‘A Present/Absent Mudhif’

“穆迪夫在场/缺席”

Monocle on Design

艺术

2024-11-08

6 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

The titular pavilion is on show as part of this year’s Dubai Design Week. The structure’s Iraq-based architect, Ola Saad Znad, discusses the shelter that is inspired by the floating houses found in the Mesopotamian Marshes of southern Iraq.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

单集文稿 ...

  • This is Monocle on Design Extra.

  • It's a short show to accompany our weekly program where we discuss everything from architecture and craft to furniture and fashion.

  • I'm Ailee Evans.

  • Dubai Design Week is underway at the moment, bringing together creatives from across the Middle east in a showcase of the best in design from the region.

  • Amongst the installations and exhibitions at this year's 10th edition is the Bespoke Pavilion, a present absinthe created especially for this year's event.

  • The enclosed shelter is inspired by the houses found in the marshlands of southern Iraq and made from reeds and mud using traditional techniques.

  • It forms part of the wider research from the Iraq based architect Ola Saad Sanad, in which she investigates the potential uses of these ancient materials and ways of making.

  • Monocle's design editor Nick Muniz caught up with the architect at the pavilion to find out more.

  • This installation was made out of materials that are exported from Iraq, specifically Ahwar, which is the southern part of Iraq.

  • The constructions, the pieces, these are also made by the craftsmen in Ahwar, which is the marshlands in Iraq.

  • Those people, they are marginalized communities and they do have a lot of this craft that I want to celebrate because the area of the marshland now is facing water depletion.

  • And I think the world should see how amazing the vernacular and indigenous architecture they do.

  • These pieces are made of very minimal tools and this is what's the beauty of it.

  • It's only made of like knives and scissors and a few ties and you get to see this beautiful structure and this material that gets bent on its own with its own flexibility.

  • I think I'm trying to honor this craftsmanship because we are losing it because of the water depletion.

  • And it's like they have their own biodiversity and they depend a lot on water.

  • So once the water is gone, everything else is going to obviously be gone.

  • I just want to tell the world that the Arab world has a lot of architecture and has a lot of people who does a lot of craft who are not even architects.

  • This material is sustainable and it's heat resistant.

  • During the construction of this installation, I also experimented in creating urban furniture like the benches, the table.