VCUQatar Delights at Design Days Dubai

March 20, 2016
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MFA Faculty and students from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQatar) attracted considerable attention for their exhibits at Design Days Dubai, which ran from March 14-18 in Dubai.

Design Days Dubai focuses on collectible and limited edition furniture and design objects. It also has a strong non-commercial program consisting of education, workshops, installations and live performances. Attendees came from countries as far afield as Brazil, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Lebanon, Jordan, and Pakistan.  

VCUQatar’s MFA Design Studies program exhibited projects designed by both students and faculty. They shared big ideas in the form of small objects, painstakingly packed and transported in custom-milled foam containers 5 x 36 x 50 centimeters–a size chosen because it fits into a standard carry-on suitcase. Projecting an attitude of mobility was both a practical and poetic strategy.

Many of the items exhibited showcase digital fabrication techniques, exploring and challenging the limits of current technology.  The MFA at VCUQatar is situated in an open lab where students and faculty work side by side to develop projects and ideas, constantly challenging the borders between design fields.

Students and staff worked with a fascinating range of materials and instruments, such as Bedu Butter, epoxy resins, 3D Printers, and conductive fibers.

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