Latest news with #OmanPavilion
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Oman Pavilion wins best artwork design award at London Design Biennale 2025
Muscat: The Oman Pavilion has won the Best Artwork Design Award at the London Design Biennale 2025 for its installation Memory Network by Haitham Al-Busaifi. The award was announced during the opening ceremony held at Somerset House in London. The winning installation reflects the strategic vision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth to support artistic and intellectual creativity among Omani youth. Designed by architect and designer Haitham Al-Busaifi in collaboration with the Zawraq Group, the piece blends cultural heritage with contemporary design. Memory Network reinterprets traditional Omani pottery through transparent formations arranged to resemble digital data centers. The installation examines values and social connections, prompting reflection on what societies choose to preserve across generations. Aligned with the Biennale's theme, Surface Reflections, it poses global humanitarian questions on the value of memories and shared experiences. The installation also includes an interactive element, allowing visitors to contribute their own memories and reflections, which are digitally integrated into the exhibit. This marks Oman's debut at the London Design Biennale, highlighting the Ministry's commitment to promoting Omani creativity on the global stage.
Times of Oman
21-05-2025
- Times of Oman
Oman's cultural, heritage, and tourism diversity showcased at Expo Osaka 2025
Osaka: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism on Wednesday organised a specialized event highlighting Oman's diverse cultural, heritage, and tourism offerings as part of the accompanying activities for the Sultanate of Oman's participation in Expo Osaka 2025 in Japan. The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, along with the General Commission of Oman Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025. The one-day event took place at the "Festival Plaza Station" hall in Expo Osaka 2025 and featured a variety of specialised displays, activities, and corners showcasing Oman's rich cultural, heritage, and tourism diversity. The initiative aimed to introduce, promote, and spotlight Oman's unique attractions.
The National
09-05-2025
- General
- The National
Oman reinterprets the sablah community space at Venice Biennale of Architecture
Shifting in form and purpose, the Omani sablah resists definition. It is where the community gathers to discuss social matters or to mark life events such as weddings and funerals. It is a place of conversation, celebration and mourning, whether between four walls or under the shade of a palm tree. The sablah adapted as cities in Oman grew, enduring as an essential gathering space for communities. The Oman Pavilion is highlighting the sablah at the Venice Biennale of Architecture with a bold new take on the concept. To quote the exhibition literature, 'the project does not aim to preserve the sablah but to reactivate it'. Curated by Majeda Alhinai, the pavilion is titled Traces. It presents a sablah that, much like the core concept itself, is open to interpretation. 'With our structure, we wanted to create a space that had no fixed interior or exterior,' Alhinai says. 'It's a space that is a series of thresholds that allow people to either pause, sit and gather, or to just move and pass through.' At first glance, the sablah at the Oman Pavilion appears gestural and improvised. However, there is a thoughtfulness to its design. It takes cues from various motifs from Omani culture: the khanjar ceremonial dagger, the grilles of traditional windows and the decorative designs on mandoos storage chests. It also draws its geometry from palm frond weaving, the designs of wooden doors and the branching forms of the Falaj irrigation system. 'Since our pavilion is titled Traces, it's a series of traces of our craft in Oman,' Alhinai says. 'They are metaphorical traces as well as physical traces, where we're starting to look at very specific ornamental forms in parts of our arts and crafts.' Features of these traditional motifs have been deconstructed and abstracted before being fused together in the final result for the sablah. 'We take some of these traces to delineate outlines and then adapt it back on to a physical form,' Alhinai says. However, the sablah is in by no means in final form. Composed out of hundreds of 1.5mm aluminium panels, it can be reconstructed in many other permutations. The aluminium pieces are porous in some parts, promoting air flow. 'We first went through a digital sculpting process and then looked at the engineering to make a structure that is woven out of these aluminium panels and strips,' Alhinai says. 'We wanted to create a structure that, once disassembled, it could be reassembled again in a public space in Oman.' Accentuating the heritage aspect of the project is a series of benches that have been woven out of palm fronds. The benches are circular and in undulating forms, much like the sablah installation. 'The woven palm leaf was then referenced back on to our structure with the aluminium panels that kind of behave in a similar way.' The benches were also crafted by Omani artisans, Alhinai says. 'We really wanted to host a lot of our communal crafts that would be otherwise lost if we didn't carry them on,' she says. 'We wanted to create this collaboration with the local community. We commissioned artisans in the Bahla region of Oman. It was a way to bring our community into our space.' Traces is Oman Pavilion's debut exhibition at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. By reimagining the sablah, the pavilion explores how the structure can inspire adaptable and resilient communal spaces by bridging tradition and modernity while reflecting values of hospitality, dialogue and community. 'We are looking at our local heritage to extract these ideologies for space and circulation and movement, as well as form in a non-traditional way,' Alhinai says. 'But it's very much part of our arts and craft movement.' Although deeply rooted in Omani tradition, Traces aims to be a global model for designing inclusive, adaptable environments that foster shared responsibility and connection. It also demonstrates how multifunctional communal spaces can address both local and universal challenges, promoting interaction and inclusivity. 'One of the main agendas of the biennale is to examine how can each country come together to create a global toolkit,' Alhinai says. 'I really feel that, just by people understanding and knowing what the sablah is, their curiosity around the subject is a win for us.' Traces will be running at the Venice Biennale of Architecture until November 23
Muscat Daily
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Omani Halwa meets Mochi at Expo 2025 Osaka
Osaka, Japan – Omani halwa, a traditional sweet renowned for its rich flavour and cultural significance, is taking centre stage at Expo 2025 Osaka through an innovative fusion with Japan's beloved mochi. Celebrated not just as a dessert but as a symbol of friendship and peace, Omani halwa has long been gifted by Omani traders during their travels abroad. Now, it is bridging cultures once more — this time in the form of a culinary collaboration that combines Omani halwa with the soft, rice-based mochi, offering visitors a truly cross-cultural taste experience. Amjad bin Nasser al Jadeedi, Operations Manager of the Sultanate of Oman Pavilion, explained the origin of the idea. 'We wanted to create something unique that speaks to the values shared by Omanis and the Japanese people. So, we thought — why not combine two iconic sweets?' he said. The Oman Pavilion team worked closely with a Japanese mochi factory, teaching them the intricate process of making Omani halwa. The resulting product — mochi filled with halwa — has proven to be a hit with visitors. 'The flavour is exceptional and has been well received,' Jadeedi noted. The fusion sweet is sold at the pavilion's café, alongside cookies and cakes inspired by Omani ingredients. But the gastronomic experience doesn't stop there. The pavilion also features new beverage creations such as a date and frankincense latte and a frankincense iced tea — drinks that were introduced for the first time at the expo and have seen strong demand since day one. 'This has become an all-sensory experience for visitors,' Jadeedi added. 'They can see, smell, touch, and taste the essence of Oman.' The Omani presence at Expo 2025 Osaka continues to draw attention not just for its cultural depth, but also for its innovative way of bringing two worlds together through the universal language of food.
Muscat Daily
16-02-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Architecture Revival Initiative soon at Oman Across Ages Museum
Muscat – The Architecture Revival Initiative, organised by the office of H H Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham al Said, is set to commence next Wednesday at the Oman Across Ages Museum in Wilayat of Manah and will run until February 22, 2025. Building on the success of the Bilarab bin Haitham Award for Architectural Design and the Oman Pavilion design competition for Expo Japan 2025, the initiative aims to enrich the architectural landscape of the Sultanate of Oman. It seeks to engage professionals, experts, students, and enthusiasts in meaningful discussions on architectural identity, innovation, and market readiness. The initiative aspires to raise awareness of the role of architecture in shaping Oman's national identity, encourage public interest in Omani architecture, and explore its cultural, social, and economic impact. Additionally, it will highlight modern construction techniques that merge innovation with heritage, fostering a supportive environment for creativity and career development in the architectural sector. Over three days, the initiative will focus on continuing education, innovation, and market readiness, aiming to equip architectural professionals and students with industry-relevant insights. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions and activities designed to strengthen Oman's architectural scene and expand employment opportunities in the sector. The event is open to all individuals interested in architectural design and heritage, offering a platform for dialogue, learning, and professional networking.
