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40 art installations, 10 exhibitions and 60 workshops with the participation of more than 1000 designers, architects and brands from more than 50 countries in Dubai Design District.
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Launch of the first editions fair of its kind in the region in limited edition arts and designs with the participation of more than 40 exhibitions, art institutions and a design studio.
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A group of the most prominent international design personalities meet in The Forum during “Downtown Design”
THE TIMES KUWAIT REPORT
Yet another successful Dubai Design Week’s 10th edition just concluded with the participation of more than 1,000 designers, architects and creatives from more than 50 countries who exchanged ideas and showed the positive impact that can be enhanced through design.
The leading event managed by Art Dubai Group over the past 10 years, Dubai Design Week has evolved into an annual meeting point for emerging and well-known designers, brands, cultural and educational institutions from the region and beyond, confirming Dubai’s position as the design capital of the Middle East.
The event was held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
Today, the festival has evolved into a leading design event for the region, drawing visitors and participants from across the globe with an ever-expanding programme of showcases, events, public installations and talks. This appears to be a component of the broader effort to promote creative culture in this region, part of an ongoing image-building exercise to enhance the image of several Gulf cities.
Downtown Design Fair
The main event of Dubai Design Week “Downtown Design”, which took place from 6 to 9 November, returned to the Waterfront Terrace in Dubai Design District. This fair is known as the most important contemporary and high-end design fair in the region, displaying the latest collections, innovative products and design solutions by prominent brands and manufacturers from around the world, in addition to a range of temporary creative concepts, installations and networking events, along with a programme of dialogue sessions, keynotes and training courses at The Forum. Downtown Design is the perfect destination for those looking for the latest trends in interior design, furniture, lighting and home accessories.
The fair has become a central cultural event, both creatively and commercially, as it provides an interactive platform for the most prominent well-known and emerging talents in the Middle East, and its impact extends much further, as the quality and strength of the fair is reflected in the continuous growth of the interior design and furniture market in the region over more than 10 years of contemporary designs presented through the Downtown Design Fair.
Today, the fair continues to foster new connections and acts as a platform for launching partnerships, concepts and brands working in the field of design, in addition to nurturing pioneering dialogues that play a key role in the flourishing design landscape in the region and the increasing growth of the design community in the UAE.”
Prominent international brands, including Poltrona Frau, which showcases unique designs in collaboration with famous brands and names such as Faye Toogood, Draga & Aurel, and The Conran Shop, which exhibited its designs for the first time in the UAE, and de Gournay, which offered painted and hand-embroidered wallpaper. “Casa Milano” returned with an interactive space known as “talking walls”, Italian artist Jacopo Foggini presented innovative handicrafts using polycarbonate, and famous designer Ross Lovegrove launched a collaboration with JNF in the field of 3D printing. In addition, Cosentino revealed a creative concept from the Kuwaiti design studio Babnimnim Design Studio, while Danish brands Audo Copenhagen, Gubi and ferm LIVING presented The Bowery Company project.
Editions
The Editions, owned and operated by Art Dubai Group, took place as the region’s first limited edition art and design fair, in conjunction with Downtown Design. It offered a variety of exhibitions, studios and artistic and emerging art institutions across multiple media. The fair was a unique platform for limited edition works, offering high-quality pieces at various prices, opening up new horizons for art and design lovers. It also seeks to create a unique opportunity for a wider audience to connect and buy from contemporary creators.
Speaking about the evolution of the art scene in Dubai, Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director of Art Dubai, said: “Art Dubai Group is a platform for cultural exchange, and is committed to advancing new creative developments since its launch in 2007. The Editions fair was founded with the aim of meeting the growing demand in Dubai, both through the influx of new residents and the flourishing cultural scene.
Special Projects
Abwab is one of Dubai Design Week’s most important programmes, dedicated to regional talents through the commissioning of new installations or pavilions. Since its launch in 2015, more than 180 designers from countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates have participated in Abwab.
The 2024 theme explored local architecture and sustainable design processes through the use of local materials, climate-responsive technologies and community-centred designs.
Three regional works have been selected including: “A Present/Absent Mudhif” by Iraqi architect Ola Saad Znad with the work depicting the architectural heritage of the marsh Arabs in Iraq using locally-sourced reeds and ancient Sumerian techniques.
‘ReRoot’ by Dima Al Srouri from Jordan and Palestine, Dahlia Hamati from Lebanon and Palestine and Andy Cartier from France and Rosa Hämäläinen from Finland who explored emergency housing solutions through an ecological lens using a material derived from fungi.
Exhibitions
This year’s programme offered 10 exhibitions in various design disciplines, including UAE Designer Exhibition, curated by Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, which included furniture and products from more than 30 designers originating from or residing in the UAE. Design Next is the first co-exhibit between Dubai’s Design District and the Italian design group Isola, which aims to contribute to shaping the future of the circular economy by highlighting sustainable and innovative designers, studios and startups and organising inspiring dialogue sessions.
Activations
The audience experienced many temporary and special activities and performances offered by cultural institutions and design-driven brands, including a multi-sensory journey linked to the rich heritage of Arabian perfumes by Hind Al Oud, Dubai Design Week’s fragrance partner, to celebrate the launch of two distinctive perfumes, a new collection of perfumes called Alifi and Ya’E, inspired by the poem “Kibriya’E,” by the famous Kuwaiti poet Faisal Al-Adwani. Global media brand Monocle also launched its first temporary store and cafe in Dubai Design District during Dubai Design Week, which includes the magazine’s custom edition of prints, clothing, household items, bags and accessories.
Design Doha
Design Doha, a platform for design excellence established by Qatar Museums, hosted an interactive reading lounge presenting the Arab Design Now publication, showcasing a curated selection of contemporary designers from the Gulf, Levant and North Africa.
Workshops and Training Courses
Dubai Design Week hosted more than 60 workshops and masterclasses. One of the highlights was a workshop by the National Pavilion UAE, which broke down each stage of the design process, from research and material selection to 3D scanning and stone structure configuration. Paltic Studio’s workshop ‘Crafting Sustainable Spaces’ had participants working with upcycled plastic bottles to create functional furniture pieces, such as tables and chairs.
Talks
The Forum, which is held annually as part of the Downtown Design fair, continued to attract a selection of influential voices in the global design world. This year, India Mahdavi delivered the keynote address.
In addition, The Forum also hosted the first part of the editorial panel programme, which highlighted the ever-evolving dynamics of the creative world through the perspectives of artists, collectors, designers and industry leaders.
Downtown Design an interactive platform
Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Downtown Design, expressed her happiness to see how the fair has become a central cultural event, both creatively and commercially, as it provides an interactive platform for well-known as well as emerging design talents in the Middle East.
Speaking to The Times Kuwait she pointed out that the quality of Downtown Design, which has presented contemporary designs for over 10 years, is reflected in the continuous growth of the interior design and furniture market in the region.
She expressed her delight that the fair continues to foster new connections and acts as a platform for launching partnerships, concepts and brands working in the field of design, in addition, she noted that the fair helps to nurture pioneering dialogues that play a key role in the flourishing design landscape in the region and the increasing growth of the design community in the UAE.
Mette’s attention to detail and keen desire to continue to improve drives Downtown Design to be better and more impressive every year since its launch. Mette feels the fair is a clear step up for everyone participating, having really understood the importance of the event, for the economy, and for their businesses. She points out that exhibitors are not just taking bigger spaces but making greater effort into what they are showcasing, and in engaging with audiences.
Highlighting talents of the region
During Dubai Design Week, The Times Kuwait managed to catch up with the director of the event, Natasa Carella, and spoke with her on the continued success of an event that is marking its 10 years of operation.
“Dubai Design Week has always been an event dedicated to highlighting talent from the region, as well as showcasing their exceptional and authentic designs to a global audience,” said Mrs. Carella. She revealed that keeping their commitments to exhibitors over the years, as well as using design as a catalyst for positive change, addressing pressing global challenges, and supporting dialogue on sustainability and inclusion, have been the cornerstones of their success.
Today, she says, Dubai Design Week is not just a celebration of aesthetics, but has become a vital platform for designers to exchange ideas and create a meaningful impact.
Natasha’s contribution to Dubai Design Week cannot help but be appreciated. The hard work, the attention to every detail, and most importantly the perfect execution of the festival year after year is indeed a remarkable achievement on its own. Elaborating on the event’s continued success, she says, “It has seen a great evolution in terms of what the design scene represents here over the years through so many different facets. Whether it’s emerging or established talent that is coming out of the UAE, or the academic offerings of new institutions.”
“Many international brands have used Downtown Design as an introduction point to tap into the market, with many going on to establish permanent presence in Dubai,” she adds. As Natasha passionately points out, “We have over 1000 designers from 50 countries participating and this is a real testament to the success of the event.”
