Design Space AlUla to showcase its lines in Milan’s historical design district
A work from AlUlaa Design Residency’s Unguessed Kinships programme.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Design Space AlUla is all set to exhibit recent design initiatives inspired by AlUla at the Mediateca Santa Teresa, in the heart of Brera, the historical design district of Milan (Apr. 14-21). The pieces for display include designs by leading artists and designers Dr. Zahrah Alghamdi, Cristian Mohaded, TAKK (Mireia Luzarraga and Alejandro Muino), and TECHNOCrafts.
They were featured in two new design initiatives in AlUla this year - at Madrasat Addeera Editions and the AlUla Design Residency - curated by Samer Yamani and Ali Ismail Karami, respectively.
The projects featured from Madrasaat Addeera Editions include Al Gharameel: The Magical Pillars by Dr. Zahrah Alghamdi, a Saudi Arabian artist, who takes the rock pillars of Al Gharameel as the inspiration of her edition. Recreated in leather embroidered with chamomile flowers, Magic Pillars celebrate the biodiversity surrounding natural features of AlUla.
AlWaha is a room divider by Cristian Mohaded, an artist and designer from Argentina. It celebrates the qualities of Al Khous – the craft of weaving palm fronds. Duna: The Seating Dune is a piece by Spanish duo TAKK, that introduces a versatile seating system. Inspired by AlUla’s desert, Duna’s form mirrors the undulations of sand without restricting the sitter to a predetermined position. The design features clay and naturally dyed fabrics, with colours that reflect the hues of AlUla’s sunrise.
Alwadiya: The Living Pots by Spanish design studio TECHNOCrafts is a self-sustaining system replicating the natural cycles of AlUla’s lush oasis. The pots are crafted using 3D-printed natural cellulose and PURE.TECH, an innovative decarbonisation material technology that absorbs CO2. They feature naturally dyed linen fabrics and biodegradable skins produced using AlUla’s own fruits and herbs.
The projects featured from AlUla Design Residency include Peculiar Erosions, which is a bench and series of chairs by the Paris-based artist Leo Orta. Orta was inspired by the mud-brick architecture of AlUla and the geology of the region; the forms recall basalt and sandstone erosion, created by wind and water. By combining geology, architecture and design, Orta bridges the gap between these disciplines.
From Debris is a collection by Raw Material, a design studio from western India. Inspired by historical local tools, the range consists of carved stones, lanterns, and metal pieces made from materials sourced in the oasis.
Takki is a modular platform by architectural designer Leen Ajlan from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Its surface serves as both a game board and a space for sharing, revisiting local pastimes and the tradition of gathering in recreational spaces. Ajlan aims to encourage people to rethink spaces for bonding and familiarity, while also facilitating new forms of play.
Haus Dari is a seating system by the French collective Hall Haus. It reinterprets traditional cushions, takayas and diwans, that are an integral part of AlUla’s social life. Surface! is a flexible partition made of stainless steel by Danish architecture studio Bahraini. The installation can be used as a screen, hoarding or curtain.
Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla said: “These pieces have specifically been chosen as not only do they exemplify the emerging design aesthetic in AlUla, but also the continued inspiration and dialogue that our destination offers to a broad range of cultures and artistic disciplines.”
Designed by renowned architectural practice CLOUD and designer Sabine Marcelis, the exhibition space reflects AlUla as a nexus of culture, creativity and storytelling. Designed around the concept of light, a central cylinder recreates an ideal sun, providing illumination to the main room. The dotted pattern on the floor reinterprets a traditional motif found in the streets of AlUla Old Town, while the Haus Dari seating system at the centre of the exhibition, invites visitors to relax.
In 2018, the Royal Commission for AlUla renovated Madrasat Addeera, previously the first secondary school in AlUla, to develop artisan and traditional arts programmes for local students. A series of programmes across a range of traditional arts have been developed, both locally and in partnership with leading international organisations.
Madrasat Addeera Editions are the result of the dialogue between the local design community in AlUla and renowned Saudi and international designers and artisans. Under the artistic direction of Yamani, the designs are a fusion of local heritage, contemporary design and sustainable materials.They draw inspiration from local culture and narratives of AlUla.
The exhibition also includes prototypes from the inaugural AlUla Design Residency. Pieces created for the recent exhibitions such as Unguessed Kinships and The Shadow Over Everything, will be exhibited in Milan for the first time outside AlUla, revealing the outcomes of the 2024 programme.
Design Space AlUla was launched as a physical and conceptual permanent gallery in AlUla as part of AlUla Arts Festival in February 2024. Design Space AlUla combines a gallery, archive and workshop in a new centre for design in the region. It is located in the heart of the AlJadidah Arts District.
Marcelis is an artist and designer who runs her practice from the harbour of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She has created art installations for Fendi, Dior and Art d’Egypte, among others, and has been honoured by several global design awards, including Elle Deco Designer of the Year 2023 and Wallpaper Designer of the Year 2020.
CLOUD is a multidisciplinary practice founded by Paul Cournet and is based in Rotterdam. It focuses on architecture, research and design, to develop new materials and craftsmanship.
