Middle Eastern craftsmanship takes to the stage at Design Miami.
Introducing Arabian craftsmanship on the east coast of America, Dubai’s Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection, a contemporary art and design gallery scheduled to open in March, is running an exclusive exhibition alongside Design Miami 2008. The showcase is offering a sneak preview of the gallery’s intriguing collection of Middle East-inspired pieces.
The exhibition is entitled Alef, which refers to the first letter of the Arabic alphabet and alludes to the fact that this is the very first public outing by Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection. Once operational, the gallery will present new work from Studio Job, Maarten Baas, Marcel Wanders and Jaime Hayon, who will all create limited edition pieces in collaboration with local artisans.
Conceptualised by Villa Moda founder Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah, the gallery was created to promote the craftsmanship of the region to a wider audience, whilst encouraging local governments to take more responsibility in preserving their cultural heritage.
“Our regional governments are not supporting and maintaining local crafts. This is a way of putting a spotlight on our cultural heritage and hopefully inspiring more commitment to supporting these artisans, who hand their skills and trade secrets down through the generations, through families,” he explained.
“As the youngest generations of many of these families are turning to alternative sources of income, we are in danger of losing this important legacy.
“The Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection firmly believes that when combined with a contemporary aesthetic, craftsmanship is not only relevant today but also central to our heritage of the future,” Sheikh Majed continued.
Alef is running from December 1 to 8 and presents an innovative interplay of contemporary design and traditional craft. This juxtaposition is perhaps best evident in the work of Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans, who has created a Middle Eastern-influenced version of her Crystal Virus collection specifically for the Miami event.
The Crystal Virus involves a large, crystal glass bubble being hand-blown onto an existing piece of furniture. As the crystal is blown, it burns and marks the furniture, whilst adapting to its texture and surface shape.In honour of Alef, Bergmans is creating a series of Crystal Virus pieces, using traditional antique furniture inlaid with mother of pearl from Syria.
Alef is also highlighting the work of Lebanese designers Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri, who jointly operate under the name Bokja and are renowned for incorporating vintage furniture into their designs. They source, reclaim and restore impressive mid-century pieces that were discarded and neglected during the Lebanese Civil War.
Their preference for vintage, embroidered fabrics from the east creates a fusion of the clean lines and curves of Scandinavian and Italian twentieth century design and the chaotic colours and patterns that dominate in this part of the world.
The exhibition, located within the Chatham Building in the Miami Design District, will provide a warm and welcoming haven for visitors to Design Miami. “With so much negativity about the economy, we wanted to create a happy environment where visitors can disconnect from the outside world,” Sheikh Majed noted.
“We are converting the space into a sort of luxury soukh, inspired by antique stores in the old streets of Damascus and Istanbul. Visitors will be encouraged to hang out and enjoy abundant Middle Eastern hospitality, with traditional cardamom-flavoured Arabic coffee, dates, roasted nuts and sweetmeats from the best suppliers,” he detailed.
Colourful chaos will abound, with floors and walls encased in a patchwork of Persian rugs, all created by local artisans. Brass coffee pots will crowd the walls, while intelligent lighting will bring a sense of focus as it draws attention to the showpieces and infuses the space with warmth.
Alef will provide an initial glimpse into the cleverly chaotic, all-inclusive and uninhibited ethos that will characterise Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection when it opens next year. While the aim is to give voice to local artists, the gallery will be totally unrestrictive in its approach to art and design.
“We will be very democratic when we launch the gallery,” Sheikh Majed explained.
“We don’t feel obliged to have stars, but will base our curatorial decisions on our understanding of the local market, which is young, affluent and eager for new cultural developments and ideas.”
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