The sixth annual edition of Dubai Design Week is scheduled to take place from 9-14 November and will consist of both physical and digital arms to delight audiences. The UAE’s one-stop destination for all-things design and architecture, DXBDW is among the most-awaited events on the international creative calendar.
This year’s event will shine a bigger spotlight on local talent, lending more focus on sustainable and purposeful designs. The festival has adopted a ‘phygital’ approach and will include both in-person activities at Dubai Design District and other locations around the city.
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The six-day event “will be addressing the role and responsibilities of designers, creatives and creative industry stakeholders in redefining the way we live in the near and long-term future,” creative director Ghassan Salameh said in a statement. “I was very interested in trying to focus more on design that is responsible and purposeful… Our job as creatives is to provide solutions for the different problems the world is going through. We have to be relevant. We cannot sit on the side and keep doing things like we always do.”
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A major change in the 2020 programming is that participants will be selected mostly via open call. The Abwab pavilion, an essential part of the festival featuring commissioned architectural models, will now be drawn from submissions by creatives in the MENA region.
The architectural structures are expected to be built to withstand extreme weather conditions while also paying heed to social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19. Apart from this, the shelters will be semi-permanent, so that they can be functional beyond the event. Partnering with Sharjah-based environmental company Bee’ah, Abwab is also providing participants with recycled and up-cycled materials, including rubber, aluminum cans, cardboard and plastic bottles for participants to bring their designs to life.
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With less than four months to go, the event is gearing up to provide a safe and practical environment for the design community to showcase their talent and lend a helping hand in our collective process of healing from the uncertainties we face.
Cover image credits @dubaidesignweek
