The National Pavilion UAE has announced Azza Aboualam as the curator of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2025.
The International Architecture Exhibition, entitled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. will run from 10 May to 23 November 2025, and will be curated by Carlo Ratti, an Italian architect, engineer and educator.
Azza Aboualam was selected from the third open call to curate the National Pavilion UAE, which encouraged those who had worked in the UAE or the MENASA regions to choose an unknown story from the country which they deemed engaged with global discourse on the practice of architecture. The aim of each new edition of the open call is to extend the network of fresh perspectives which contribute to the birth of new ideas and are essential in the UAE’s role as a hub for creative innovation.
Aboualam, once an intern at the National Pavilion UAE’s first participation in the Architecture Biennale, is now an architect and assistant professor at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University. In addition to her appointment as curator, Aboualam will be given the opportunity to showcase her research at the Biennale as well as a publication accompanying the exhibition.
His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, said: “The Ministry of Culture endeavours to boost local talent and present the UAE’s cultural and creative output globally. We proudly announce Azza Aboualam as the curator for the next architecture exhibition hosted by the National Pavilion UAE. The exhibition will showcase innovative research from the UAE, bringing fresh perspectives to the international stage. It is heartening to see our nation’s brightest minds and their compelling narratives resonating and engaging with people worldwide.”
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will runt from 10 May to 23 November 2025
