The Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi in partnership with SKIRA Editore (Milan, 2022) has published the book The Italian Legacy in the United Arab Emirates: The Urban and Industrial Landscape.
The work, curated by Lucia Pizzinato, illustrates the contribution of Italian architecture and engineering in the development of the urban and industrial landscape of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 to date. The book is the result of in-depth research work in the area. It features a remarkable gallery of photographs and illustrative texts related to forty-six projects carried out in the Emirates by Italian companies, enterprises, and architectural firms that show our country’s excellence in the field – from large energy plants to infrastructure and works of architecture that characterize the constantly changing and rapidly transforming landscape of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The Italian Ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Lorenzo Fanara, said : “The book clearly shows how much Italy has contributed to the extraordinary industrial and architectural development of the United Arab Emirates. It is the result of a strong demand for Italian design, projects, and products that has been present in the Emirates since their establishment. Such a strong and consolidated demand for Made-in-Italy products not only supports our exports and services in this dynamic market, but also makes us proud to have contributed to shaping the architectural landscape of this beautiful country that is geographically so distant from Italy and yet humanly so close to us.”
The book was meant to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and the UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai. The publication highlights the constant cooperation linking the two countries. The close relations binnding the two countries are recalled in the foreword by Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE, and in the introduction by Nicola Lener, Ambassaador of Italy to the UAE from 2019-2022.
The book “The Italian Legacy in the United Arab Emirates: The Urban and Industrial Landscape” was presented on Friday, November 11, at the Sharjah International Book Fair, in which Italy has participated as Guest of Honor, (November 2-13, 2022 Expo Sharjah). The curator, Lucia Pizzinato and photographer Michele Nastasi (author of some of the photos in the book) talked about research methodologies and photographic representation of the landscape.
Skira Editore Editions d’Art Albert Skira, also known simply as SKIRA, is a publishing house founded in 1928 and based in Italy. The company is best known for its art and art-related books, with an unwavering dedication to quality images and packaging.
