55. Biennale – Padiglione Emirati Arabi Uniti

Mohammed Kazem rappresenta gli Emirati Arabi Uniti alla Biennale di Venezia col progetto Walking on Water.

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Il Padiglione degli Emirati Arabi Uniti in occasione della 55ª Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte svela il titolo della sua mostra:
“Walking on Water”
Abu Dhabi, 14 aprile 2013 – Il Padiglione degli Emirati Arabi Uniti scioglie le riserve sul tema che caratterizzerà la propria mostra alla 55ª Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte – la Biennale di Venezia. Walking on Water è il titolo della mostra curata dalla giovane Reem Fadda che presenterà l’artista Mohammed Kazem.
Per la loro terza partecipazione alla Biennale di Venezia, gli Emirati Arabi presenteranno un’installazione interattiva multimediale realizzata da Mohammed Kazem nell’ambito del suo progetto Directions. Con questo lavoro, l’artista cerca di produrre un’arte di tipo istituzionale pur ricreando un’esperienza singolare per il pubblico.
"Directions è un progetto concettuale che Mohammed Kazem sviluppa da oltre dieci anni, riproponendolo ogni volta con espedienti installativi differenti. Utilizzando il Geographical Positioning System, comunemente
noto come GPS, l’artista documenta la sua presenza in vari luoghi, registrando le coordinate riportate dallo
strumento e integrandole nelle sue installazioni – che comprendono sia video sia pittura. La natura è un tema che prevale in questo lavoro complesso, ponendo un accento particolare sul mare e l’acqua.", spiega la curatrice Reem Fadda.
Forti delle loro partecipazioni precedenti alla Biennale di Venezia, gli Emirati Arabi Uniti sono diventati un attore importante nel mondo dell’arte contemporaneo al livello mondiale e contribuiscono in maniera decisiva allo sviluppo culturale del Golfo. Per la terza volta quest’anno, il Padiglione degli Emirati accoglierà i visitatori dal 1° giugno al 24 novembre 2013.
Avviato dal Ministro della Cultura, dello Sviluppo della Gioventù e della Comunità, Sua Eccellenza HH Sheikh
Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, il Padiglione degli Emirati Arabi Uniti viene sviluppato e presentato sotto l’egida del suo Commissario, la Dott.ssa Lamees Hamdan e dalla curatrice Reem Fadda. Presenteranno
il lavoro dell’artista Mohammed Kazem in una mostra titolata "Walking on Water" con il sostegno della Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.
//FINE
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia Universally recognized as the
world’s most prestigious contemporary art event, la Biennale di Venezia (the Venice Biennale) dates back to 1895
when the first art exhibition was organized. It will present its 55th International Art Exhibition from June 1 through November 24, 2013. In recognition of the emergence of the UAE as a cultural hub, the Biennale has provided a large
and highly visible site in the Arsenale for the UAE Pavilion. Additional to the art exhibition, La Biennale hosts
Architecture Biennale, Film Festival, Music, Theater and Dance Festivals.
2. Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation The Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation works to contribute to the creation of positive futures for the citizens of the United Arab Emirates & the full
realization of their potential and aspirations. To that end, it develops and supports charitable initiatives in the areas of
education, arts, culture & heritage, and the environment. In the arts, the Foundation works toward three strategic goals:
• To support emerging and future Emirati artists in developing their talents at the earliest stages of their growth
• To educate and engage the public in art and to build new audiences in the UAE for the arts
• To introduce the international community to Emirati artistic talent
The Foundation was established by Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan in 2010.
3. Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development The Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community
Development was launched in 2006 to highlight the UAE’s fast-growing community & thriving youths while not losing
sight of its heritage and cultural scene. The Ministry aims to revive the UAE’s heritage by inspiring and encouraging
the creative talents abundant among the youths of today.
It is responsible for promoting and investing in the energies of young people, inspiring them and adding to their artistic abilities. In doing so, the Ministry has raised much awareness towards the community’s cultural practices and in turn, has promoted innovation and enrichment of cultural communication. It is constantly working at creating an integral framework for providing detailed information regarding the country’s culture, youth & community development. In addition, the Ministry also organises ongoing activities and develops mechanisms to secure the necessary support required to achieve its goals.
4. Reem Fadda, (b.1979) Focusing on a number of projects in her native homeland of Palestine, Fadda
was Director of the Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art (PACA) and worked as Academic Director to the International Academy of Art – Palestine, which she helped found in 2006. She co-curated and had been involved in
many projects such as: “Liminal Spaces”, a 4 year long artistic & political project, consisting of conferences, tours, art residencies and exhibitions in Palestine, Israel & Germany; “Ramallah Syndrome”, a project showcased at the 53rd
Venice Biennale; Tarjama/Translation» which was an ArteEast program, showcasing 30 artists from the Middle East
and Central Asia at the Queens Museum & Herbert E. Johnson Museum; and the “3rd RIWAQ Biennale”, which she
curated alongside Charles Esche in Ramallah. She is a member of the general assembly of both the International
Academy of Art, and the Kamandjati Association, the selection jury of the Young Arab Theatre Fund and the steering committee of Decolonizing Architecture. Additionally, she was a recipient of both Chevening and Fulbright scholarships.
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5. Mohammed Kazem, (b.1969) Kazem’s works have been selected for Biennials and Exhibitions around the
world for over two decades, including, Holland, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Lebanon, Bangladesh, India, Spain,
Japan, The USA, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Cuba. He has taken part in several Sharjah International Art Biennials and has
been awarded first prize for installation. Kazem went on to curate the 8th Sharjah Biennial in 2007. Since then, he was
the curator of The Flying House from 2007-2011, while simultaneously curating exhibitions in Spain, Switzerland, and
in the UAE. Kazem opened his own studio, Empty10, in Al Quoz, Dubai. Mohammed most recently graduated with an
MFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, USA in December 2012.
6. Fikra Design Studio Fikra is a multidisciplinary design studio specialized in bilingual graphic design; Arabic
and English. Founded by Salem Al-Qassimi in 2006, Fikra works across a variety of media, time-based and print including
book design, data-visualizations, environmental graphics, bilingual typography; Arabic and English, identity creation, interaction design, and motion graphics. The studio’s philosophy is deeply rooted in investigating new pathways for problem-solving through design exploration and education. Fikra gained its reputation as one of the leading graphic design studios in the UAE.
7. Venice Internship Program Initiated in 2009 in conjunction with the National Pavilion of the UAE at the
Venice Biennale, the Venice Internship Program offers a range of opportunities to young Emiratis keen to engage with culture & arts at the highest international level. The program focuses on a 1 month internship opportunity for an elite group of Emirati nationals based on-site in Venice acting as custodians of the National Pavilion. These interns manage the exhibition and participate in a rigorous educational program utilizing the wealth of museums, galleries and cultural institutions found throughout Venice. The Program runs throughout the 6 month duration of the Art Biennale and will return to Venice in 2013.