Spring in Dubai may not be the greenest or most colourful start of a new year as most of the expats know it, but the city celebrates the fresh start and beauty, launching an exciting art and design season. This week it opens with the fourth edition of the international design fair Design Days Dubai.
Starting Monday, March 16, Design Days Dubai will be held for five days at The Venue in Downtown and will present 44 of the most creative regional and international design galleries. Visitors will be able to see and buy collectible and limited-edition design objects and furniture, as well as high-end installations and works that are more an investment rather than just home décor. Along with top global design studios, there will be collections from the Middle East such as Zaha Hadid, Nada Debs and her Eastern-inspired furniture and Aljoud Lootah with her debut collection. International exhibitors include Southern Guild (Cape Town), David Gill Galleries (London), Carpenters Workshop Gallery (Paris/London), Broached Commissions (Melbourne), Chamber (New York), and many others. In addition, there will be talks on everything design, as well as different performances, and interactive workshops.
The event coincides with Art Week, which will also comprise of Art Dubai – a diverse art fair, which will showcase works by hundreds of artists and over 100 galleries from across the world. SIKKA Art Fair, on the other hand focuses on emerging Emirati and UAE-based artists. An initiative by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, it has already started in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood.
Instead of an exhibition, Design Days Dubai is a fair, which means everyone can attend – after getting a AED 50 ticket. However, the event showcases really exclusive objects, expensive art and design pieces, collectables that often will cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Before deciding on buying a particular piece, every visitor should know its real value as collectable art. So, don’t be surprised by a beautiful table with a $60,000 price tag.
