Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Member of the Dubai Council, the eighth edition of Dubai Design Week opened today in Dubai’s creative hub, d3.
Curated in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and supported by Dubai Culture, the event brings together over 360 entities in the sector, further consolidating Dubai’s emergence a major focal point for design and creativity. With an exceptional line-up of free-to-attend events and activities, the programme for this year’s Dubai Design Week focuses on design for a more sustainable future under the theme ‘Design With Impact’.
H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed said,
“Dubai Design Week provides a dynamic platform for the region’s design industry to advance innovation and explore new opportunities for growth. Over the years, the event has spurred Dubai’s development into a global hub for creativity and talent in the sector. This year’s edition, which brings together the international design industry’s leading talent, architecture firms, and designers, explores design innovations that can have a positive impact on the future of the planet. By showcasing designs for a sustainable future, the event will foster meaningful conversations on how design can accelerate efforts to protect the environment. Dubai Design Week will also help raise the ability of creative industries to be at the forefront of global efforts to advance sustainability and human wellbeing.”
Khadija Al Bastaki, Vice President of Dubai Design District, a member of TECOM Group PJSC, said,
“We are excited to kick-off the eighth edition of Dubai Design Week here at Dubai Design District. TECOM Group, of which we are a part here at d3, is deeply committed to supporting the growth and evolution of the creative industries in Dubai. Platforms such as Dubai Design Week have a significant role to play in catalysing the creative community’s growth. In our strategic partnership with Dubai Design Week, we are always looking for exceptional talent that rethinks the regular. We encourage the public to explore the installations, exhibitions, activations, workshops, talks, artisan market and the event’s unique creative vibe, as well as gain a deeper understanding of how Dubai is reinforcing its status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design.”
Kate Barry, Director of Dubai Design Week, commented,
“The Week’s dynamic programme is a testament to Dubai’s position as a leading hub for design and creativity that is working to realise its far-reaching vision for a more sustainable future. This year, we open with a series of installations and exhibitions by international and regional designers and architects that showcase designs that aim to have a positive impact on the environment. Each work is driven through innovation in new materials and recycling and upcycling processes that promote sustainability.”
A microcosm of the global industry
The headline event of Dubai Design Week is the leading design fair, Downtown Design, which has returned today to the d3 waterfront. Featuring over 200 international and regional brands as well as designers, immersive installations and unmissable collection premieres, highlights of the event include an interactive new-media installation by Canadian Studio Iregular, sponsored by Kohler; a line-up of compelling live talks and panel discussions at The Forum at Downtown Design, supported by Aritco; and a series of exhibitions embodying Dubai Design Week’s theme Design With Impact, including debuts by Stella McCartney, OBMI and Grounded Design.
Visitors can explore over 20 large-scale installations developed by world-renowned and emerging regional talent. Highlights include ‘Let’s Talk About The Weather’ by Bokja; and Deepak Jangra’s ‘GRIDS’, an installation in the form of a boxing ring that hosts talks on issues such as climate change and upcycling.
As part of these 20+ installations, Dubai Design District will be running its annual d3 Architecture Exhibition in parallel to Dubai Design Week. Bringing some of the brightest minds in the regional and international architectural space together, the third edition of the exhibition will present a collection of architectural works that explore how design can promote a sustainable future. The large-scale, immersive installations will demonstrate the innovation of sustainable materials and designs, such as a pavilion made of shell waste by Fadaa Space, and spark conversations on how design can have a positive impact on the environment. The innovative exhibits, which are made of sustainable materials like date waste, old fishing nets and demolished materials that have been upcycled or repurposed will be held for the first time at various locations across d3.
New exhibitions
This year Dubai Design Week’s programme is hosting three new exhibitions including: Matter-ials featuring a series of indoor installations that underscore prominent environmental issues and symbolise the opportunity created by materials that matter; Designing Women, a multi-disciplinary showcase where visitors journey through a vibrant display of aesthetics and statement designs within indoor installations and design pieces; and Design in the Metaverse powered by Dubai-based Metaverse development specialist MetaDecrypt, which offers visitors an immersive exploration of how metaverse technologies are pushing the boundaries of design. The annual UAE Designer Exhibition, curated this year by Cyril Zammit, has a purpose-built space designed by the dynamic Emirati architecture duo at Studio D.04.
For design professionals and the culturally curious there will be over 100 talks and workshops with a line-up of compelling keynotes and panel discussions. The Downton Design Forum will focus on the business of design and will host high-profile international speakers including multi-award-winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE, Florence-based designer Duccio Maria Gambi and renowned regional experts such as Kuwaiti architect Jassim Al Saddah. Panellists such as Ali Bahmani and Mario Gagliardi will explore the intersection between craft and technology under the theme of Source, Resource, Outsource.
The Maker Space will be full of dynamic workshops for design enthusiasts of all levels and ages.
The programme includes workshops such as Mycelium Experiment, where participants can craft with mushrooms and mycelium, while learning about their value to the planet. Maska celebrates the gift of giving with a workshop that upcycles fabrics to wrap gifts for orphans.
Showcase for homegrown products
For the first time, the Design Market by FLTRD will take place across the entire week offering a retail experience full of homegrown offerings that span from homeware to ready-to-wear and will expand on the weekend to offer the best in local artisanal products, in addition to family activities.
Participants include KKONCEPT, the versatile clothing brand creating playful embroideries and high-quality combinations, and Co Chocolat, whose products use fermented cocoa beans and superfood ingredients.
in5, TECOM Group PJSC’s enabling platform for start-ups and entrepreneurs, will be launching Atypical, a permanent pop-up store that showcases a variety of products developed by start-ups based in its design-focused innovation centre. The store will provide in5 start-ups a space to display their creativity and talent, host events, concerts, recurring exhibitions and community-based projects, making it a hub for cross-cultural interaction and business networking. Strategically located in d3, in5 Design is home to design start-ups focused on innovative fashion and product designs.
Platform for talent
Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) will also be showcasing its talent and vision at Dubai Design Week this week, presenting its most extensive line-up of programming to date.
Located in the heart of d3, the region’s first university exclusively dedicated to design and innovation will present a student exhibition (in building 4) and a stimulating panel series led by the university’s faculty.
The event will feature a number of emerging and established Emirati design figures such as Khalid Shafar of Khalid Shafar Design Studio, Salem Al-Qassimi of Fikra Design Studio and Murshed Mohammad of Drivu.
The university will also host an array of workshops and classes, all of which are open to the public. Topics and themes featured include sustainability, humanised technology, designing for outer space, digital reality, shapeshifting robotics, designing for circularity, 3D visualisation tools, AI and much more.
Dubai Design Week is a free-to-attend event and visitors can download the free Dubai Design Week app to discover who is taking part, explore the full programme and register for Downtown Design.
News Source: Emirates News Agency