Inaugural Design Days Dubai opens today with exclusive showcase of collectible works and live performances

Workshops and seminars on design form part of the programme

The first fair in the Middle East and South Asia region dedicated to collectible and limited-edition design, Design Days Dubai will open Sunday, March 18. Showcasing an unmatched collection of more than 400 rare design masterpieces, it will bring together collectors, makers and lovers of design from the region and beyond.

Underlining Dubai’s strategic position as a bridge between Europe and Asia, as well as its creative spirit and openness to new ideas, 22 leading design galleries from countries as far-flung as Korea, Brazil, South Africa and the USA, as well as Europe and the Middle East, are presenting collectible and limited-edition furniture and objects of exceptional quality, ranging from prototypes to 20th-Century classics. The works range in price from €500 to €300,000 (approximately $655 to $393,000 / Dh2,400 to Dh1.45 million).

Catering to art lovers as well as contemporary design aficionados, Design Days Dubai aims to boost design as a collectible art form, and to convey the investment value of high-quality design works.

Aiming to become an important cultural forum for this emerging region, Design Days Dubai will also exhibit work by a new generation of designers from universities in the UAE, Qatar and Switzerland. In addition, a large interactive design area will host seminars, workshops and performances.

Among the leading names presenting events for both the public and professionals are patrons of Design Days Dubai, such as Nada Debs, the Beirut-based furniture designer, and Li Edelkoort, one of the world’s most influential curators, educators and trend forecasters. The fêted Korean artist Kwang Ho Lee, and renowned Dutch design studio, Drift, are among those presenting live design performances, while several emerging Arab designers will conduct talks and workshops.

During the fair, visitors and design enthusiasts are encouraged to meet and speak with gallery owners and designers; learn about the art form from experts; and witness the brilliance of design as it unfolds through live performances.

Cyril Zammit, Fair Director, Design Days Dubai, said: “At the inaugural edition of Design Days Dubai, we aim to spark the curiousity of our visitors and support emerging designers through a rich programme that covers the fundamentals of this visual art, with mentoring and the transmission of on-the-job skills from leading names in the business. The fair will be a catalyst for this region’s contemporary design scene.”

Design Days Dubai is taking place until 21 March, 2012, at a specially designed venue by the base of Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai, the flagship development of Emaar Properties. The event is organised in partnership with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), The Address Hotels + Resorts, and with the support of design patrons Audi and Van Cleef & Arpels. Timed to overlap with the opening of Art Dubai, the region’s leading contemporary art fair, Design Days Dubai is an integral part of Art Week.

Dates: Sunday, 18 March, 2012 – Wednesday, 21 March, 2012
Times: Sunday, 18 March, and Monday, 19 March, 4 – 10pm
Tuesday, 20 March, 12pm – 6pm
Wednesday, 21 March, 2pm – 8pm
Ladies’ Day: Sunday, 18 March, 2pm to 4pm – Admission free
Tickets: AED50 per person (at entrance); No charge for students upon presentation of ID

Further information: www.designdaysdubai.ae