Oman pavilion exploring memory and identity in digital age wins award at London Design Biennale
A meditative exhibition exploring memory in the digital age has earned a prestigious medal for the Oman Pavilion on what is the sultanate's first appearance at the London Design Biennale.
The pavilion commissioned by Oman's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth collected the best design medal at the traditional award ceremony held before the 2025 event opens to the public today at Somerset House. It runs until June 29.
Curated by Muscat's Zawraq Collective and developed by architect Haitham Al Busafi, the Oman Pavilion is titled Memory Grid.
It arranges transparent, machine-milled vessels in a darkened room to create a contemplative grid – a metaphor for how memories are retained in a connected world.
As well as being one of the biennale's most Instagrammable installations, the pavilion invites visitors to quietly ruminate in a space scored by a low, humming atmospheric soundtrack.
'We really wanted this project to ask questions about how we choose to remember and preserve our heritage in an age where everything is shared online,' Zawraq Collective co-founder Noor Al Mahruqi tells The National.
'We don't often consider where we're actually sharing these memories and how they're physically stored in data centres. What we tried to do with this exhibition is create a fictionalised data centre – one represented through elements of our Omani heritage.'
To come here for the first time and win the Best Design Medal is a real privilege and a moment of pride
Noor Al Mahruqi,
Zawraq Collective co-founder
Memory Grid took a year to make and included an open call for Omani designers to propose an exhibition aligned with the collective's curatorial vision of fusing 'tradition, identity and contemporary life'.
The winning designer, Al Busafi, is the Omani architect behind the country's first national pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022.
Al Mahruqi adds: 'Memory Grid is a continuation of the transmission of shared wisdom passed down by our elders and through family ties and expressed through craft and design that runs through all aspects of Omani society, from the creation of our aflaj water irrigation system to traditional pottery.
'So to come here to the London Design Biennale for the first time, and to win the Best Design Medal, is a real privilege and a moment of pride.'
While the Oman Pavilion looked into the digital future, the biennale's Abu Dhabi Pavilion took inspiration from the UAE's maritime past. Co-commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and presented by Qasr Al Hosn 's House of Artisans, the exhibition traces each stage of a traditional pearl diving voyage through sculpture installations, historical video footage and audio recordings.
Some of the historical items on display include the maflaqa, a curved oyster knife and the fattam, a nose plug made from sheep bone or turtle shell used by divers.
Audio recordings of naham chants – sea shanties – reverberate around the space, evoking the camaraderie necessary during those long and arduous journeys.
The Abu Dhabi Pavilion also showcases a natural pearl found on Al Marwah Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Dating back to between 5800 and 5600 BCE during the Neolithic period, the discovery is viewed as one of the earliest known pieces of evidence of pearling.
Saudi Arabia 's industrial-themed pavilion explores the hidden cost of making clean water freely available. Produced by the kingdom's architecture and design commission and curated by Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif, Good Water takes its structure from the traditional public water fountain known as the sabeel.
At its centre is a metallic frame stocked with plastic cups, bottled water and looping video footage of large-scale industrial water production. Described in the curators' notes as 'design without designers,' the space is intentionally raw and cold, exposing the infrastructure behind the free water fountains we often take for granted.
'While it offers water freely, the reality is that the water is not free at all. Every sip is made possible by a complex system of labour, energy, and economics,' the exhibition notes read. 'Ultimately, the pavilion asserts that while free water may be paid for by someone else, it is never without cost.'
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This showcase is made possible through collaboration with the following partners: Baba Alvin Yapp of The Intan Peranakan Home Museum, Baba Gabra, Baba Richard Tan, Baba Raymond Wong of Rumah Kim Choo, Barry Yeow, Cynthia Wee-Hoefer, Gunong Sayang Association, Nyonya Christine Ong Kiat Neo (author of Nyonya Kebaya: Intricacies of the Peranakan Heritage), Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association of Singapore, Peranakan Mansion, Peranakan Museum, Pulau Pulao, Tina Tan Leo and The Peranakan Association Singapore. For more information on Peranakan Reimagined please visit High-res images available here. Hashtag: #Sentosa #SentosaDiscovery #DiscoveryNeverEnds The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Sentosa Sentosa, where discovery never ends, is Asia's leading leisure destination and Singapore's premier island resort getaway, located within 15 minutes from the central business and shopping districts. The island resort is managed by Sentosa Development Corporation, which works with various stakeholders in overseeing property investments, attractions development, and operation of the various leisure offerings and management of the residential precinct on the island. The 500-hectare island resort is home to an exciting array of themed attractions, award-winning spa retreats, lush rainforests, golden sandy beaches, resort accommodations, world-renowned golf courses, a deep-water yachting marina and luxurious residences – making Sentosa a vibrant island resort for business and leisure. Sentosa is also home to Singapore's first integrated resort, Resorts World Sentosa, which operates Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park. Situated on the eastern end of Sentosa Island is Sentosa Cove, an exclusive waterfront residential enclave bustling with more than 2,000 homes, quayside restaurants, retail and specialty shops. The island is also proud to be home to Sentosa Golf Club and its two acclaimed golf courses, The Serapong and The Tanjong. Sentosa Golf Club has hosted a number of high-profile professional and amateur tournaments, including the Singapore Open and HSBC Women's World Championship, welcoming international star players and world-class golf professionals from across the world. Welcoming a growing number of local and international guests every year, Sentosa is an integral part of Singapore's goal to be a global destination to work, live and play. For more information, please visit: About Sentosa Development Corporation Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was established on 1 September 1972 as a Statutory Board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Its charter since inception has been to oversee the development, management, marketing, and promotion of the island of Sentosa as a resort destination for locals and tourists. SDC wholly owns its subsidiaries Sentosa Cove Resort Management Pte Ltd and Sentosa Golf Club Pte Ltd. SDC also owns the Singapore Cable Car Sky Network, managed by Mount Faber Leisure Group Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary which operates as an autonomous commercial arm. As a testament to its commitment to sustainability, SDC has been conferred the Global Sustainable Tourism Council – For Destinations (GSTC-D) certificate, making Sentosa the first island destination in Asia to receive this accolade. About Mount Faber Leisure Group Mount Faber Leisure Group (MFLG) is one of Singapore's leading operators of a suite of leisure and lifestyle services, including attractions, guided tours, event venues, souvenir and lifestyle outlets as well as F&B operations. The company's portfolio of products and services include the Singapore Cable Car, SkyHelix Sentosa, Sentosa Island Bus Tour, Mount Faber Peak, Arbora @ Mount Faber Peak, Arbora Café @ Mount Faber Peak, Dusk @ Mount Faber Peak, The Mirabilis Bar @ Mount Faber Peak, Cable Car Gift Shop and Faber Licence. The company also operates the Central Beach Bazaar in Sentosa that includes Wings of Time Fireworks Symphony, Good Old Days, Food Kiosks at Central Beach Bazaar, and Sentosa Shop. Spanning across the hilltop at Mount Faber and Sentosa Island, MFLG's products are linked by the Singapore Cable Car Sky Network of six stations on two main lines – the Mount Faber Line that connects mainland Singapore to the resort island of Sentosa, and the Sentosa Line that connects to the island's western end at the Siloso Point. Its legal name remains as Mount Faber Leisure Group Pte Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sentosa Development Corporation and operates as an autonomous commercial arm. 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