17.11.17

are you local?

are you local? . 2017
are you local? at weltformat dxb, dubai design week (image courtesty of mobius design studio) . 2017
weltformat dxb exhibition poster (designed by mobius design studio) . 2017



it's dubai design week and i'm happy to be a part of it in some small way, even though i'm all the way at risd. my dear friends at mobius design studio have worked on another edition of design house, this year being an exhibition of poster designs by creatives from the mena region. titled 'weltformat dxb', the exhibition is in collaboration with tashkeel, weltformat, engy aly, and pro-helvetia cairo.
the weltformat dxb show is comprised of 2 exhibitions – one of poster designs from lucerne, switzerland, and a second showcase of poster designs from the middle east and north africa (which i'm a part of). poster designs are in response to the theme of 'delusions and errors', presenting designers' explorations of embracing imperfections of various processes, malfunctions, and the unpredictability of different methodologies of working. 
my poster design is titled 'are you local?'. here is a brief description – there are standard notions of what it means to be from the united arab emirates. over the years, new social/political developments within the country have created new representations of nationalistic pride and patriotism, especially within the roles placed on gender. as someone who is from the emirates, i sometimes feel a disconnect towards certain representations of showcasing national pride. however, that doesn’t in any way make me less patriotic. i’m curious as to whether there can be other representations of what it means to be from the emirates, without conforming to cultural norms.
to those currently in dubai, i highly recommend you check out the show because it looks great. the exhibition runs from the 13th - 18th november 2017, at dubai design district (d3). also make sure to head to tashkeel to check out more posters which are being exhibited in their gallery space, as well as sign up for their really cool poster themed workshops. for more information head here.