{"id":48115,"date":"2023-10-18T15:27:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T11:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/?p=48115"},"modified":"2023-10-19T20:10:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T16:10:04","slug":"coming-soon-dubai-design-week-bigger-better-and-more-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/coming-soon-dubai-design-week-bigger-better-and-more-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming soon: Dubai Design Week, bigger, better, and more sustainable?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dubai Design Week<\/a> (8-12 November) is back for its ninth edition, promising its most diverse programme yet of events and activities. There are still <\/strong>several<\/strong> gaps in the <\/strong>published<\/strong> programme <\/strong>on the website<\/strong>, but already it looks a very strong offering \u2013 more than good enough to confirm Dubai\u2019s position as the design and creative capital of the Middle East and cementing its status as a UNESCO City of Design.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experiment with scattering wrk around the city (albeit with most concentrated in d3) appears to have been parked. Instead the whole 2024 programme happens in one eminently sensible single location, Dubai Design District, which has all the resources to attract and service the more than 150,000 visitors that the organisers expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the proximity of COP28, a key feature will be a focus on reclaiming, reimagining and promoting sustainable practices \u2013 \u201cRethink the Regular\u201d is the tagline, and DDW\u2019s programming director Natasha Carella says the aim is to \u201cfocus attention on how different practices can converge to look at sustainability, which we see as pivotal for the future of the design industry\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As usual, the centrepiece of Design Week is Downtown Design<\/strong><\/a>, the Middle East\u2019s top design fair. This year it celebrates its tenth anniversary (it arrived a year before its organisers decided to create the full design-week experience around it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the largest edition to date of DDW\u2019s core B2B element, based on collections by designers and suppliers nearly all of whom are looking for buyers from developers and hotel groups to fitout specialists and interior architects. There\u2019ll still be much to inform, entertain and possibly stimulate the non-buying public; you can expect stylish, innovative products and design solutions along with creative concepts that veer towards kitsch and get enthusiastically close to OTT. Expect furniture, lighting and home accessories aplenty.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And check out The Forum, the space inside Downtown Design that hosts a series of live talks, panel discussions and keynotes. There are some impressive names listed; the opening keynote, for instance, comes from noted trend forecaster (and founder of the Paris-based Trend Union forecasting service) Li Edelkoort<\/strong><\/a> (right). She\u2019s highly regarded both for her insights and as an activist and champion for change; catch her if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other speakers to catch the eye include the Lebanese furtniture design duo David\/Nicholas<\/strong> (David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem); the Argentinian multimedia artist, graphic designer and creative director Pilar Zeta<\/strong>, pioneer of \u2018mystical futurism\u2019; Ross Lovegrove<\/strong>, one of the few designers to have had a solo retrospective at the Pompidou Centre in Paris; and the British-Ghanaian designer Chrissa Amuah<\/strong> of AMWA Designs, whose movd well beyond her original speciality in textiles to include the Africa By Design platform, a collaboration at the 2021 London Design Biennale, and a strong sense that great designs can be underpinned by the beauty and integrity in great craftsmanship. Highly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downtown Design is free to attend, but you\u2019ll need to preregister here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Downtown Design will get the crowds, but the installations and exhibitions around the main d3 buildings will grab the attention. Abwab<\/strong><\/a> will always get the attention; this annually remodelled installation aims to provide a platform for regional design talent from across the MENASA region, and the festival\u2019s 2023 commission went to Emirati architect Abdalla Almulla<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told The National: \u201cDriven by the concept of scarcity and in alignment with the sustainability theme, I decided to harness an existing natural resource and to use it in a creative way to serve beyond its original purpose\u201d. That resource is the date palm, and the installation is titled Of Palm; everything about it uses palm, \u201cits structure, the interiors and all the products that will be displayed in it\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His pavilion will also be used for a series of interventions and performances during Design Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another of the open calls was for Design Week\u2019s Urban Commissions<\/strong> design competition, which this year invited proposals for innovative public outdoor furniture. We don\u2019t yet know who won; the successful design will be unveiled in d3 at the start of Design Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

d3 will also have more than 20 outdoor installations and projects proposed by studios and business around the region and beyond. Some of these look like they will be really exceptional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Among them is Altostrata \u2013 Therme Pavilion<\/strong><\/a>, a 3D-printed architectural pavilion with a structure made from biodegradable sugar-based PLA (something of a hot button for designers right now, a type of polyester formulated from natural materials that can replace petroleum-based plastics) and featuring other innovations like eco-cooling walls made entirely from loofah and paper pulp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was originally seen this summer in Romania at Sibiu International Theatre Festival\u2019s Forum for Theatre and Architecture. It comes from Fab.Pub<\/strong><\/a>, a joint venture between Mamou-Mani Architects (\u201ca new kind of architectural practice specialising in digitally-designed and fabricated architecture, custom products and interfaces\u201d) and hyperactive \u201cinclusive urban wellness\u201d developer Therme Group. They\u2019ve developed a portable 3D printing \u2018factory\u2019 as well as the materials to be printed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also like the sound of University of Sharjah’s Eco <\/strong>Sand <\/strong>Wall<\/strong><\/a>, also a 3D-printed PLA-based structure but one that adds an aesthetic element which is sometimes missing from environmentally accountable designs. The Voronoi pattern is key to this, an organically uneven arrangement of irregular polygons; the design is created by scattering points at random on a Euclidean plane that is then divided up into tessellating polygons. The result looks great, but it also offers structural robustness, optimises the use and distribution of the material, and reduces overall weight. It\u2019s clever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowing Threads <\/strong><\/a>by the Palestinian artist and textile designer Areen Hassan<\/strong><\/a> is another very attractive installation. This one majors on symbolism rather than functionality; Hassan is known for her use of Islamic motifs, especially calligraphic shapes printed on to fabric, but this installation uses handcrafted textile shapes that demonstrate transparency and adaptability as the threads follow the flow of the wind and the shafts of sunlight. The visitor is invited to contemplate the layers of identity and the importance of transparency in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hexa Deck <\/strong><\/a>by Gujerati studio HSC Designs<\/strong><\/a> doesn\u2019t appear to have anything to do with the temporary flooring system of the same (and trademarked) name, but is a communal space with a modest shelter that aims to be \u201ca sanctuary from the frantic, modern-day pace of living\u201d. It exemplifies sustainable practice, of course, from eco-friendly wood to a polish derived from tree sap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubai-based architecture and design studio TEE VEE EFF<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 led by the near-eponymous Tarlan Vaziri Farahani) has an exhibit called Pulp Fractions<\/strong><\/a>, made of stackable structures created from recycled paper and cardboard. These can be dis- and reassembled to suit various sites and functions; we could see them as lightweight space dividers, but they may also be strong enough for more structural uses \u2013 we also like the way wind and light can pass through the blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Architects Wael Al Awar and Kazuma Yamao of waiwai<\/a> will show Urban Hadeera<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 the latest development of their Wetland research project, winner of the Venice Architecture Biennial\u2019s Golden Lion in 2021. The project is all about reusing wastewater brine from desalination plants as a structural material; the studio has developed a sustainable cement from it, and Urban Hadeera is a prototype of a traditional structural shelter made from blocks or bricks formed with the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The installation draws inspiration from the hadeera, historically a shelter from desert winds and sand. The urban hadeera translates this into contemporary cityscapes as a space for reading, reflection, or conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

More vernacular inspiration: the Dubai-based Pakistani artist Shabir Ahmed Mir has drawn on the traditional gargour fish cage for Ring of Life<\/strong><\/a>, a finely woven steel artwork that uses the construction technique of the gargour to symbolise both heritage and resilience in the face of environmental challenges. Mir says the sculpture goes further; the openness of the design is available as a metaphor for contrasting yet inseparable ideas \u2013 \u201cthe relationship between a centre and the periphery, form and formlessness, fragility and stability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re a sucker for anything light-related, so we were pleased to see Dubai\u2019s Vertical Design<\/strong><\/a> represented with an installation called Prismatic Dreamscape<\/strong><\/a>. Vertical does old-school neon and the more modern alternative, LED flex, to create commercial and artistic light sculptures \u2013 \u201cWe\u2019re using the power of Art to make the world a brighter place\u201d as the studio puts it. The Prismatic Dreamscape is an installation of two glass structures, each filled with light emitters; one is laid horizontally to mirror the earth, the other is vertical and reaches towards the sky. \u201cAs you explore these twin installations,\u201d says the blurb, \u201cyou’ll find that they seamlessly blur the lines between the grounded and the infinite … Here, art transcends the ordinary and invites you to discover the beauty of harmony within contrast\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And of course there\u2019s a variety of exhibitions throughout the week. Check out work from new and emerging UAE-based designers in the annual UAE Designer Exhibition<\/strong>, curated by Fatma Al Mahmoud from an open call; it\u2019s usually a good bet, and sometimes the single curator option delivers a more coherent show than a jury which tends to look for consensus. 421<\/strong><\/a> regularly exhibits a 100\/100 Best Arabic Poste<\/strong>rs<\/strong><\/a> exhibition at its Abu Dhabi base, and this selection comes from the fourth show that aims to document the Arab world\u2019s poster culture. London\u2019s RCA<\/strong><\/a> is back with an exhibition of more than 20 projects (mostly by current and recent students) that span design, sustainability, and emerging technologies \u2013 notably AI. (This year\u2019s RCA grad shows were excellent, by the way.)<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Saporiti Italia<\/strong><\/a> is just opening in d3, and will be using the occasion for the \u2018Saporiti Design Experience<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 \u2013 a creative laboratory for DIDI students to reimagine a Saporiti classic, the Miamina armchair originally designed in 1984 (and itself a modern interpretation of the Tripolina folding chair used by the British army during its WWII North African campaigns).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will also be several talks, workshops and masterclasses throughout the week to offer insight, information, and in some cases hands-on experience. We\u2019re promised \u201ca stellar roster of guests and speakers\u201d, but we\u2019ll have to take their word for that since we know little apart from some of the Downtown Design speakers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A word too for Colab<\/strong><\/a>, the purpose-designed materials library in d3 that offers a platform for new materials and design trends. Colab is just back from showing at the Material Matters fair in London, widely regarded as one of the highlights of last month\u2019s London Design Festival, where it showcased several innovative products from the region. It\u2019s bringing the same RETHINK<\/strong><\/a> pop-up to DDW too \u2013 well worth checking out if you\u2019re interested in new possibiliies (and we all should be)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubai Design Week <\/strong><\/a>takes place in Dubai Design District (d3)<\/a> from 7 to 12 November 2023. Access to d3 by car is pretty easy \u2013 there\u2019s plenty of free parking \u2013 and the taxis are familiar with the place. It\u2019s free to attend, though some of the limited-seating workshops and talks may ask for preregistration; in particular, Downtown Design asks you to sign up in advance here<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dubai Design Week (8-12 November) is back for its ninth edition, promising its most diverse programme yet of events and activities. There are still several gaps in the published programme on the website, but already it looks a very strong [… more]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,124],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-design","category-festival"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}