2020 fair highlights
MENA GRAD SHOW
As well as supporting creative careers, Dubai Design Week also looks to the future with its Global Grad Show, which spotlights the next generation of innovators working towards a better planet. Leveraging the established platform, the 2020 edition of the fair introduces the MENA Grad Show – an exhibition of the best social impact innovation projects in the region, spanning the fields of science, design and technology. This year, the initiative received over 200 submissions from more than 35 universities in the Middle East and North Africa.
DOWNTOWN DESIGN
In light of the pandemic, Downtown Design 2020 will take on a hybrid format, bringing the community together across physical and digital platforms. Spotlighting progressive design thinking, Downtown Design’s multimedia exhibition is titled ‘The Shape of Things to Come’. The showcase will feature conceptual work by the region’s architects and interior designers as they imagine our interactions with the environment and each other in the future, and also explore how we will live, work and play in a post-pandemic landscape.
ABWAB
Translated as ‘doors’ in Arabic, Abwab is an annually remodelled exhibition dedicated to work commissioned from across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. For this year’s edition, Dubai Design Week has commissioned a singular landmark pavilion known as ‘Fata Morgana’ by Iraqi designer Hozan Zangana. Focusing on the framework of a modern-day city, Abwab 2020 features pillars symbolic for each of the seven emirates. The showcase addresses the ever-changing relationship between city dwellers and the public realm. The concept naturally incorporates social distancing, enabling visitors to have a safe experience while exploring this creative space.
URBAN COMMISSIONS 2020
For the 2020 edition of the event, regional architects and designers were tasked with creating an innovative, multipurpose retail unit for a new outdoor market experience. The winning proposal titled ‘Basta’, created by emerging Emirati and Saudi architects Reema Almheiri and Lujain Alatiq, will be unveiled at the venue’s new pop-up market.
UAE DESIGNER EXHIBITION
Offering designers a platform to strengthen their audience base and professional network in the community, Dubai Design Week will see emerging designers across an array of disciplines presenting their projects and ideas. Works on display will range from home accessories and jewellery to furniture as well as subjects of sustainability, material experimentation and craft innovation.
THE DUBAI DESIGN WEEK MARKETPLACE
A new, outdoor retail initiative, the Dubai Design Week Marketplace will bring together more than 60 of the best of Dubai’s artisans, creatives, entrepreneurs, small businesses and food scene. These vendors will provide a unique retail offering to visitors with locally sourced and handcrafted products across fashion, jewellery, homeware, beauty, lifestyle and food.
For more information
dubaidesignweek.ae