- Regional and International Designers to Engage the Public Through Open Studio Sessions, Workshops, Performances and More
ABU DHABI - Visitors to Abu Dhabi Art, the innovative new platform for modern and contemporary art being held in the UAE capital from 19 to 22 November, will have the opportunity to interact with cutting-edge designers and experience their live work in specially constructed performance studios and interactive workshops. The public will be able to view the movable workspace that a Saudi designer created in his van for his road trip to Abu Dhabi (and see the videos and documents he gathered along the way), watch special events, such as an evening of sand casting on the beach, and even try their own hands at design, in workshops run by leaders in the field. These and other exciting live programmes are all part of a special section on contemporary design, in which outstanding designers from the Middle East and Europe will give audiences a personal glimpse into their ideas and methods.
Abu Dhabi Art will in fact bring together two main design events, in keeping with its character as a new crossroads of global routes in culture and trade. Design Moment will be the first public atelier for emerging Middle Eastern designers, and Design Workshop will provide a series of showcases for exceptional European designers.
Both events will take place in a special area of Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace designed by Rami Farook, founder of the multidisciplinary, UAE-based design practice Traffic. The space will incorporate distinct areas for Design Moment, Design Workshop and an installation by Abu Dhabi Art sponsor Audi of the aluminum Audi Space Frame, a sculptural interpretation of a basic element in automotive design.
Conceived as an integral part of Abu Dhabi’s long-term cultural vision, Abu Dhabi Art is organised exclusively by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH), government entities charged with preserving the Emirate’s heritage and fostering its people’s creativity and engagement with the arts.
Design Moment: Reimagining Local Traditions in the Middle East Design Moment will take place every day of Abu Dhabi Art, 19-22 November, from 4 pm to 10 pm. Highlighting distinct areas of contemporary design production, the presentations will feature product designer Ahmad Angawi (Saudi Arabia), who will undertake the design road trip in his van as part of his contribution; the partners in the interior design studio Bokja, Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri (Lebanon), who will present a unique sofa assembled from a composite of around 40 distinct fabrics from different parts of the world; furniture and product designer Younes Duret (Morocco), who mixes customs, colors and objects in his Moroccan pouf chair and Zelli bookshelf; product designer Nedda El Asmar (Palestine, based in Belgium), who will offer a multimedia presentation of past work while showing the process of design of new pieces, from sketches through computer models to finished prototype; and graphic designer Reem Al Ghaith (UAE), who will create a space inspired by traditional designs found on doors and entrances in the region. Working within studios that will be open to the public to encourage dialogue, interaction and even participation, these designers will create new forms of traditional, “made in the Middle East” designs, using local techniques and materials.
Design Workshop: Exploring Techniques in Contemporary Design Design Workshop will take place on three successive days, 20-22 November, from 10 am to 6 pm. On 20 November, UK-based designer Sevil Peach will demonstrate how a traditional string bag may be transformed through clustering and repetition into an installation exploring space and volume. On 21 November, UK-based designer Max Lamb will hold a day-long workshop in casting small objects in pewter. On 22 November, Netherlands-based designer Maarten Baas will invite participants to join him in creating objects through improvisation, using the simple materials of cardboard and tape.
In addition to these presentations, Max Lamb will give a sand casting performance on the beach on 21 November at 6 pm; and Maarten Baas will give a performance titled
Analog digital, 19-22 November from 4 pm to 10 pm, in which he creates an analog/digital clock in real time. On 22 November, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, Middle Eastern and European designers will join in a panel discussion moderated by Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum in London.
Participant ProfilesProfiles of all participants in the design section of Abu Dhabi Art are available upon request.
