Held in partnership with Dubai Design District (D3), the second Dubai Design Week is currently underway, encouraging the growth of the design industry in Dubai and the Middle East.

 

Design-dedicated events, activities and projects within D3 and across the city contribute to celebrating the best in design both regionally and internationally. This year, Cairo has been selected as the focus of the Iconic City exhibition: Cairo Now! It is the first time that this number of Cairene designers have exhibited together. Furniture, posters, typography, graphic design, lighting, comic books, clothing and architecture all compete for your attention, evoking this frenetic city’s personality.

 

Around 65 Egyptian architects, designers and entrepreneurs are contributing to this exhibition, curated by Cairo-based architect and writer Mohamed Elshahed. The theme of incompleteness is a reflection of the city’s status quo: its partially restored historic buildings, its notional urbanism where buildings are never fully completed to avoid taxation, the tendency to leave concrete sticking out of roofs in the hope of adding additional floors in the future, or its incoherent transport system. It’s also meant to draw parallels to the unrealized potential of the city’s current generation of designers.

 

 

“Cairo Now! sheds light on the city’s emerging designers who, despite the lack of a marketplace or  an infrastructure supporting their practices, continue to innovate, and turn the city’s trash into new products and revive fading traditions with a contemporary edge. They always take Cairo with all its flaws as their muse and as the source of their creativity. The city’s zeitgeist is reflected in their often satirical take on the absurdities that make up contemporary Cairo,” Elshahed states.

 

 

Among the many brilliant Egyptian talents currently exhibiting are

 

Menna Baladha

 

 

 

Sal by Salsabil Amin

 

A room packed with Egyptian talents. Finally under one roof :))) #caironow #dubaidesignweek #DXBDW2016

A photo posted by SAL (@sal.bysalsabeelamin) on Oct 25, 2016 at 6:57am PDT

 

 

Lina Alorabi

 

 

 

Reform Studio

 

 

 

 s.a.d.a.f.a

 

Happening now in Dubai! Check out s.a.d.a.f.a’s display @dubaidesignweek iconic city: Cairo now. The exhibition runs until Saturday 29 October at 19:00 in Dubai Design District @d3dubai Would also like to thank Heba @eklegodesign for taking this picture…unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend myself, and she was ever so kind enough to take it for me ?✨

A photo posted by S.A.D.A.F.A by Dina El Sheikh (@s.a.d.a.f.a) on Oct 25, 2016 at 8:11am PDT

 

 

 Kiliim

 

 

 

Mohamed Gaber

 

 

 

WE SAID THIS: Walahy rafa3to rasna ya Masraweya!