By Mehdi Al-Nimr
(with photos) VENICE, Aug 30 (KUNA) -- Paolo Baratta, the president of the Venice Biennale, hailed on Thursday Kuwait's first participation in the 13th Venice International Architecture Biennale.
In statements to KUNA, Baratta expressed admiration of the Kuwaiti pavilion he visited and the team, he described as "creative", who designed it.
He said he was astonished by the creativity and professionalism of the young Kuwait male and female architects and interior designers who designed and built the pavilion.
The organisers of the exhibition are pleased with the Kuwaiti contribution to the event, he added.
The project's design team was led by young Kuwaiti architect Zahra Ali Baba, and was sponsored by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL).
Part of the project named 'kathra', which means abundance in Arabic, manifests the project's two main horizontal and ground dimensions that have overlapped schemes of urban architectural developments in Kuwait over the decades.
It includes mosaic columns that showcase the interactional aspects of the Kuwaiti society, depicting a pictorial map of cultural and social connections through urban architectural growth.
The Venice International Architecture Biennale is arguably the most important event on the international contemporary architecture calendar. Thousands of the world's most influential architects, designers, urban planners, developers and critics visit the Biennale, resulting in considerable discussion and commentary in the architectural press and general media.
Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt are the only Arab countries participating at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition, in which the international jury will select the best artist for this year to win the Gold Lion Prize. (end) mn.ibi KUNA 301934 Aug 12NNNN