Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan launched the Kingdom's pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture on Friday.

The 17th version of the exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday (May 21) and runs through November 21, 2021, is titled "How will we live together?"

The Architecture and Design Commission (ADC) arranged the inaugural event, which was attended by Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Italy, Prince Faisal Bin Sattam, president of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto, CEO of the ADC Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, and a multitude of authorities and many others interested in the subject from the Kingdom and throughout the globe.

After unveiling the Saudi pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, the culture minister expressed pride and joy, saying that it "contains inspirational works that represent the convergence between our ancient heritage and our ambition for the future of the craft of architecture, clearly visible with its diversity and beauty in the intricacies of our cultural heritage."

He also emphasized the importance of art in “creating greater possibilities for discourse, expanding perspectives, and establishing new areas for collaboration, particularly at this tough time of COVID-19 pandemic.”

Prince Badr conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the Venice Biennale for its efforts in this regard, "which helped to sustain the vibrancy of the message of art and culture."

He also complimented the Kingdom's and Italy's remarkable cultural relations, saying that "last year, the two countries jointly, with the support of the G20, accomplished in putting culture on the G20 platform for the first time, and this year, we offered and continue to provide complete backing to Italy in the cultural route of the G20 during its presidency year, welcoming innovative opportunities for cultural cohesion."

Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the ADC, presented a speech showcasing the Saudi pavilion as a research and exploration destination, and its role in supporting and commemorating the Kingdom's ongoing cultural and creative growth.

She went on to say that the pavilion follows the history of enclosures, looking at how the physical environment and urban fabric adjust to meet emergencies, and how the interpretation and usage of such areas change through time.

The cultural minister and participants explored parts of the Saudi pavilion "Accommodations," which is administered by the Architecture and Design Commission and is an experiential exhibit evaluating spatial and social contacts with "other," wherein histories, protocols, quarantine, hospitality, and housing are intermingled.

Aside from the notion of "Residences," the exhibition "Accommodations" includes both temporary and permanent structures used to handle the threat of transmission during significant pandemic occurrences.

The exhibition examines the methods in which the built environment and urban fabric adjust to accommodate emergencies, and the alterations in meaning and usage of such spaces across time, highlighting conflicts between the activities of separation included in quarantine and the actions of accommodation necessary to continue existing.