The Dubai Design Week: Should art-lovers only visit it?

The sixth edition of the Dubai Design Week, which was first launched in 2015, will take place from the 9^th to the 14^th to of November, 2020. This will be the first Dubai Design Week of its kind, as it will be taking place during a global pandemic. This situation is an opportunity for the organizers to innovate ways to successfully host an exhibition in a new global order.

According to their website, 2020’s edition of Dubai Design Week will revolve around the theme of inviting creative solutions for our new global reality. Continuing on the global collaboration seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Dubai Design Week aims to contribute to “re-imaging traditional processes and approaches for a better shared and fair future.”

This year’s Dubai Design Week will include all of the usual major annual attractions, such as installations, exhibitions, and talks. These features will all be adapted to include virtual components and of course, social distancing measures.

Downtown Design is the major component of Dubai Design Week, where brand debuts, product launches, installations, and ‘specially commissioned experiential projects’ all come together to create an enriching experience for visitors and designers alike.

The Abwab exhibition is one of the annual anchors at Dubai Design Week and provides a platform for MENASA artists and designers in the areas of architecture, graphic, industrial, product, furniture and spatial design.

The Global Grad Show is a nonprofit initiative open to graduates from countries all over the world and aims to create a space for upcoming designers to exhibit their work, exchange knowledge and refine their skills. 2020’s edition will focus on exhibits dealing with a post-COVID world. Four proposals have already been shortlisted and they revolve around anti-viral packaging, AI systems for the medical field, bleach-creating devices, and an app to connect volunteers and people in need in society.

Dubai Design Week is an annual opportunity for residents of Dubai, artistically inclined or not, to get a much needed dose of creativity, inspiration and innovation.

All in all, it looks as though the Middle East’s biggest design event of the year will go ahead as planned, with plenty of innovations making it suitable for our new social realities. Dubai Design Week’s execution of the 2020 edition will set a precedent for future exhibitions and events.