DESIGN DAYS DUBAI COMPLETES ITS FIFTH AND MOST SUCCESSFUL EDITION TO-DATE
- The Middle East and South Asia’s only collectable design fair was opened by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and had a visit from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai.
- The design fair welcomed more than 13,500 visitors
- 625 people attended the fair’s expanded public programme of talks and workshops, sponsored by Dubai Design District.
- The most diverse fair to date with design from 37 countries including a record number from the Emirates and MENASA region.
Dubai, UAE 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 & Arts Authority, wraps up its fifth edition as its most successful to-date.
The Middle East and South Asia’s only collectable design fair was opened by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with a weekend visit from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai and many other local and regional dignitaries.
Design Days Dubai, which presents purchasable and highly desirable contemporary design, closed its doors on Friday (March 18), having staged a record-breaking fair for 2016; attracting increased visitor numbers of 13,500 people and having featured 185 designers from 37 countries and more than 750 pieces of collectible design on display.
Returning to the prestigious temporary location of The Venue, next to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Downtown Dubai, Design Days Dubai has the continued generous support of returning sponsors: French high-jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels, Emaar, Audi and Dubai Design District (d3).
Design Days Dubai’s fair director, Cyril Zammit, said: “We are proud that in Design Days Dubai 2016 closes as the most successful edition yet. The fair saw the highest visitor numbers and was again the world’s most diverse international design fair. The mood within the fair across exhibitors and visitors alike was electric in its positivity, the public programme well-attended and exhibitors reported strong sales. With a record 50 percent of design on display was from the UAE and MENASA region, Dubai has again reinforced its position as the regional centre of design and we look forward to continuing that fantastic momentum throughout to return in 2017 for our 6th edition.”
A successful show for exhibitors
Exhibiting galleries and solo designers reported strong interest and sales over the course of the fair, citing the fair’s increasing development of broad international and regional networks which, for the first time this year, included a dedicated professional buyers preview (targeting architects, interior designers, specifiers) and an #Empty bloggers/instagramers preview, as well as the popular annual ladies and VIP collectors previews.
First time solo exhibitor Loulwa Al-Radwan, Kuwait, said: “It’s a great platform for someone like me and has given me great exposure. It’s the first time that I have exhibited as an independent designer and I feel that I have really benefited. I’ve made contacts, sold some pieces, have met many new galleries and I’m now also looking at some possible future collaborations.”
Global Reach
Demonstrating the importance of Design Days Dubai as a platform for reaching a global audience, the fair welcomed 5 all-female designers of Saudi Design Week (presented by the new King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dammam), a group show of 8 Shanghai-based designers supported by UNESCO Creative Cities (Shanghai) Promotion Office and 14 Dutch designers under Dutch Creative Industry, all for the first time; and, welcomed back Crafts Council (UK) with selected works from 11 rising stars and established designers and 3 locally-based designers from Tashkeel’s Tanween design programme.
Anabelle Gersigny, Strategy and Partnership Development Manager of Tashkeel, said: “It has been a fantastic fair – the response to our designers has been overwhelming. We are excited to be launching the next year of the Tanween Programme from a springboard of energy and enthusiasm for design in the Middle East that is so apparent at Design Days Dubai.”
Community Engagement
For 2016, Design Days Dubai extended its free-to-attend public programme which, in partnership with d3, saw participants experience, engage and interact with design on many diverse levels: from discussing design processes, theory and trends with designers from the world over, to getting hands on in workshops, to sitting down with designers one-on-one in Design Days Dubai’s one-of-a-kind mentorship sessions. Over the course of the fair, 625 participants took part in the public programme, its highest turn-out yet, which included a packed auditorium for the fair’s opening keynote with world-renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.
“As the fifth edition of Design Days Dubai come to a close, we’re thrilled to have once again been part of what is a leading global fair that supports the region’s local emerging talent. Our commitment to this cause, and our support of activities such as the public programming, Urban Commissions and WASL exhibition is vital to the development of the art and design industry, and is also central to our core vision of nurturing and facilitating the growth of these sectors,” said Mohammad Saeed Al-Shehhi, d3’s Chief Operating Officer.
In addition to the public programme, the fair’s unique outreach programme welcomed 32 school and university groups from the UAE, Iran, Lebanon and Oman, further opening the doors to design to the younger generation.
For more information about Design Days Dubai 2016, please visit the bi-lingual website, www.designdaysdubai.ae. Supporters can also keep up to date with the fair on the following social media channels: Facebook Instagram Twitter
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About Design Days Dubai
Now in its fifth edition, Design Days Dubai is the first design fair of its kind in the Middle East, bringing the most exclusive selection of purchasable, limited-edition design to the region. A showcase of desirable, rare and unique design creations, Design Days Dubai will be held from March 14-18, 2016, to coincide with Art Week, the city’s premier art event. Design Days Dubai will again be located at its dedicated premises; The Venue, Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai.
DESIGN DAYS DUBAI IS PRESENTED WITH THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS:
Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Dubai Culture plays a critical part in achieving the vision of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021 of establishing the city as vibrant, global Arabian metropolis that shapes culture and arts in the region and the world.
The organisation has announced several initiatives that strengthen the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai. These include: The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards: The first of its kind initiative in the Arab world honouring individuals and organisations who have made financial or in kind contributions through sustained support to visual arts, performing arts, literature and film in the region; Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae), the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation, by providing a platform of information and opportunities leading to exposure and personal growth; Dubai Art Season: The city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which encompasses of Art Week (Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair); and Middle East Film & Comic Con, among others, to highlight the Emirate’s growing creative landscape within the international circuit; SIKKA Art Fair: An annual art fair aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE; and Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre: An annual festival that celebrates and fosters the art of theatre in the UAE. www.dubaiculture.gov.ae
Van Cleef & Arpels
Founded in 1906 in Paris’ Place Vendôme, Van Cleef & Arpels came into being following Alfred Van Cleef’s marriage to Estelle Arpels in 1895. Always striving for excellence, the Maison has become a worldwide reference through its unique designs, its choice of exceptional stones and its virtuoso craftsmanship, offering jewels and timepieces that tell stories and bring enchantment to life.
Over the years, the Maison has remained faithful to this highly distinctive style characterized by creativity, refinement and poetry. Whether inspired by nature, couture or works of the imagination, its collections evoke a timeless world of beauty and harmony.www.vancleefarpels.com
Emaar Properties PJSC
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer and provider of premium lifestyles, with a significant presence in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. One of the world’s largest real estate companies, Emaar has total assets valued at over US$ 42 billion and a land bank of approximately 195 million sq m in Dubai and key international markets.
With a proven track-record in delivery, Emaar has handed over 39,800 residential units in Dubai and other global markets since 2001. Emaar has over 690,000 sq m of recurring revenue generating assets, and 13 hotels and resorts, with 1,950 rooms. Today, around 60 per cent of the company’s revenues are from its shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure and international subsidiaries. Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, are among Emaar’s trophy developments. www.emaar.com
Audi
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. The company is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. In the second half of 2016, Audi will start production of the Q5 in San José Chiapa (Mexico). 100-percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include quattro GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).
In 2014, the latest full financial year, the Audi Group delivered to customers approximately 1.74 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 2,530 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and approximately 45,000 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €53.8 billion and an operating profit of €5.15 billion in 2014. At present, more than 80,000 people work for the company all over the world, 58,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on new products and sustainable technologies for the future of mobility.
AUDI AG’s commitment to the region was confirmed through the foundation of its fully owned subsidiary in 2005. The current Middle East model range comprises the Audi A1, A3 and S3 Sedan, A4 and RS 4 Avant, the A5 Coupe, Sportback, Cabriolet and RS 5, the A6, S6 & RS 6 Avant, A7, S7 & RS 7, A8 L & S8, the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7, the Audi TT Coupe/Roadster and TT RS Coupe, the Audi R8 Coupe and R8 Spyder as well as R8 V10 plus. www.audi.com
Art Week
With the aim of promoting the cultural activities of the region to both residents and visitors, Art Week is an umbrella initiative bringing together the UAE’s arts and culture-centred happenings in the month of March. From fairs Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai and SIKKA to exhibitions at Alserkal Avenue and pop-up museums around the country, Art Week involves cultural programmes from across the UAE, highlighting galleries, institutions and artists. As a focal point of the region’s cultural calendar, Art Week attracts many tourists and residents, thus helping to sustain and develop the region’s arts industry by actively building audiences and patrons. Art Week also provides educational opportunities for young Emiratis and locally-based graduates—building expertise for the future. www.artweek.ae