Design week preps for exhibition focusing on ‘possibilities’

AMMAN — Amman Design Week’s (ADW) new theme will pave the way for emerging designers and open the door for new discussions, said Rana Beiruti, director and co-founder of the event. 

During a recent interview with The Jordan Times at ADW’s office in Amman, Beiruti noted that next year’s event will be held under the theme of “possibilities”. 

Currently in its third year, “The Hangar Exhibition”, as the design week is called, will be curated by Noura Al Sayeh, an architect and curator who has spent the last 10 years working for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. 

The event’s first ever theme was “design is here”, which was meant to introduce Ammanites to contemporary designs. The second year’s theme was “design moves life, life moves design”. 

She recalled that in the second year, the idea focused on how to come together and collaborate and talk about the world’s problems. It was meant to explore problem solving through design and through designers to make a difference in the world. 

“So, issues like water, public transportation and movement in the city were tackled,” she added.  

ADW’s co-founder said that in the third edition they wanted to explore a different topic.

“Instead of thinking about problem solving or reaction towards the problems that exist in our life, why don’t we talk about dreams?” she added.  

ADW said that people can sign-up to participate until February, adding that the third exhibition will take place from October 4 through the 12 at the Hanger. 

“We are focusing on the exchange between local and regional designers,” she added.  

Visitors will be able to tour the exhibition’s crafts section, which will pay special focus to cultural heritage with a contemporary angle. 

“The third element we are focusing on this year is students, because the whole idea of the event is to teach, so we are very interested in students visiting us,” she added.   

The exhibition has also played a role in advancing the careers of emerging designers, Beiruti said. 

“After three years, we noticed that they [designers] began going abroad to places such as London, Milan and Dubai to showcase their works. ADW was a starting point for them,” she added. 

“It [ADW] produces materials in either Amman or other cities, and we work with the local communities in different locations in Jordan,” Beiruti said, adding that “we work all throughout the year, not just during this event” .

Beiruti recounted that a total of 400 local and regional designers submitted applications to participate last year and around 160 designers took part in the event. 

Ayman Azzam, a local designer, who has taken part in the event in the past, said ADW was a window for the local community to peer out and explore high-quality designs from all over the world.

He stressed that the projects presented during the event would expose emerging designers to a level of design they should strive to reach.  

Taghrid Alina Smairat, a participant of the 2017 exhibition, said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times that ADW, “highlights the benefits of design in everyday life and introduces the audience to hidden talents”.

It also helps “empower local entrepreneurs and small businesses, and enriches the country’s design industry”, she added. 

“The challenge is to make the designer forget the reality that we live in, and to open the door for the dream to take place,” Beiruti said.