ArchiExpo Magazine

February 26, 2021 (updated)

Outlets Draw the Design Community

How do you create a local design culture from scratch? For cultural players in the United Arab Emirates, the answer was two-part: launch creative outlets and build a design district. Launched in 2012, Design Days Dubai was the first such showcase. It is now the leading fair dedicated to collectible and limited-edition furniture and design objects in the Middle East and South Asia. In 2015, it was followed by Dubai Design Week, which just completed its biggest program to date. The six-day event—November 13-18—included exhibitions, installations, talks and educational workshops. Among them were Downtown Design, a carefully edited roster of established and emerging international brands across a broad range of product categories. Another, the Global Grad Show, represented 92 of the world’s best design schools from 43 countries and was the largest student gathering ever. And there was Abwab (“doors” in Arabic), which exhibited work from countries in the Middle East North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. Rue Kothari, show director of Downtown Design, spoke to ArchiExpo e-Magazine, recalls: Gossipers, a series of ceramic sculptures by Ali Shawwa to counter gossiping was shown in Dubai Design Week’s Abwab exhibit.

*source ArchiExpo e-Magazine