Named after the Arabic word for ‘doors’, Abwab is a celebration and exploration of the MENASA region’s diverse creative thinking and gateway to the region’s design talent.
Named after the Arabic word for ‘doors’, Abwab is a celebration and exploration of the MENASA region’s diverse creative thinking and gateway to the region’s design talent.
This year, curators from Algeria, Bahrain, India, Iraq, Palestine and the UAE have been invited to take part, and given the rare task of best representing their country’s aesthetic by guiding their selected designers and studios to produce works related to the chosen theme: “The Human Senses.”
Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect:
Curated by painter and designer Hellal Zoubir,Algeriawill focus on how sound is transmitted through image by creating an interactive sonorous, audiovisual landscape that invites visitorsto become musicians using contemporary Algerian design-drums.
Both theBahrainandtheIraqpavilion, take an archaeological approach to their installations. Co-curated by architect/designer/cultural researcher Rand Abdul Jabbar and designer Hozan Zangana,Iraqexplores its multi-layered history through the excavation site of found artifacts.
WhilstBahrain, curated byThe Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, turns its gaze to the cultural significance and bespoke aspect of its rich heritage of pottery and uses the direction of Abwab’s theme to draw attention and revive this dormant craft industry.
Palestinedelves into history by looking at the disappearance of olive wood carving, first introduced by Greek Orthodox monks in 4thcentury Bethlehem but now being replaced by the cheaper imports of global tourism. Turning mass customisation on its head, French-Palestinian architects Elias Anastas and Yousef Anastas, monitor and simulate the handmade imperfections of olive wood master carvers as a tongue-in-cheek reference to what high-tech fabrication has done to the artisanal industry.
India, curated by multimedia artist duo Thukral & Tagra, will set up interactive ‘Memoir Bar’,inviting visitors to make a personal memory tile and help build a library of memories. A witty exploration of whether it is possible to preserve an emotion forever, here memory becomes a form of currency, which you can transfer, deposit in a ‘reserve of experience,’ or exchange for new ones.
On a similar plane, multidisciplinary designer Salem Al-Qassimi uses theUAEpavilion as a platform to interrogate the blurring between physical and digital landscapes through interactive sensory experiences, digital games and installations by commissioning graphic designers primarily – resulting in a confusion of the senses.
Abwab will be located within the walkways of Dubai Design District (d3) during Dubai Design Week (24-29 October)