Event Details

Isola, creator of the namesake digital and physical design platform, participates for the second year in a row in the Dubai Design Week which will take place in the Dubai Design District from 7 to 12 November 2023. The Dubai initiative is part of a wider project to introduce the Isola design community to the international audience by participating in the London Design Festival and the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.
 
More than 60 designers, creators, craftsmen, and design studios will fly to the Emirates to showcase their work within one of the three exhibitions conceived by Isola: Anatolia, Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens, and Materialized. Moreover, design studio Tellurico will present the installation “Icebergs in the Desert”.
 
ANATOLIA
Downtown Design fair - d3 Waterfront, Dubai Design District 
9—11 November 2023
Conceived by Isola’s curatorial team in collaboration with Grob Design and part of Downtown Design fair, Anatolia is a collective exhibition, inspired by the great crossroads of ancient civilizations. The show will highlight Anatolian design and will have an atmosphere reminiscent of the Silk Road, a historic trade route that linked the East and the West, creating a vital hub for cultural exchange within the territories that it traversed. More than 25 Turkish and Middle Eastern designers, design studios, and brands will present their projects and research within the Anatolia exhibition.
 
NOTHING HAPPENS IF NOTHING HAPPENS 
Dubai Design District - Building 6, Unit R02)
7—12 November 2023
Isola presents its traveling curatorial exhibition “Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens,” a collective show featuring circular products and collectible design pieces. The name, taken from Isola Design Festival’s theme for this year, serves as a call for all designers and studios to implement a concrete change in their modus operandi, bringing them closer to the concept of regeneration in its various forms.
 
Visitors will explore a curated selection of high-end and distinctive design pieces from Isola's international community of designers. The pieces displayed will highlight the principles of craftsmanship and regenerative design, showing the creative synergy between artisans and sustainable innovation.
 
Moreover, the inspiring furniture company B&T, sponsor of the event, is launching a call for designers: “The Fusion of Form, Function, and Sustainability”. Applicants will have the opportunity to design a separation unit for the Turkish brand, that will be showcased during Milan Design Week 2024.
 
ICEBERGS IN THE DESERT BY TELLURICO
Dubai Design District (outside Building 6, Unit R02) 
7—12 November 2023
Tellurico crafts iceberg sculptures from recycled plastic materials, using them as symbols of awareness, sustainability, and sculptural art. These sculptures not only mimic the appearance of real icebergs but also serve as functional urban seating. Their presence in the cityscape offers a unique and thought-provoking addition. Beyond aesthetics, the icebergs are a call to action, shedding light on rising temperatures, glacial depletion, and sea level rise linked to human plastic consumption.
 
MATERIALIZED
Colab - Dubai Design District (R02, Building 1B, RU 02) 
 
As part of a broader project that includes the London Design Festival and Dutch Design Week, Colab, the first purpose-built material library in the United Arab Emirates-based in Dubai, will open its doors for the well-known exhibition Materialized (Dubai edition). This collaboration aims to bring a fresh perspective to design and creativity through the exploration of innovative materials.