Ruya Foundation hosted a reception for the opening of Invisible Beauty, the National Pavilion of Iraq at the 56th Venice Biennale last week. Over 600 people attended, where they met the artists, Salam Atta Sabri, Akam Shex Hadi, Latif al Ani and Rabab Ghazoul, who presented their works for the first time at the Venice Biennale.
H.E. Mr. Saywan Barzani, Iraq’s ambassador to Italy, H.E. Mr. Fareed Yassin, Iraq’s ambassador to France, and H.E. Mr. Massimo Marotti, Italy’s ambassador to Iraq, also attended the opening reception.
To inaugurate the Pavilion, curator Philippe Van Cauteren said: “The project is a necessity, more than ever it is important to focus on the arts in Iraq”.
“With the rise of ISIS this summer, we struggled to make sense of a Pavilion at this time” said Ruya chairman and co-founder Tamara Chalabi “This was our way of fighting back, of saying we choose life, not death”.
Guests sign the guestbook for the Iraq Pavilion on the opening week of the 56th Venice Biennale. Photo: Ayman al Amiri. (c) Ruya Foundation
At the opening of the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. Photo: Ayman al Amiri (c) Ruya Foundation.
Exhibition view, Pavilion of Iraq. Photo: Mathias Depardon. (c) Mathias Depardon/ Ruya Foundation
At the Invisible Beauty Opening Reception. Photo: Mathias Depardon. (c) Mathias Depardon/ Ruya Foundation
Reem Shather Kubba, co-co-founder of Ruya Foundation at the Iraq Pavilion. Photo: Mathias Depardon. (c) Mathias Depardon/ Ruya Foundation
Philippe Van Cauteren curator of Invisible Beauty and Tamara Chalabi chairman of Ruya Foundation. Photo: Mathias Depardon. (c) Mathias Depardon/ Ruya FoundationFoundation
Ruya Foundation’s chairman Tamara Chalabi inaugurates Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. Photo: Ayman al Amiri. (c) Ruya Foundation
Photo: Mathias Depardon. (c) Mathias Depardon/ Ruya Foundation