Fountain of joy
The famous Qasr Al Hosn Festival 2015 is happening in Abu
Dhabi now. The event has a deep-rooted history connected with the country and
in particular Abu Dhabi.
It was my honour to be associated with it as the festival
had a special section to recreate and present the Lest We Forget: Structures of
Memory in the UAE exhibited at the famous Venice Architectural Biennale.
The national pavilion of the UAE was the exact replica of
what was exhibited and my exhibits on one of the architectural marvels that
existed in Abu Dhabi from 1984 – 2004: the Volcano Fountain were present in it.
On one of the days, I was invited to a presentation and an
interactive workshop on it to share my memories and exhibits.
It was a working day and I was keen to be there early and
awaited my audience. The crowd started coming in small numbers. As we started
interacting, an elderly national and his children came to attend. He was not
comfortable following the English presentation and a lady volunteer helped him
with the translation.
As he blended with the subject, there came a chest of
knowledge treasure from him. He was in the army for a long time and told us
about those days when there was absolutely no modern facilities. The then Ruler
late Sheikh Zayed is said to have drawn plans with his sticks on the sand and
corrected the architects whenever things were not done as per his plans.
By the end of the session, it was one of the most memorable
interactions we ever had on the subject in the recent times. We were excited to
listen to the way he carried his memories and conveyed to us as well as his
children and grandchildren who were with him.
We all wished and enlivened the day when the new Volcano
Fountain will come into existence in the new developments happening in Abu
Dhabi.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today - Short Take - Dt 21 February 2015
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
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