The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a newfound curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first.
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The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a newfound curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first.
Pressure Cooker: National Pavilion UAE at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale | Azza Aboualam
The afikra Podcast
41 minutes 22 seconds
4 weeks ago
Pressure Cooker: National Pavilion UAE at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale | Azza Aboualam
We delve into the UAE National Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale, titled "Pressure Cooker" with curator Azza Aboualam. An assistant professor at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University Dubai and co-founder of Holesum Studio, Aboualam explains how architecture can be a cornerstone for achieving food security, particularly in challenging climates like UAE's and the broader Gulf region. Inspired by a simple question from her mother about the origin of blueberries in the UAE, Aboualam's work explored the intersection of architectural design and food production, focusing on innovative greenhouse typologies. The "Pressure Cooker" exhibition showcases how traditional and high-tech architectural elements can be reconfigured to prolong growing seasons and expand food production within the UAE. We unpack the complexities of food security as a national priority, the economic and environmental costs of imported food, and the surprising prevalence of individual-led greenhouse projects in the UAE. We also touch upon the fascinating historical context of food in the UAE, the impact of population growth on food systems, and a unique architectural cookbook attached to the project, which frames the conversation around food and built environments.
The afikra Podcast
The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a newfound curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first.
