University, in collaboration with Virgile Alexandre.
