Dubai Design Week wows creative crowds
Fans of architecture, art and furniture still have a chance to explore what this exciting event has to offer
also wander through, taking endless selfies with some of the more grand exhibits.
This year’s program features the Global Grand Show, which was “an exhibition of groundbreaking works from… 91 of the world’s leading design schools, representing 40 countries and six continents,” according to organizers. The 200 graduate projects were grouped under the themes of “connect, empower and sustain.” exhibition is curated by Salma Lahlou who worked as the vicepresident of the National Museums Foundation of Morocco and founded Thinkart, an organization working in the fields of visual arts and curatorial practices, in January 2015.
The exhibition creates a non-linear experience where archival images, sound recordings, a short film, a monumental drawing and contemporary photography collide. The five points of design are transhumance, mutation, counterculture, amnesiac memory and hedonism and the expression of design is realized through a graphic mural landscape, tapestry design, a visual poem and audio by the Moroccan music group Nass El-Ghiwane.
This exhibit can be overwhelming at first, with all senses mindfully engaged by the collection of artists curated. However, once the different elements of this design come into focus, the observer feels connected to the sights and sounds of Casablanca, reading, listening, watching and engaging with art. This exhibit tends to hold observers for a little longer than the installations as they make their way through all of the sensory experiences. symbiosis of art and religion, while integrating time and motion for a purposed function beyond aesthetics. He has incorporated the symbolism of the number five into this work, referencing the five daily prayer times that are one of the most important obligations of the Islamic faith.”
The chandelier features silhouettes of the domes of five countries’ iconic mosques: Russia, Malaysia, Germany, the UAE and Denmark.
Perhaps the most eye-catching installation, Prologue, designed by Swedish-British duo Fredrikson Stallard and presented by Swarovski, is a monumental, freestanding sculpture weighing 1.2 tons and holding over 8,000 ambercolored Swarovski crystal droplets within its four meterdiameter.
The installation is stunning and this is one of the few areas where attendees line up to take pictures. It has been perfectly positioned to revel in Dubai’s sun so that no matter which angle you approach this artwork from, you can see the light dancing around the design.
Originally unveiled in Hong Kong at Art Basel in 2014, this work of art a features a luminous ring that almost seems to mimic the sun, while the “endless circle represents new beginnings, life and rebirth,” according to event organizers.
As Ian Stallard explained to Dubai Design Week organizers, “our partnership with Swarovski is based on a common vision of concept, material and form. In Prologue, we are exploring ways of playing with contrasts — a simple, round shape and the shimmering luminosity of precisely-cut crystal creates an oversized lens that reflects the light with incredible intensity. Prologue is the latest milestone in the history of our common vision.”
Dubai Design Week is an event that should not be missed. With its mix of music, art and people, there is a contagious energy in the air that reminds even the most jaded Dubai resident that this city is dynamic and a place of art, design and inspiration.