FRAMEWORK OF THE FUTURE
Dining pods, monoliths, pathways less taken and socially distanced seating make for cultural food for thought at this year’s Dubai Design Week, writes Gemma White
Like all communities across the UAE, the creative enclave has been forced to adapt and change in conjunction with the continually shifting “new normal” as dictated by the global pandemic. For some designers, embracing this fluidity meant a chance to source materials locally; for others, it has fuelled a desire to observe and comment on the effects social distancing is having on society.
With Dubai Design Week starting today, visitors will have the chance to experience a number of installations throughout Dubai Design District (d3). The various works invite visitors to ponder on family, interaction, modern emotion, mystery and a gentler way to socially distance. Here, we look at the highlights.
Awarded this year’s Abwab Pavilion commission, an initiative that highlights works from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, Iraqi designer Hozan Zangana’s Fata Morgana redefines and reimagines the way we live in an urban environment. Presenting a conceptual framework for a modern-day city through an openplan arrangement of seating components around a central origin point, the installation has pillars symbolic for each of the seven emirates.
The piece uses historical construction methods of the Middle East, in the form of a rammed earth technique to build the various elements.
Serres Separees by Mediamatic
In French, the private dining area in restaurants and bars is called a chambre separee. And in this concept, developed by the Mediamatic art centre in Amsterdam developed in conjunction with the Consulate-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, guests dine in the Serres Separees – small, private greenhouses fit for two to four people. Lunch and dinner will be served within throughout until Saturday, allowing friends and families to come together in a safe and unique setting. A conceptual vegan menu consisting of mostly Dutch produce is provided by Molecule Bistro Royal Dubai. To make a reservation, call 052 949 2202.
Points In Common by Studio Iregular
A collection of interactive experiences, the Points In Common project uses a technology called Cursor, which brings together artificial intelligence, computer vision, optics and plenty of coding. Aimed at creating experiences in spaces that react to the slightest movement of a finger or the blink of an eye, Cursor allows people to engage with digital public works and explore how these interactions can create meaningful connections between them.
Please Sit Here by American Hardwood Export Council
Emirati designers Aljoud Lootah, Khalid Shafar and Hamad Khoory joined forces with the American Hardwood Export Council to design and develop a hardwood bench for outdoor use in a public space. Please Sit Here was conceived in response to restrictions brought about by the pandemic and the need for behavioural change. The hardwood bench naturally allows for the social-distancing requirement of two metres, without the need for warning notices or self-policing.
Pardis by Cosentino x Meshary Al Nassar
Multidisciplinary Studio Meshary Al Nassar from Kuwait partnered with global surfaces brand Cosentino to create an outdoor public installation made from an ultra-compact engineered surface called Dekton. Derived from the word paradise, Pardis is an idyllic conceptual garden that serves as a sanctuary and physical manifestation of our yearning for a sense of community. With seating, a water feature and a lighting design that transforms in the evening, it is an escape from enclosed spaces and encourages quiet contemplation.
Desert Ribbons by Bishoy Girgis and Tania Ursomarzo
This urban public seating and spatial design concept explores the different seated positions of the body, along with the varied social situations that sitting creates. The design references regional nature, with elements such as dunes, camels and the ghaf tree, while inviting participants to consider how the way they sit might create different acts of social engagement.
With camel leather moulded to capture fluid impressions of the body in different positions, the work also
showcases the uses of this natural and biodegradable material.
Deterministic Path by Iman Ibrahim and Mahmoud Diaa
With a focus on encouraging social intervention with safe distancing, the installation consists of a modular design grid for a concept that represents several paths. Each allows for one person at a time, with panels covered by reflected mirror sheets creating several exits while avoiding crowded and open spaces. Designed to reflect people’s lives, and for them to see themselves and others, the installation encourages visitors to contemplate the fact that although we all have different characters and face different challenges, we all follow the same path to overcome a crisis.
Shadow Box by Agata Kurzela Studio
This installation, in collaboration with Milad Marble Dubai, wants visitors to rediscover stone as a dynamic material. Showing the wealth of surfaces that can be created from stone, Shadow Box encourages viewers to consider texture and materiality to understand the potential of matter as ancient as the Earth itself.
Dubai Design Week runs from today until Saturday. The event is open Monday to Friday, 10am-10pm; and Saturday, 10am-5pm; www. dubaidesignweek.ae