P2BK Village

By Ali Al Yousifi

               If you haven’t already heard about the newly constructed village built by P2BK (Proud to Be Kuwaiti), wait, what am I saying? of course you have, everyone has heard about P2BK’s village. The 18,000m² village in the International Fairground in Mishref district has been publicized to no end by both its makers and many satisfied visitors.

               I visited the village last weekend. Not knowing where the it was exactly, I arrived at the fairground and just followed the congested traffic edging towards their common destination. Before reaching the actual village I was happily surprised with a huge flag of Kuwait painted with countless handprints.

                Once I reached the high walls of the village I was again surprised by the large crowd of people clustered around the gates. I snuck my way into the crowd and finally reached the other side of the walls. Inside, the village is cluttered with overlapping activities and attractions. The main attraction were the many kiosks covered large parts of the village, showcasing the creative work of Kuwait’s youth.

The kiosks are divided into different zones. Some flank covered linear paths, some create the outdoor public paths; some areas were showcasing products, while other areas served food.

Other attractions included live drawing/painting shows, large-scale sculptures made out of mud, paintings and posters depicting aspects of Kuwaiti culture hung on many walls, and costumed characters that walk around village and entertain the visitors.

P2BK’s Village is not intended to be an honest representation of a traditional Kuwaiti village, nor is it trying to become a sculptural piece of ‘high culture’; instead it is a built environment inspired by the people it serves. Often these days, we see pieces of art or architecture whose concept and significance, although being highly acclaimed by professional critics, are inaccessible to the general public. P2BK’s Village is not like that, it is completely tuned to represent and entertain Kuwaiti society. 

The village will be open until the 19th of March