Structures of Memory books set by Lest We Forget

Responding the theme ‘Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014’ set by Rem Koolhaas (curator of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition), ‘Lest We Forget” Structures of Memory in the United Arab Emirates’ presents the seminal findings of Lest We Forget to archive history of architecture and urban development in the UAE over the past century. With concentration on the 1970s-1980s, the exhibition examines how public and residential architecture, built within rapidly expanding urban context, shaped the newly established federation and prepared the foundation for its emergence on a global stage.

Lest We Forget is an innovative archival and research initiative that documents Emirati vernacular cultural memory and generates contemporary responses through the use of artistic language. Lest We Forget collaborates with individuals, families and communities to create artistic books, exhibitions, films, animations, product designs and even an opera.