Aziz Motawa Explores Liminal Landscapes at Venice Architecture Biennale

Kuwaiti artist Aziz Motawa discusses his photographic practice and his current exhibition at the Kuwait Pavilion of the Venice Biennale of Architecture. Motawa's work focuses on neglected landscapes, particularly the intertidal mudflats of Sulaibikhat north of Kuwait City, where natural, industrial, and personal histories converge. He traces his fascination to childhood encounters with mudskippers at the Doha Reserve, an area later contaminated by depleted uranium from the 1991 Camp Doha explosion. His short film 'Seeds will Glow' juxtaposes personal footage of his sister Dana with archival material of that disaster. Motawa's recent show at Sultan Gallery explored the concept of 'common flesh,' drawing on deep ecology to equate abused ecologies with neglected bodies. He co-founded Akkaz Collective, a group of architects, researchers, and artists whose work is featured at the Kuwait Pavilion through installation, photographic prints, and publications. Motawa is also developing experimental short films and sound compositions.