1. A TOUCH OF THE ARAB CULTURE AND CONTEXT
From Arab folklore to UAE’s vernacular buildings, there exists a recurrent theme of ‘grandeur in simplicity’ in the Gulf’s heritage. This time at Dubai Design Week, installations such as Suhail Design by Reem Al Bustani and Al Gargoor by Sara Alrayyes imbue UAE’s pride in their culture. While the inspiration for the former is the Suhail star, which represents the anticipated onset of cooler weather, the latter is a public space made up of a variety of furnishings made from gargoor, a formerly used fishing net, to retain the value of fishing culture, prominent in the region.
A few more must-go’s to witness the Arab heritage are:
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‘From the Dunes & Trees’ from ARDH Collective – an installation made from natural and waste resources from dunes and trees
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Palm Renaissance by Shema John and Murugan A – another one to use date palm waste to make dynamic screens
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Once Upon A Forest canopy by OBMI, embodying native mangroves also represent the region’s cultural musings.
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Islamic Motifs workshop by Areen Hassan and the intriguing Palast der Republik Burj Khalifa installation and talk are in tandem with the context.
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The Spanish Spin in the Middle East – Opening Breakfast on November 9 will discuss the influence of Spanish Design in the Gulf at ACTIU Showroom.
2. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF DESIGN: METAVERSE AND SUSTAINABILITY
A dark circular booth mimicking the forum space of the Babel 4.0 metaverse being developed by Dewan Architects and Engineers’ Metaverse Architecture Department will be showcased at Dubai Design Week 2022. The booth will also host the Metaverse Exhibition and a Metaverse Talks Programme.
In an attempt to make visitors aware of the impending doom, if we do not begin to get conscious of the environment, Quartz Architects have come up with an ‘inverted wave’ of waste that will hover over a portion of the location. With a focus on repurposing waste from construction, the installation will closely follow the state of different materials post-architectural erection process.
Installations & Exhibitions:
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KIN, an installation by Fadaa space, is constructed of bricks made from discarded shellfish from restaurants and low-carbon lime.
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Curated by Dubai-based MetaDecrypt, an exhibtion will explore how Metaverse pushes the boundaries for design and designers.
Talks from industry big-wigs:
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To be held at the Shaw Contract Dubai Showroom on November 10, 2022, Sustainable Healthy Indoor Spaces with Sustainability Tribe is a panel talk featuring Kshemkalyani, an expert sustainability professional.
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Another panel talk on November 10, 2022, ‘Is Sustainable Design The New Gold Standard For Luxury Living?’ from Aritco will include insights from designers such as Meshary AlNassar and Nicola Bisiker.
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Changing the World from the Kitchen at Consentino’s booth, Studio Kitchen at Downtown Design gives changemakers a global social media platform to share their ideas and opinions about sustainability.
- At Alserkal Avenue, a Talk on Circularity and Sustainability in Architecture arranged by Mosa shall also dive deeper into the topic.
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Talks like, at d3, ‘Keynote BMW – 100% recyclable car’ and ‘State of Sustainability: Can architecture enter a virtuous cycle?’ will also steer the discourse in a futuristic direction.
3. A PLETHORA OF LATEST PRODUCTS AND INNOVATIONS AT DOWNTOWN DESIGN
Commencing on the 9th of November, the Downtown Design exhibition, like always, will be the main pull for designers and other industry professionals. Set by the waterfront terrace in Dubai Design District (d3), brands such as Jaipur Rugs (at booth C01), iGuzzini (at booth A19), Giorgetti, ACTIU, Porcelanosa (at booth B08-5), Haworth (at booth F05), Huda Lighting (at booth A06) and Quooker (at booth A10) will showcase their latest products and innovations at the premises. Conversations, discussions, varied viewpoints and the best collections will make for a hustling and lively affair.
Some exciting activities at the booths:
- At the Downtown Design bar area designed by Aswad design, Neolith Amazonica will be seen flaunting finesse. The refreshed Colab shall be unveiled during Dubai Design Week 2022 that features products from Neolith.
- Sanipex Group (at booth A09), will showcase their expansive BAGNODESIGN product offering along with Talenti, one of their leading suppliers of contemporary and sustainable outdoor furniture. Launching two new bathroom ranges, visitors can expect an exciting display of sanitary and lighting products from them.
- VitrA Bathrooms (at booth A12), too, will officially be launching its iconic collaboration with Tom Dixon christened LIQUID.
4. THE POST-PANDEMIC ERA OF DESIGN
Design is problem-solving at its core, and brands play a crucial role in facilitating innovation. In the spirit to remain ever-evolving and being the flag-bearers of change, each chapter of Dubai Design Week sees talks and announcements by top-notch brands.
Events foucused post-pandemic impact and design practices:
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Brought to you by ACTIU, “The Instant City”, by Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean in IE School of Architecture and Design, is a Master Class about how Covid19 accelerated change and impacted our daily life, in the natural, the digital and the built environment.
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Arranged by Shaw Contract and led by Oliver Baxter, Insight Programme Manager at MillerKnoll, Designing A Better Tomorrow with MillerKnoll is a panel talk about the re-imagination of the modern workplace.
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The Hybrid Workplace Experience is office furniture manufacturer Bene’s week-long showroom launch that will enable visitors to experience latest products from the brand along.
5. HUB FOR DESIGN MINGLING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Global events like Dubai Design Week 2022 are often hubs of socializing and building relationships within the design community. One-on-one dialogues made on a one-on-one basis give rise to collaborations and thought-provoking discourses.
Here are the most exciting mixers at Dubai Design Week 2022:
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Cosentino is bringing their hit Instagram chat show Café Cosentino with Regional Marketing Manager, Miriam Llano live to Downtown Design with special guest, Pallavi Dean on November 9, 2022.
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Champage Reception by Aritco on November 10, 2022.
- Roca’s yearly ‘One Day Design Challenge’ will be held on November 12, 2022 at the Etihad museum.
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iGuzzini’s Together We Light event – Dubai edition pits two-player teams against each other for a chance to participate in the global final to be held in Recanati, Italy at the end of the year.
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Exploring the common thread between the world of culinary and design is Cosentino’s Dine in Design, led by designer Clara Voce.
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‘A BOLD IMMERSION with Kohler’, a panel talk moderated by Alan Orchard, Commercial Director of Kohler, Middle East & SSA, will also be on the agenda of Dubai Design Week 2022.
6. PAVING THE WAY FOR ART, LIGHT AND COLOUR
This time around, a few installations will display the wonders of light. The Musical Ring by Sharabassy Built Environment Studio coalesces light with music. Vistagram from Apical Reform Studios shuffles surrounding visuals through kinetic movement of reflections, and Gary Yong and Prolab Digital bring to Dubai Design Week 2022 – ‘Lucid Growth’ – a light installation that seeks its muse from the aloe vera plant. Gateway by Wafaa Bilal shall also take visitors through a kaleidoscopic journey.
Transforming Space With Materials by Pardgroup and RI-BBORN by Ajman University’s Nada Zuhair & Riham Ahmed shall infuse the joy of colors amongst the hustle and bustle. From wheel throwing to ceramic glazing to making bioplastic from food waste, Dubai Design Week 2022’s workshop schedule is a treat for those always looking to pick up new artsy skills. Get better at writing, making videos or even wood work. Catch a closer look at the full options here.
Workshops & Talks to be on the look-out for:
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LUUM and Teknion will also host a variety of talks, including three events headed by Suzanne Tick – Weaving Workshop on November 8, an hour-long CEU on November 10 and an interactive educational program on textiles and sustainability on 11th November.
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Rhino User Meeting powered by Cosentino and oragnised by McNeel Europe will deep-dive into the nitty gritty of 3D-visualising software, Rhino.
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Date added:
9 November, 2022
