Cutting-edge Dubai gallery launches design competition

Seen on Gulfnews:

Dubai: A competition has been launched for creators in the Middle East to conceive a gallery space, decorative object or lounge chair. The winner will see their design go into production.

As a top prize, the winner of the gallery space category will have their design built at a high-profile location in Business Bay Dubai, which is slated to open in 2008.

Dubai-based design gallery and showroom traffic - the first gallery in the Middle East to display works from world-renowned designers - has launched the competition, which will be judged by an panel of international judges.

The competition aims to uncover hidden design talent in the region and is open to all designers, professional or otherwise, residing in the Middle East or of Middle Eastern origin. Participants must be at least 18 years old.

The competition features a jury composed of leading figures in the world of design. Jury member Karim Rashid works in product, interior, fashion and lighting design, while Konstanin Grcic, has developed furniture, products and lighting for some of Europe’s leading design companies such as Flos, Magis, Moorman and Muji.

Three categories

The jury also includes Khalid Al Najjar, the man behind architecture firm dxb.LAB, and Shumon Basar, a writer, curator and lecturer at the Architectural Association and the Royal College of Art in London.

The three categories that applicants can enter and design are: a decorative object limited to a maximum volume of 0.25 cubic metre, a lounge chair limited to a maximum volume of 2.5 cubic metres, and a retail space of 1,000 square feet to be built in Business Bay.

The details

The winning designs, once produced, will be sold exclusively at traffic gallery in Dubai. Cash prizes for the winning designs of each category are Dh7,340 for the decorative object, Dh11,010 for the chair and Dh14,680 for the retail space.

The awards will be judged on innovation, commerciability, aesthetic and design quality, durability, ecological compatibility, cultural relevance and functionality as well as ergonomics. Entries will be accepted until March 9, 2008. For full details, visit http://www.9714.com/clients/traffic/images/design_competition_08.html

Participate here!