00:04Culture connects what conflict tries to break apart. That's the message from Qatar's first
00:09official pavilion here at the 61st Venice Art Biennale, as the country positions itself more
00:15visibly within the global cultural conversation. Often described as the world's most prestigious
00:20international art exhibition, the Venice Biennale brings together countries, artists,
00:25and curators from across the globe. And this year, Qatar is making history. Its future permanent
00:31pavilion in the Giardini is the first new national pavilion to be added here in 30 years.
00:37We gather here, however, in a difficult hour. Across our region and beyond, displacement,
00:44destruction, and destabilization have become daily words. Culture connects what conflicts
00:51tries to break apart. It honors the humanity in each of us.
00:57Inside, this space feels less like a traditional gallery and more like a gathering. The project,
01:03titled Untitled 2026, A Gathering of Remarkable People, mixes live music, film, food, and performance.
01:12Rather than focusing only on Qatari artists, the pavilion brings together voices from across the
01:17region, reflecting Qatar's broader push to position itself as a cultural hub.
01:22We are a multicultural country, and we very much support that and work together with everybody.
01:28At the center of it all is a large tent-like structure designed by artist Rickrit Tirovinesia.
01:34At the moment in time, you know, with all the troubles around in the world, I think it's quite important
01:41for
01:41us to have a place to come together, and also to hear, and to smell, and to taste like really
01:51things that are diverse. I think what defines the energy of the space is really the fact that you
01:57can really see art being made. The music you hear is really being made in that moment, being invented.
02:06So it's a really vibrant place for creativity.
02:10For Qatar Museums, the Biennale presentation is also a preview of Rubaya Qatar, a new nationwide
02:16contemporary art festival launching later this year.
02:18What this pavilion is about is about the idea of gathering, of listening, of conversing,
02:24of eating and sharing food together. So it really brought everything together. You're not going in
02:30to see an artwork on a wall, you're actually part of the artwork.
02:33At a time of wider instability across the region and beyond, Qatar is using this platform to
02:38emphasize cultural dialogue, positioning art, performance, and food as ways to build connection
02:44across borders. Abdul Halim, Euronews, Venice.
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