BEHIND THE SCENES
The 54th Venice Biennale’s UAE Interns
Twenty Emiratis and residents of the UAE were chosen to man the UAE National Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale. Canvas Guide caught up with two of the Pavilion's interns, Hessa Ali Al-Joker and Manal Bin Obood, to learn about their experience.
Developed by the office of the UAE Pavilion and supported by the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, the Tourism Investment and Development Company (TDIC), and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, this internship programme was launched to recruit Emiratis to manage the UAE's National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale from 28 May-28 November 2011.
Before arriving in Venice, the recipients of this special opportunity underwent a month of in-depth training in the UAE under the guidance of the country's top cultural authorities including the Sharjah Art Foundation, TDIC, varied UAE galleries as well as the Italian embassy. The objective of this unique cultural and artistic immersion is to equip the next generation of UAE arts practitioners with the necessary skills to place the country's culture at the forefront of the global arts scene. While in Venice, the interns were also exposed to a number of cultural institutions such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, San Marco's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
So how did this internship come about?
Manal Bin Obood: It was by chance and luck. I was Hessa's eighth grade teacher at the Millenium School in Dubai. Once she left to high school, we became friends and would often get together to talk about art and visit galleries and museums. Our friendship really developed after we participated in a performance in December 2010 with artist Patricia Millns about Queen Elizabeth in the presence of Her Majesty in the UAE. During that time, I also received an email by mistake for internship submissions to the Venice Biennale. I spoke with Rosie Stubbs, the UAE Venice Internship Coordinator and told her I wanted to apply with Hessa. Rosie told me to wait until next time as we would have more artistic experience under our belt. So Hessa and I did a lot of workshops together and volunteered with many artists.
Hessa Ali Al-Joker: I graduated from Dubai's Women's College with a business degree and am now completing a degree in Graphic Design at Zayed University. When Manal and I applied to the internship, I thought it would be great to share this experience of travelling alone for the first time with a dear friend.
Concerning the workshops and meetings you attended in Dubai, how long did they last and what did they consist of?
MBO: We had four workshops beginning with the Sharjah Biennale. It took place every Saturday in May in the lead-up to the Venice Biennale. During the first one we discussed the Sharjah Art Museum and the artworks within it in order to prepare us for any questions. We also had workshops at Manarat Al-Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi regarding information about the upcoming UAE Pavilion. The third workshop was held in DIFC at Café Florian. It was like experiencing a piece of Italy in Dubai! They taught us about the Italian culture and we were lectured on Italy by an official from the Italian embassy. The fourth workshop took place at Dubai's JamJar where we discussed how to communicate using social media in order to give feedback to the local community.
What did manning the Pavilion entail?
MBO: We had to make sure that all of the artworks were in place and set up properly. We also had to take visitors on a tour, and make sure that any children that came around wouldn't touch the artworks. We also helped during the actual press opening and collated visitors' business cards. People from different nationalities had a great desire to learn about our country's art and customs.
What kind of questions were you asked?
HAA: We were asked alot about our abayas! This provided us with the chance to explain to foreigners that we were happy wearing it as many people generally have the wrong idea.
How did it feel to be in Venice representing your country?
MBO: I loved it! Each day after work on my way home from the Arsenale, I would think about how special it was to be there and how proud I was to be representing the UAE. As an artist, it was such an enriching experience, being exposed to so much Contemporary art.
HAA: Seeing Contemporary art in Venice was totally different from what we witness in the UAE. We covered all the Pavilions and I saw a lot of artworks which really inspired me.
What were the most and least enjoyable aspects of your stay in Venice?
HAA: For me, the best part was showing guests the artworks. It was also nice to be able to answer so many questions. I felt happy that I was educating others. The downside was that I was giving the same information over and over again.
MBO: I have many favourites. I loved the opening as we met so many people. It was also amazing to walk in Venice and hear the sound of the water. As for the least enjoyable parts, the tourists would be up until 3am in the morning and their chatter and footsteps along the street would wake us up!
What about meeting the artists?
MBO and HAA: Lateefa Bint Maktoum! We were amazed when she mentioned on her Facebook page that the interns were such hard workers. It made us happy that she respected what we were doing.
Do you think that your experience in Venice will inspire your oeuvre?
HAA: It has really inspired my art because I saw so many installations during my time there, I am thinking of creating one myself now.
MBO: I want to find other ways of exhibiting my artworks. I am not a big name yet, but hope to get more support.
Venice Biennale intern Mona Al-Gurg with guest. 
Venice Biennale intern Hamed Al-Qamshouai with guest. 
Venice Biennale intern Sarah Al-Agroobi with guests. 
