Third edition of Design Days Dubai has seen an increase of exhibitors from 22 at its inception to 40 with limited collectible designs displayed in 34 booths.
Rare, unique and best designed pieces in limited editions highlight the five-day Design Days Dubai that seeks to make the city a global design hub in the region.
A hand-made dining table with designs in brass displayed at Design Days Dubai at Downtown Dubai. — KT photo by Shihab
Launched in 2012, the third edition of Design Days Dubai has seen an increase of exhibitors from 22 at its inception to 40 with limited collectible designs displayed in 34 booths from 4pm onwards till March 21 at the Venue, Downtown Dubai at the foot of Burj Khalifa.
Cyril Zammit, fair director, said some 20 countries have participated in this edition, with Portugal, Jordan, Algeria, China, Japan, Austria, Pakistan and Hungary joining for the first time.
“A real French antique collector and designer has tied up with the British, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, to recreate a huge apartment in the middle of the fair ground featuring antique and contemporary design together,” he said.
His priority is not to make a large exhibition but to keep it an exhibition of quality exclusive eight or ten editions in a boutique, which people can see not as functional objects as tables, vases or chairs but as artistic creations for people to invest in.
On display at the Design Days are special rare designs, six installations and live performances from designers to enable the people to see the process of designs being made.
“With the expansion of design scene in Dubai, we definitely want to make Dubai the strongest point of design hub in the Middle East,” Zammit said.
Il Hoon Roh, an architect and designer from Seoul, told Khaleej Times that for the first time, he made a special edition of hand-made “rami” benches, “luno” chairs, and tables made of carbon fibre, which abounds in South Korea, for the Design Days Dubai.
“It took me a month to hand-make a 190-cm “rami” (Latin word for bench), and I made ten for my limited edition at $10,000 each. I also designed and made side tables and chairs. It is my first time to design these for Dubai. I am grateful to be part of Design Days Dubai.”
Design Days Dubai is also giving a great opportunity for students and fresh graduates to design and to see how their exquisite designs are made into real objects made available at the fair.
Ranim Orouk, one of the ten students from American University of Sharjah who won a design competition ran by FN Designs, said that she took courage to join the competition and did not dream of finding her design being made into rare pieces of chairs at the fair. “I won together with other students and graduates from our university. The chair you are sitting is my design. I am proud to be part of Design Days for it has given me the approval as an architect and designer.”
lily@khaleejtimes.com