Illustrating the globalisation of design today, and Dubai’s unique position as an international hub, Design Days Dubai Fair Director and Director of Design at Art Dubai Group, Cyril Zammit, shares his travel diary as he connects with the world of collectable design.
Illustrating the globalisation of design today, and Dubai’s unique position as an international hub, Design Days Dubai Fair Director and Director of Design at Art Dubai Group, Cyril Zammit, shares his travel diary as he connects with the world of collectable design.
Dubai Down Under
Australia’s design capital, Melbourne, was Cyril’s destination in September as a guest speaker at Parallels, a new international craft and design conference presented by the National Craft Initiative and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Cyril says: “I visited Melbourne for the second as a keynote speaker at Parallels, a thought-provoking design conference at National Gallery of Victoria, revealing the shifting priorities and emerging opportunities for Australian craft and design."
“My presentation highlighted Dubai and the city’s position as a new design destination, as well as highlighting all the initiatives Art Dubai Group has created since the launch of Design Days Dubai in 2012. The conference was a great opportunity to learn more about the Australian design scene and its challenges (between isolation and copyrights).”
The programme for Parallels included Dutch design legend, Gijs Bakker, Italian-duo Formafantasma and South-African design gallery owners Trevor and Julian McGowan, of Southern Guild, one of Design Days Dubai’s most successful exhibitors.
While in Melbourne, Cyril also attended the award ceremony for the Rigg Design Prize, which recognises excellence in contemporary Australian design and is the highest accolade for object and furniture design in Australia.
“The Rigg Design Prize was an inspiring competition and for 2015, Adam Goodrum was awarded the top accolade. His entry, ‘Unfolding’, is a stunning landscape composition made of transparent synthetic polymer resin, with dichroic filter. Adam’s ‘Birdsmouth Table’ was presented at Design Days Dubai last March by Melbourne’s Broached Commissions.”
Cyril also took the opportunity while in Australia’s most design-minded city to meet with a wide range of local designers, including Khai Liew, who presented part of his current commission for a private residence in Sydney; pure and linear elements that are closely aligned to the Scandinavian school of design.
“My visit to Melbourne was also a good chance for me to meet the designers or representatives of the three design brands that will represent Melbourne in Downtown Design next month during the first edition of Dubai Design Week."
“We teamed up with Design Matters/Melbourne Design Week and I enjoyed spending time at Christopher Boots’ showroom, meeting his team, and also Jonathan Ben-Tovim and Andre Hnatojko. I am sure Dubai will love their creations, which are the right mix between high-end sophistication and that urban feeling.”