DESIGN DEBUT IN DUBAI
Hashemi’s Kaleidoscopic Reflection
Dubai Design Week opens October 24th, 2016, to a bevy of installations and events spotlighting design in the Emirates. As one of the world’s newest and most ambitious international design events, Dubai Design Week was conceived to share the United Arab Emirate’s thriving design scene with the world at large. This year, Swarovski celebrates their Dubai Design Week debut with a specially commissioned installation, hexalite by acclaimed Emirati artist Zeinab Al Hashemi.
On display in d3, Dubai’s famed Design District, the installation by Dubai-based artist Al Hashemi signals Swarovski’s growing support for art and passion for design innovation in the Emirates. Al Hashemi, a conceptual artist and designer specializing in site-specific installations, spatial art and modern public sculpture finds her inspiration in the traditions of her Emirati culture and local artisans. She creates intriguing, interactive works that experiment with new materials and techniques. Kindred to Swarovski’s expansive design vision, Al Hashemi’s work unites craftsmanship with innovation, making her a natural choice for a collaboration.
The outdoor installation, titled hexalite, is a standing interactive installation designed around the geometric and mathematic repetition of the number 3. Nestled outdoors amongst the towering steel and glass buildings of d3, the artist’s sculpture features 33 hexagonal mirrored-steel structures with 1,145 Swarovski crystals and mirrored prisms. Mounted horizontally, and standing 1.5m high and 3m wide, the structures reveal an infinite series of kaleidoscopic views as the crystals reflect and refract multicolored light. Faced with a shimmering, geometric mirage, visitors are challenged to interact with the reflections, exploring the connections between each other and the world around them. Celebrating the first day that hexalite is open to the public, Nadja Swarovski will join Al Hashemi on-site on October 25th.
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “We are extremely pleased to collaborate with Zeinab Al Hashemi on her stunning installation. This playful kaleidoscopic piece is the perfect way to celebrate our debut at Dubai Design Week.” In homage to Swarovski’s designer collaborations, selections from Atelier Swarovski Home, a newly launched range of home accessories from leading contemporary designers, will be exclusively available in Etoile La Boutique in Mall of The Emirates from October 25th – December 26th, 2016.
Swarovski continues to support and empower designers worldwide with myriad initiatives and collaborations aimed at providing exposure to upcoming and established talents continuing its mission to engage with designers in the realms of art, design, fashion and beyond.
