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Arab News
29-05-2025
- Arab News
Qatar's ‘Beyti Beytak' exhibition in Venice explores architecture's roots in hospitality
DUBAI: Qatar's first participation in the Venice Biennale of Architecture is a major exhibition spanning two sites in the Italian city — the ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, and the site of what will be the permanent Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale. (That pavilion will be the first permanent addition to the historic gardens in more than 30 years.) For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The exhibition, 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La Mia Casa è la Tua Casa,' is presented by Qatar Museums and curated by the Art Mill Museum — Qatar's yet-to-be-built museum of modern and contemporary art — and, according to a press release 'explores meanings of hospitality within the architecture, urbanism and landscape designs of the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa region.' It features examples from 30 architects, dating from the mid-20th century to the present day. Aurélien Lemonier, architect and curator at the Art Mill Museum, and the exhibition's co-curator, tells Arab News: 'The exhibition reflects on the essence of hospitality, not just as tradition but as a spatial and social practice. It explores how architecture from the MENASA region fosters belonging, dignity, and collective life.' On the permanent pavilion's future site stands a newly commissioned structure by Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect and a pioneer of humanitarian design. Her bamboo-and-palm-frond 'Community Center,' created using zero-carbon, low-cost techniques, was developed through the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which Lari co-founded. The structure exemplifies what she calls Barefoot Social Architecture — a methodology that mobilizes local resources, community labor, and heritage crafts to produce flood- and earthquake-resistant structures, addressing, she has said, 'climate and social justice.' 'When I spoke with Yasmeen,' recalls Lemonier, 'I realized her work is a direct legacy of (Egyptian architect) Hassan Fathy. Like him, she empowers the poor to build their own futures.' The exhibition draws a clear line of continuity from Fathy's radical use of earthen materials and community-led design to Lari's 'barefoot architecture' in Pakistan. 'Fathy taught communities to build with mud brick and vernacular layouts; not only to survive but to thrive,' he says. 'Lari continues that legacy by using architecture as a tool of empowerment.' Lemonier's co-curator Sean Anderson, an associate professor at New York's Cornell University, says: 'For centuries, cities in the MENASA region have been shaped not by individual buildings, but by how people gather, interact, and live together. Today, that wisdom is more relevant than ever, as we witness the planet's transformations, mirrored by technology's drive toward a more collective, yet divided, future.' This spirit is echoed in the main exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti where 'Beyti Beytak' becomes an immersive and archival deep dive into MENASA's architectural richness. Some of the architects featured are being exhibiting in Venice for the first time. The curators' ambition is to capture the continuity across generations — from pioneers such as India's Raj Rewal, Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil of Egypt, Pakistan's Nayyar Ali Dada, and Sri Lanka's Minnette de Silva to contemporary leaders including Palestinian-Jordanian architect Abeer Seikaly, Bangladesh's Marina Tabassum, Sumaya Dabbagh of Saudi Arabia, and Palestine's Dima Srouji. ''Beyti Beytak' is a testament to the architectural heritage and creativity of the Arab world and the Global South,' says Lemonier. 'The future Art Mill Museum was conceived as a multidisciplinary institution, one that will embrace this richness not as a regional footnote but as a core narrative.' The curators have woven together an architectural narrative grounded in civic humanism, tracing three generations of architectural expression through thematic sections that include oases, mosques, museums, housing, and gardens, with a special focus on community centers and urbanism in Doha. 'The selected architects' work forms a chorus of alternative futures; ones where architecture is not a luxury, but a deeply human practice of care, resilience, and place making,' says Anderson. In fact, one of the pavilion's central propositions is that, architecturally, traditional knowledge may offer more-resilient solutions to climate change than high-tech design. 'It's a paradox,' Lemonier admits. 'You'd think triple-glazed facades and cutting-edge systems are more advanced — but mud, lime, and bamboo buildings often perform better in extreme climates. What we see with Yasmeen Lari is a reappropriation of vernacular materiality as climate adaptation.' Throughout the exhibition, the curators draw a sharp line between architectural conceptualism and communal responsibility. 'Architecture is not sculpture,' Lemonier says emphatically. 'It is a social and collective act. The architect must think of themselves not as an artist, but as a participant in a living society.' This ethos is also reflected in the Doha-based segment of the exhibition, where the urbanism of Qatar is framed as humanist and collective. 'Doha offers public parks, civic space, and an architecture of sociability,' Lemonier notes. 'It's not only about the buildings, it's also about the empty spaces that allow a community to gather. It's not about big gestures. It's about how architecture allows a community to live, build with care, with humility, and with others in mind. For me, that's the measure of success in design.' Anderson adds: 'As architects, we hold a responsibility not just to build, but to shape how we gather, connect, and see one another. Architecture isn't static. It's one of the most dynamic ways we experience humanity. This exhibition explores how space can be a vessel for empathy — especially in a time when technology often divides us. Yasmeen Lari's work may be rooted in (Pakistan's province of) Sindh, but its message transcends borders: it asks us to reflect on what it truly means to design for people.' By placing Lari's work in direct dialogue with the legacy of Hassan Fathy and by elevating regional voices too often overlooked, 'Beyti Beytak' challenges dominant norms in global architecture. And it offers a compelling argument: Your home is not just yours — it belongs to the community, the climate, and the culture it serves. For the Arab world and the broader MENASA region, 'Beyti Beytak' positions architects as custodians of culture and agents of justice. 'This exhibition is not just about buildings,' says Lemonier. 'It is about how we live together, how we welcome one another and how we shape a shared future through design.' -ENDS-
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
QATAR TO CREATE A PERMANENT NATIONAL PAVILION IN THE GIARDINI OF VENICE, HISTORIC VENUE OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
The Qatar Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia to Feature Two-Part Exhibition Organised by Qatar's Future Art Mill Museum, with an Installation on the Site of the Qatar Pavilion and a Presentation at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti DOHA, Qatar and VENICE, Italy, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qatar will build a national pavilion in the historic venue of Giardini della Biennale, which first opened to the public in 1895. Qatar will join 30 other nations with permanent pavilions in the Giardini. Only two others have opened there in the last 50 years (Australia and Republic of Korea). Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and commissioner of the Qatar Pavilion, said, "La Biennale di Venezia is the world's pre-eminent gathering in art and architecture, and the Giardini is the historic landscape where extraordinary pavilions stand as ambassadors for their nations. Qatar is proud to take its place in this international assembly, advancing our role as a global leader in cultural diplomacy and providing an unparalleled platform for giving voice to the creative talent of our nation and the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region." Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale di Venezia, said, "Venice is the only European city to have had, since the year 1000 CE, a name in Arabic, Bunduqiyyah, a fact that testifies to the teeming mixture of languages and ethnicities that have long sheltered here. In the spirit of curiosity, exploration, and sincere human exchange that characterises Venice and its Biennale, I welcome Qatar to the Giardini, as a powerful global source of creativity and cross-cultural understanding." The new Qatar Pavilion will be located in the Giardini, adjacent to the iconic Book will begin to activate its site in May 2025 during the 19th International Architecture Exhibition by presenting a major 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 at both the Giardini and ACP-Palazzo Franchetti. In keeping with the theme of the Biennale Architettura 2025, Beyti Beytak. My home is your home. La mia casa è la tua casa. will explore how hospitality and traditions of welcome are embodied in the contemporary architecture and landscapes throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA). Paying tribute to pioneering architects and thinkers, the exhibition will feature works by more than 20 modern and contemporary architects from the MENASA region, including several whose work has not previously been shown in Venice. The exhibition is commissioned by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa and Qatar Museums and organised by the future Art Mill Museum. It is curated by Aurélien Lemonier, Art Mill Museum Curator of Architecture, and Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University, with the collaboration of Virgile Alexandre. SOURCE Qatar Museums Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Argentina and Chile to Join Qatar's Years of Culture Initiative for a Yearlong Creative Exchange in 2025
Major exhibitions, design exchanges and photography journeys to return for diverse programme DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 4, 2025 /CNW/ -- Qatar's Years of Culture initiative has announced the Argentine Republic and the Republic of Chile as its partner countries for 2025, two nations enriched by Arab heritage through centuries of migration and cultural exchange as well as a shared enthusiasm for sport. The 2025 partnerships will showcase shared influences – from cuisine to language – while establishing new collaborations across the initiative's core focus areas of cultural preservation, creative industries, social development, and innovation. This annual global exchange was launched 13 years ago by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to strengthen connections between Qatar and other nations through long-term cultural partnerships rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Programmes to be featured this year include performances, exhibitions, sporting and culinary events, photography projects, residency schemes, volunteer trips, and more. Past partner countries include Morocco (2024), Indonesia (2023), and the MENASA region, which was celebrated during the initiative's 10th anniversary and the Arab world's first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2022. Years of Culture Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said: 'We founded Years of Culture in 2012 to promote respect and understanding between Qatar and other nations, nurturing connections among people and encouraging dialogue through bilateral cultural exchange. Now, building on a foundation of success, we are elevating the initiative to a new level by forming Years of Culture partnerships with two nations within a region of the globe. We welcome Argentina and Chile as the first partners in this new era for the 2025 Years of Culture.' His Excellency Argentinian Ambassador Guillermo Nicolás said: 'For five decades, diplomatic relations between Qatar and Argentina have been characterised by mutual respect, expanding trade, and complementary economies. This Year of Culture offers a unique platform to deepen these ties by celebrating our artistic heritage and forging new creative partnerships. We look forward to sharing Argentina's culture and traditions while discovering Qatar's diverse offerings.' His Excellency Chilean Ambassador Patricio Díaz Broughton remarked: 'Chile's innovative spirit has resonated globally, from architectural collaborations such as the upcoming Art Mill Museum in Qatar, designed by Chile's Alejandro Aravena, to partnerships in sustainable energy. Joining Qatar's Year of Culture underscores our shared commitment to creativity and sustainability. We are eager to exchange ideas and traditions that highlight the friendship between our nations.' Further events and community celebrations will be announced throughout the year. For updates, follow Years of Culture on social media @YearsofCulture or visit the website at
