Niko Kapa’s installation wins Iris Ceramica Award at Dubai Design Week 2023 for the final phase of the “Local Cultures in Global Settings” project after being launched in Milan at Salone del Mobile earlier this year. Project fosters the exploration of unique cultural roots in global discourse and included a series of events across the world including Milan and London.
Project Name: Drift
Studio Name: Studio Niko Kapa
Niko Kapa’s work is presented a playful interactive installation, a deliberately oversized
ping-pong table where several players can play at the same time, engaging visitors in exciting games and tournaments. A collaboration of UAE Modern and Niko Kapa, this unique installation is made from large porcelain stoneware slabs manufactured by Iris Ceramica Group and featuring geometric pattern designs utilizing Design Your Slabs (DYS) technology. “Drift”, the geometric design by Niko Kapa and his winning proposal, masterfully express the concept behind the international competition, celebrating individual cultural identities in a globalized world while drawing inspiration from the style of Burle Marx motifs, fostering the exploration of unique cultural roots in a global discourse.
“Drift” is inspired by the natural landscape, combining elements of contemporary design
and traditional handicrafts and capturing the essence and distinctive identity of the location. The linear motif of panels recalls geometric patterns of Islamic culture and the crests of sand dunes, the waves on the sea and textured fabrics. The effect is obtained using curved and parabolic lines inspired by the topography of the local landscape. Inspiration for this special design lies in Dubai’s unique geography, where the dunes in the desert and the contours of the land sculpted by the wind bear witness to the interplay of human action and the passing of time. The lines highlight the common roots and profound connection with earth, the sea and craftsmanship as a symbol of local cultures, underlining relationship between the shape and the material they are made of. Craftsmanship thus becomes a visual expression of the creative process, preserving the memory of primordial matter in the design of ceramic slabs.
“Local Cultures in Global Settings”: Iris Ceramica Group’s journey exploring the world of design and multiculturality with an international contest and a cycle of events comes to Dubai for the Dubai Design Week. The final phase of the project, which lasts almost a year, concretely combines design, identity, creativity, research and technological solutions, opening up to multicultural dialogue in a valuable and edifying debate between professionals, students and experts.
The event featured speakers addressing the topic of globalization and its implications for production processes that use natural raw materials for architectural design. The speakers also discussed and analysed how creative communities can respond to the growing demand for identifying elements in the expressions of globalised lifestyles. At the same time, students from the world of design were offered the opportunity to attend a workshop focused entirely on the phases involved in the creative process, from the initial idea and inspiration to its elaboration and concrete application to design objects.
