The Saudi Pavilion will mark its third participation at the 18th International Venice Architecture Biennale with its project IRTH, which means “legacy” in Arabic.

The Saudi Pavilion will be represented by Architect AlBara Saimaldahar, Founder and Creative Director of Jeddah-based design studio Dahr, alongside curators Basma and Noura Bouzo, the sister Co-founders of & Bouqu, a creative and cultural consultancy based in Riyadh.

Commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture, the Saudi Pavilion will be on display at the Arsenale—Sale d’Armi from May 20 to November 26, 2023.
 
METALOCUS is live reporting from the Venice Architecture Biennale, which takes place from 20 May to 26 November 2023. See METALOCUS Guide LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA for all the latest information you need to know to attend and know the best events and pavilions in LA BIENNALE.
Aligning with this year’s theme “The Laboratory of the Future,” the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia will delve into the tangible and intangible qualities of materials in relation to Saudi architecture, offering an interactive journey that uses the notion of earth as a starting point for exploration and organic material experimentation. IRTH is a multi-part project that will invite visitors to experience the curatorial vision from multiple perspectives allowing them to engage with the vernacular of Saudi architecture and understand its core building blocks. The project aims to present the empirical design as a window into the essentials, whereby visitors will get a chance to go on a raw sensory journey that urges them to draw their own introspective conclusions without any biases.
 
“Irth is a transliteration of the Arabic word that can either mean “legacy” or “treasured possession,” which encapsulates the intent of our curatorial vision for the Pavilion. Materials within an architectural context have narratives embedded within them, telling us about a nation’s inhabitants and how they responded to the world around them. Likewise, we recognized that a dynamic legacy is at play—one that is built upon by collective and continuous efforts of institutions and grassroots practitioners alike.”

Analyzing the overarching theme of the Architecture Biennale 2023—The Laboratory of the Future—the Saudi team used a two-pronged approach in incorporating its ideology and exploration within the Pavilion. The first revolves around methodology, with architect AlBara Saimaldahar reflecting on the use of basic building blocks alongside innovative techniques to create the Pavilion’s form and provide an experiential interpretation of IRTH. The second approach focuses on the content of the exhibition that will serve as an exposition on the current and future state of the materiality of Saudi architecture.
 
“The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia continues to support and celebrate the Kingdom’s thriving talents who will be showcasing unique architectural concepts and ideas at the International Architecture Exhibition this year. The Pavilion will provide a place for research and exploration, which will allow us to build new partnerships, engage in dialogue, and exchange thoughts and ideas. We are proud of this year’s exhibitors and we’re delighted to be able to share their work with wider audiences.”
Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission.

The Saudi Pavilion will invite visitors to be part of the material exploration and contribute to the ongoing legacy for future generations. It aims to be a means to capture the anthropological and historic aspects of architecture while urging audiences to contemplate how explorations from the past and present can offer answers to the conundrums of the future.

METALOCUS is live reporting from the Venice Architecture Biennale, which takes place from 20 May to 26 November 2023. See METALOCUS Guide LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA for all the latest information you need to know to attend and know the best events and pavilions in LA BIENNALE.

More information

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Pavilion
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Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Venice Biennial
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Architect
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AlBara Saimaldahar.
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Curators
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Noura Bouzo, Basma Bouzo.
Assistant curators.- Cyril Zammit, Joharah Lou Pabalate.
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Commissioner
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Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture
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Dates
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May 20 to November 26, 2023.
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Venue / Localitation
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Arsenale. Sale d’Armi. Venice, Italy.
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Photography
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Alvise Busetto.
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AlBara Saimaldahar. He brings over a decade of professional design and execution experience to his role as the creative director of Dahr. He started his career as an architect at Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP in London. Later on, he returned to Jeddah and worked on a number of impactful projects in different capacities and, ultimately, as the CEO of BWWF. In 2016, AlBara founded Dahr Studio exploring and developing objects and destinations marrying elements of craft and architecture. With attention to detail and a focus on materials, Saimaldahar oversees the design and execution of various projects on land and offshore, ranging from historic buildings to hospitality.
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Noura Bouzo. In her twelve years as creative director, Noura has honed her love for research and worked on cultivating various contacts and connections in both the art and design world. Her curatorial briefs led to her team being chosen to represent Saudi Arabia at the first London Design Biennale and Design Days Dubai. She had furthermore worked on campaigns and activations with major companies, including Harvey Nichols, PEPSICO, Mercedes Benz, Van Cleef &Arpels, Google, Snohetta, and Zaha Hadid Architects to name just a few.
Basma Bouzo

Basma Bouzo. As an interdisciplinary creative rooted in scientific research, Basma has cultivated a distinct passion for championing cultural narratives. This infatuation for storytelling led her to launch Saudi Arabia’s first English art and culture magazine – Oasis, alongside her sister Noura. Basma co-founded Saudi Arabia’s first-ever Saudi Design Week and is the co-founder and CEO of the Saudi Design Festival. Basma has also represented Saudi Arabia globally, being the co-curator and designer of the Saudi Pavilion in the inaugural edition of the London Design Biennale.

Other representations include the Saudi Pavilion during Abwab at Dubai Design Week. Basma is also passionate about exploring homegrown and indigenous materials and revealing their full potential in the face of modernity. She has gone on to co-found and lead &bouqu an experience-led cultural and creative consultancy that harnesses the power of storytelling to build strategies and execute high-impact projects at the intersection of creativity, arts, culture, design, and innovation.
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Published on: May 18, 2023
Cite: "IRTH. Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Venice Biennial" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/irth-saudi-arabia-pavilion-venice-biennial> ISSN 1139-6415
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