In pursuance to the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy to transform the emirate into an international destination for creativity and a capital of creative economy, Dubai Design Week, the region’s largest creative festival taking place in its sixth edition in November 2020, once again turned the sights of global creative industries and individuals onto Dubai.
Please Sit Here', in DDW 2020Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
Taking as its theme redefining and reimagining the way we live in a COVID-impacted world,the processes Dubai Design Week implemented to ensure safety, security and sanitisation for the festival in the open-air setting of Dubai Design District (d3) will be replicated in events globally.
Its theme was illustrated in every aspect of its layout and structure: removing for example all printed collateral and creating a clear pathway through its installations which took into account social distancing but allowed for real engagement with tangible objects and materials.
Practical responses to restrictions can inspire design innovation. ‘Please Sit Here’ from the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) commissioned three Emirati designers, Aljoud Lootah, Hamad Khoory and Khalid Shafar to create convertible public seating solutions using three species of sustainable wood.
The winning commission for Abwab, the annual exhibition that has been a central feature of Dubai Design week since 2015, was ‘Fata Morgana’ by Iraqi designer Hozan Zangana. An inspiring seating configuration responding to social distancing requirements, it became a central feature of the outdoor space of d3.
The winning proposal for the 2020 Urban Commission supported by A.R.M. Holding was awarded to Reema Muhairy and Lujain Alatiq for ‘Basta’, a modular kiosk that uses sustainable materials and allows for easy storage whilst maintaining a visual connection with a traditional outdoor market.
The Global Grad Show, now in its sixth year, is an initiative that allows recent science, technology and design graduates to respond to a theme and present solutions to improve and transform aspects of our lives.
For 2020 this was showcased in an interactive digital exhibition, whilst for the first time a focus on 50 of the most exciting projects by university students in the Middle East and North Africa was presented as an exhibition.
Environmental concerns are often centre stage: this year projects included new ways to upcycle materials, respond to the plastic epidemic, global warming and water shortages and also had specific application to the region, for example proposing palm tree waste as an alternative to concrete.
Downtown Design, in its eighth edition, moved to a virtual format with talks and panel discussions available online. The themes explored in the programme also looked to the future.
The d3 Architecture Festival launched in partnership with RIBA Gulf Chapter, under the theme ‘Identity, Context and Placemaking in the Gulf’. Its exhibition and talk series celebrated the ongoing achievements of the local and international architecture practices that are d3 business partners.
The Makers Programme offered workshops and masterclasses open to all levels and offering everything from laser cutting to coding and robotics, woodwork to embroidery, VR and 3D printing to producing wind energy and puppets.
The Marketplace was a new retail initiative, bringing together over 70 vendors to showcase craft, fashion and culinary creations from across the UAE. Dubai Culture offered grants to support small businesses who participated.
Through a combination of commissions, open calls and imaginative programming, Dubai Design Week is always a vital moment for the global design community to come together in its striking home of d3.
Its diverse programme is tailored both towards a professional and public audience, and through resilience and flexibility, it continues to be a pioneering organisation that can drive future-proofed innovation and sustainability in all sectors.
Through events and festivals like Dubai Design Week, the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy seeks to foster a stimulating climate for creatives to generate added economic value to their creativity by integrating creativity with capital investment opportunities with distinguished returns, thus enhancing Dubai’s position as a global destination for culture and creativity, while also fortifying its role as a global engine of the world’s creative economy.
