Sitting within Downtown Editions, the educational exhibition will feature the works of designers and experts based in the Middle-East, offering insights on the different components and stakeholders that constitute the ecosystem behind a design industry. Curated by designer Ghassan Salameh, “MADAR” will also be product-focused, highlighting the various stages of starting a design business, initiating a sharing platform to exchange design-related knowledge. This interactive exhibition/project will present insights into the state of design in the region, mapping out creative activity from Beirut, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, KSA and the U.A.E whilst offering an overview on the opportunities for designers. By approaching thematics related to craft preservation by innovative production techniques, material innovation by upcycling, and reducing manufacturing waste, attention will be drawn to the ways in which these methods empower designers facts and figures, allowing them to experiment, innovate and partake in designing for impact and change. Presenting the opportunities and possibilities that are available to designers to get involved with, the intention is to create an environmental and social impact, promoting the use of design as a key tool for social change. Ghassan Salameh is a designer who focuses on lighting-centric installations and bespoke lighting design products whose experimental and research-led design studio, lighting collections and site-specific installations have been exhibited across the Middle East and internationally, including at design festivals in Venice, Milan, London, and Berlin.
For more information, please visit www.dubaidesignweek.ae