Design Days Dubai, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and held in partnership with Dubai Culture, has returned this year for its fourth edition and runs until Friday, 20 March.
The fair returns to Emaar’s The Venue, next to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Downtown Dubai. This year’s returning sponsors include French high-jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels, Emaar and Audi. The Middle East and South Asia’s only collectable design fair, this year’s edition is the largest to-date. It presents purchasable and highly desirable works of modern and contemporary design hosting this year 44 exhibitors from 20 countries, with 150 designers represented. More than 780 items will be exhibited throughout the five days and fair participants can also partake in 13 hands-on workshops, sponsored by Dubai Design District (d3), and nine talks with regional and international design experts.
“We have welcomed more international galleries and designers to Dubai than in any other year,” said Fair Director, Cyril Zammit. “In 2015, the fair also sees its biggest participation from the Middle East and UAE – nearly half of the line-up is home grown design talent. Dubai Design Days has become a platform for design in the region and we are proud of our continued work in helping to grow the UAE’s reputation as an international design centre. Such an impressive local and regional showing is indicative of the growing importance of design in Dubai and the emphasis the city places on the role of innovated design in its ambitious path of ongoing progress and development.”
This year boasts a strong returning international representation in welcoming a number of galleries for their regional premiere. These include David Gill Galleries (UK), Gallery FUMI (UK), Chamber (USA), Galerie Silbereis (France) and Gallery ALL (China/USA) are some of the debut galleries, which join returning giants such as Carpenters Workshop Gallery (Paris/London).
Design Days Dubai further demonstrates Dubai’s position as a global centre for design with exhibitors from Cape Town (Southern Guild), Sao Paulo (Coletivo Amor de Madre), Vienna (Wiener Silber Manufactur), Melbourne (Broached Commissions) which are also among the 22 returning galleries, which in 2015 are joined by leading international design organisations, the World Design Capital – Taipei 2016 (Taiwan) and Beijing Design Week (China). There is also the Crafts Council (UK) which is offering British talent a chance to shine on a world stage at Design Days Dubai with an exhibition from established and upcoming designers as they collectively explore the possibilities of how UK designers might work in the Middle East region in the future.
This year also presents a strong UAE showing of galleries. Tashkeel (Dubai) has unveiled works developed by participants of its nine-month design programme, which engages designers, makers and artisans living and working in the UAE to develop products that work towards defining a design, aesthetic and production process that is innately from the Emirates. Design collectors and enthusiasts seeking to further experience and explore regional design can view innovative works from first-time participants, 1971 (Sharjah), and 19th Century Antiques (Dubai), as well as the launch of Aljoud Lootah’s first collection (Dubai) and Arty by AMN (Ajman).
There is also a strong turn-out of leading exhibitors and designers from the wider region firmly anchors Design Days Dubai as the Middle East’s leading design fair. Ardeco Gallery (Beirut / Lebanon), Art Factum Gallery (Beirut / Lebanon), Carwan Gallery (Lebanon), House of Today (Lebanon), Cities (UAE / Saudi Arabia) and Naqsh Design House (Amman / Jordan) join VCUQatar (Doha), the Qatar campus of the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia, which will show works by its students. For lovers of art, design and all things creative, this is a fair not to miss.
For more information, visit www.designdaysdubai.ae
