Dubai: Contemporary design collectibles from all corners of the world will be rolled out on Monday at the fifth edition of Design Days Dubai in The Venue, Downtown Dubai.
More than 750 limited-edition pieces of furniture, lighting and accessories touted by 47 exhibitors from more than 35 countries are on offer at the five-day celebration of all things creative.
The diverse fair, being held under Art Week, a central weeklong cultural event in the region’s cultural calendar, is bringing together leading design galleries to also showcase some very rare pieces premiered for the first time in the Middle East.
Cyril Zammit, director of Design Days Dubai, told Gulf News that the fifth edition of the fair, which has tripled in size since its inception, attracting over 180 designers this year, gives visitors a unique opportunity to experience a vast number of diverse design creations first-hand, which are not normally seen anywhere else.
“It’s a one-time opportunity to see a totally different series of creations, which are not the everyday type of objects that people would see Of course, it’s a collectible design, so some prices are can be really high, but there are some affordable pieces that are really rare and presented in limited edition, which could make one the few proud owners of these pieces,” he said.
Zammit said a record number of regional exhibitors are showcasing their design pieces this year, including individual emerging and established designers from the UAE, which the fair has continued to support in the last two years.
Some of the contemporary works of local talents on display have included handmade tables and lamps, hand-knotted carpets, multi-purpose book shelves and chairs in different designs.
“It’s important that the fair opens the doors for individual designers, which is not the case in other parts of the world. It gives them great exposure and opportunity to be on the same level of designer galleries that have a reputation worldwide like the Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Victor Hunt Design Art Dealers.”
Internationally acclaimed Dutch designer Marcel Wanders has joined the fair for his regional debut to showcase an exclusive collection of ten limited edition pieces combining traditional crafts and industrial processes.
Zammit said Wanders has brought in some of the most iconic pieces “from the knotted chair covered in 24 carat gold to the bonbon chair and other fantastic ceramics that he has done”.
Items at the fair are priced from $1,500 (Dh5,500) to $500,000 (up to Dh1.8 million).
Visitors will also get a chance to see special projects as part of competitions, installations and live design-in-the making, according to organisers, including a chance to meet designers and hear about their design process.
Alongside the fair, there will be free-to-attend workshops, talks, screenings, mentorship sessions and performances as part of the fair’s public programme.
Design Days Dubai, owned and managed by Art Dubai Fair LLC, is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and in partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
What: Design Days Dubai
Where: The Venue, Downtown Dubai next to Burj Khalifa
Dates: March 14-18
