On view from May 2 to July 12, 2026, A Journey into Architecture Archives: BAGHDAD, DAMASCUS, TUNIS, curated by Architect George Arbid, is presented as a Collection Room at Sharjah Architecture Triennial’s primary venue #AlQasimiyahSchool.
Building on the inaugural 2023 exhibition, which focused on Beirut, Cairo and Rabat, ‘Journeys into Architecture Archives’ was developed to foster knowledge production about the region from within its own communities, while contributing to the development of a shared archival database.
This edition, focusing on Baghdad, Damascus, and Tunis, features work from private collections and institutional archives. It brings together reproductions of architectural drawings, documents and models dating largely from 1930 to 1980, alongside three documentaries commissioned by SAT and directed by Arbid, filmed on location across the three cities.
In response to ongoing political instability in the region, this edition marks a shift from the previous exhibition format to a Collection Room. The transition reflects an evolving methodology: one that moves away from the conventions of exhibition display toward a quieter, more sustained engagement with material. It also underscores SAT’s broader commitment to addressing the urgent condition of architectural archives in the Arab world, highlighting both their precarity and their significance as repositories of architectural knowledge, historical insight and cultural memory.
‘A Journey into Architecture Archives: Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis’, curated by architect George Arbid.
To mark the opening of the Collection Room on Saturday, 2 May, George Arbid will present an online lecture from 3–4pm, reflecting on his journey and introducing key projects that will be featured in the Collection Room. From 4–5:30pm, he will lead a live panel discussion and Q&A. The panel will address the conditions of access and use of archives in various environments in the region, namely in Baghdad, Damascus, and Tunis. Panelists include Salma Gharbi, Zaid Issam, Ahmad Salah, and Ola Seif.
Building on the inaugural 2023 exhibition, which focused on Beirut, Cairo and Rabat, ‘Journeys into Architecture Archives’ was developed to foster knowledge production about the region from within its own communities, while contributing to the development of a shared archival database.
This edition, focusing on Baghdad, Damascus, and Tunis, features work from private collections and institutional archives. It brings together reproductions of architectural drawings, documents and models dating largely from 1930 to 1980, alongside three documentaries commissioned by SAT and directed by Arbid, filmed on location across the three cities.
Date: Saturday May 2, 2026
Venue: Online
Schedule:
3 – 4pm: Lecture presented by George Arbid (English)
4 – 5pm: Panel discussion (Arabic)
5pm – 5:30pm: Q&A (English and Arabic)
Samedi 2 mai
Heure à Tunis : 12 h
Inscrivez-vous via ce lien :
https://lnkd.in/dAitJdUp
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