INDEX & WORKSPACE 2019: A Preview

With the 2019th edition of the Middle East Design and Hospitality fair a week away, we thought to give you a sneak peak of some of the highlights of this mega show – the exhibits, installations and trending talks. Here’s what’s not to miss…

Held at the Trade Centre in Dubai, the Middle East Design and Hospitality Week is a massive annual design event, attracting key professionals from the regional and international design industries.

The entire fair is comprised of several main components, including hospitality. However, as lovers of interior design, we chose to focus on two main shows, INDEX and Workspace, and their sub components – INDEX Home, FIM and Surface Design.

Here are a few elements that had us excited…

HOMEGROWN GEMS

Part of INDEX is The Design Experience exhibit hosted by Tashkeel, the centre for Dubai’s home-grown art, and one of our favourites, as this is where the local design industry shows off their talent. The exhibit will showcase their popular Tanween collection, created by nine Dubai-based artists who have immersed themselves in local cultural nuances, including topography, history, language, and Bedouin antecedents, to create unique works of design.

INSPIRING INSTALLATIONS

A movement-based olfactory experience

ATMOS is an installation made out of deconstructed botanical perfume, by Dutch scent collective SOM Tales of Perfume. Visitors are able to compose their own scent by physically moving through the exhibit, and in this way, create their own personalised experience.

According to SOM Executive Inspirator, Marielle Robbe, using 100 percent botanical perfume compositions is the only way to reach your deepest emotions. Robbe explains that inspiration for the botanical perfume ATMOS lies in the personal perception of each individual. It is completely sustainable and allows the individual to connect with nature organically. Well, our curiosity is certainly piqued…

Moving Walls

For an amazing, futuristic display of technology and aesthetics, do visit Recursive, who will be demonstrating their audiovisual, lighting, software and IT on unique, interactive ‘walls’.

DESIGN TALKS

The INDEX Design Talks agenda this year is filled with some of the region’s most creative and successful designers, and a ‘must attend’ section on every visitor’s calendar. Chaired by Esra Lemmens, Founder & Director of the Esra Lemmens Agency, the top names in the list include Kristina Zanic, Pallavi Dean, Paul Bishop, Carla Conte, Yullianna Porter, David Lessard, Carol Finnie and many many more, as well as the new appointments at Perkins+Will and Wilson Associates, Morgan Fleming and Tom Skyring, respectively.

Click here for the agenda.

Top Row from the left: Pallavi Dean, Oliver Baxter, Morgan Fleming, Esra Lemmens, Kristina Zanic, Juan Hildebrand; Middle Row from Left: Jacinda Raniolo, David Lessard, Carla Conte, Stuart Allen, Chris Barnes, Paul Bishop; Bottom Row from the Left: Carol Finnie, Yullianna Porter, Sejal Patel, Ellen Søhoel, Tom Skyring, Justin Wells