Design Days Dubai, running from March 16 to 20, will offer limited-edition contemporary design from 20 countries. The fair will especially highlight the significance of light as a theme in design for 2015 with special exhibits and events.
“Design Days Dubai continues to cultivate recognition and awareness for design in the region establishing Dubai as a global cultural hub,” said Fair Director Cyril Zammit.
Eiffel Tower Lamp, Carpenters Workshop Gallery
International exhibitors include Paris- and London-based Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Cape Town-based Southern Guild and Beirut-based Artfactum, as well as first-time exhibitors Chamber NYC of New York and Paris-based Galerie Silbereis.
Sixteen design studios, galleries and design professionals will represent the Middle Eastern design industry. These include Sharjah-based 1971 Design Space, Dubai’s 19th Century Antiques, Aljoud Design Studio, Shamsa Alabbar and Fadi Sarieddine, and Amman-based Naqsh Design House, to name a few.
Naqsh Design House
Highlights will include a 10th-anniversary celebration of Lebanese designer Nada Debs, and a presentation by Wiener Silber Manufactur of new vases by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. Canadian designer Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof will also be unveiling 10 oversized sculptural works, made exclusively for Design Days Dubai. The fair will also feature the world premiere of “Cloud” by Netherlands-based Commonplace Studio, showcased by Victor Hunt Design Art Dealer of Brussels. This installation aims to convey the form and feel of a cloud through 28 suspended pendant lamps with moving images projected on their inner surfaces.
Lumiere, dark, Victor Hunt
“The special projects and installations at Design Days Dubai open the fair to a broader audience. These captivating and often large-scale works push the boundaries of design as we know it and will awe design aficionados and enthusiasts alike,” said Zammit. “[The fair] represents the first time that many of these global design studios and individuals have exhibited in the Middle East.”
Houdini Table, Fadi Sarieddine, MDF, Walnut veneer, paint, 2012
Also exhibiting are Austria-based Zumtobel and Prague-based Preciosa. Zumbotel will showcase three pieces by Zaha Hadid, Hani Rashid and Olafur Eliasson, while Preciosa will present a collaboration with glass artist René Roubicek. Design Days Dubai will also feature a selection of live installations and performances.
The fair will be located at the The Venue, situated at the base of the Burj Khalifa in Emaar’s Downtown Dubai. Design Days Dubai is held in partnership with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and additionally supported by Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, Emaar and Audi. The fourth year of the fair will also include strengthened participation from international design organizations World Design Capital – Taipei 2016 and Beijing Design Week.
