Expo 2020 Dubai launches platform for international artists

DUBAI: Expo 2020 Dubai’s Design and Crafts Program has launched a platform, called MENASA that is set to showcase the works of more than 40 local and international designers, telling stories of the UAE through curated collections, Arab News reported.

The event’s visitors will get the opportunity to explore and experience Emirati crafts and traditions through a contemporary lens.

MENASA, which translates to “platform” in Arabic, will feature seven design collaborations between local and international artisans and designers under the title “Craft Stories” and a showcase of 24 designers and organizations from across the country, highlighting its contemporary design scene, under “Designer of the Week.”

MENASA’s debut Craft Story, “8,000 Waves: The Pearl Diving Story,” is a collaboration between Todomuta, a Spanish design studio, and Asateer, an Emirati design studio — founded by Mohammed Al-Suwaidi, the grandson of a pearl diver — that specializes in the creation of handcrafted products from pearl and raw materials.

Hayat Shamsuddin, senior vice president of the arts and culture programs at Expo 2020, said in a released statement: “The collective approach of MENASA…is inspired by the theme and spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

“By bringing together artisans and designers from the UAE and around the world, we are nurturing a rich cultural and creative dialogue that will contribute to a meaningful legacy after Expo 2020 closes its doors,” she added.

The artworks will include traditional handicrafts, digital designs, product designs, illustrations, fashion items and more.

A series of documentaries shot around the UAE will be exhibited alongside the design collections.

The Expo 2020 will run from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.