Gulf Bank sponsors the Kuwait Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Gulf Bank is pleased to be a lead sponsor of the Kuwait Pavilion at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia, which kicked off 28 May and will run until 27 November 2016. Kuwait’s participation in the Venice Biennale is commissioned and organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL).

The prestigious architecture event is taking place under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Salman Al Humood, Minister of Information – Kuwait; H.E. Sheikh Ali Al Khaled Al Sabah, Ambassador of Kuwait to Italy; H.E. Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa, Minister of Culture – Bahrain; H.E. Sheikh Nuhayan Al Nuhayan, Minister of Culture – UAE; and Mr Paolo Baratta, President of La Biennale in Italy.

This is Kuwait’s third participation in the event and in an unprecedented step includes design and written contributions from across the Gulf at its Pavilion. Kuwait’s representation this year responds to the announced theme of “Reporting from the Front” through architectural dialogue across the waters of the Gulf in the form of a collective project put together by regional design practices. The exhibition was commissioned by Zahra Ali Baba from NCCAL and the curators are Hamed Bukhamseen of Kuwait and Ali Karimi from Bahrain.

Titled ‘Between East and West: A Gulf’, the Kuwait Pavilion looks past Kuwait’s borders to those of contested hydrography of the Arabian Gulf and proposes new ideas.  It is providing a platform for dialogue and creative artistic network from across the Gulf region, focusing on the young generation and their creative design, architecture and planning ideas that push forward the old conception of reality by imagining a prospective future; the waterscape of the Gulf and the scattered islands as connecting elements across different cultures, languages, and beliefs.

The Pavilion, located in the Arsenale, features a catalog of over three hundred islands in the Gulf, elaborating on their histories and character. In addition to this compilation, the Pavilion features design proposals for a selection of these islands, made from young and established architectural practices in the region, highlighting how a master plan could be implemented across these contested waters. 

Gulf Bank is strongly committed to giving back to Kuwait and society through its corporate social responsibility program.  The Bank supports numerous events focusing on youth, education, health and fitness, helping the underprivileged, women’s empowerment, as well as promoting Kuwait’s heritage and culture.  

For more details about Gulf Bank initiatives, please visit the bank’s website www.e-gulfbank.com or its social media accounts.