EXCLUSIVE: Bottega Veneta to Hold Brand Event in Dubai
MILAN — In a first brand event to take place in the Middle East in recent years, Bottega Veneta is planning a series of cultural exchange moments at “The Square” in Dubai, a gathering place inspired by the Arabic term “majlis,” symbolizing gathering and togetherness.
The events will be held on April 12 to 14 in a custom square space designed by Lebanese architect Carl Gerges, and will include a film screening, musical performances, storytelling, poetry and cuisine.
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“The Square” is located at Concrete at Alserkal Avenue, a multidisciplinary exhibitions space in the Al Quoz industrial area of Dubai, and home to a community of over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organizations, designers, homegrown and entrepreneur-led businesses, and community spaces.
Inaugurated in 2017, Concrete is the first building in the United Arab Emirates to be completed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, founded by Rem Koolhaas.
The events will take place during the holy month of Ramadan for the local community, press and top clients after sundown.
“The Square,” upholstered in Bottega Veneta green, has elements from a traditional conversation pit, blended with contemporary design, integrating a green square — inside the cubic venue — emphasizing the square-within-a-square structure and creating a subtle arabesque pattern.
It will host poets, artists and intellectuals from eclectic backgrounds and the space will be brought to life with instrumental music, live poetry and a gastronomy chef.
No product will be available as the approach to this project is not commercial.
The goal is to foster the local creative community, reaching new audiences, creating a platform for emerging talent from the Middle East.
Guests will be local figures from the art, music and fashion spaces, invited to attend in small groups for one night along the three evenings, with 26 guests per night.
“My input entails linking architecture, space, music and gatherings as a means to push forward a community of artists and thinkers in an architectural intervention,” said Gerges. “A space for wonderment, dialogue and meaningful connection.”
Collaborators and performers include, in addition to Gerges: Soleman Haddad, a Syrian Dubai-based chef who has created small bites to be passed around for guests; Shaima Al Tamimi, a Yemeni East-African visual story-teller who will screen her short film “Don’t get too comfortable,” a poetic letter of sorts to her late grandfather contemplating their pasts and future as Arabs in diaspora, which was screened at La Biennale di Venezia, nominated for the Orrizonti Award for Best Short Film; Asma Al Badawi, a Sudanese-British spoken word poet, also known for advocating for inclusivity and diversity in women’s sports, will recite three poems; Mustafa the Poet, a Canadian poet and songwriter, who is already part of the Bottega Veneta community and attended the brand’s fall 2022 show — the first by new creative director Matthieu Blazy — and will open each night with a song in a cappella.
“The Square” will become a model for events in a few cities, rolled out in different scales (as an in-store event concept or physical event model) to foster local communities worldwide. Its second installment will take place in Tokyo at the end of April to be then rolled out in San Francisco and S?o Paulo later in the year.
Bottega Veneta has been focusing on several cultural projects. As reported, the Italian company, led by chief executive officer Bartolomeo Rongone, will sponsor the Biennale Danza, the international festival of contemporary dance, for the second consecutive year. It will run in Venice July 22 to 31 and will be directed by Wayne McGregor.
In parallel, Bottega Veneta is also partnering with the Palazzo Grassi Punta della Dogana Pinault Collection to support “Dancing Studies,“ a set of performances by choreographers William Forsythe, Lenio Kaklea, Ralph Lemon and Pam Tanowitz, inspired by the exhibition “Bruce Nauman: Contrapposto Studies.” The exhibition is open to the public until Nov. 27. “Dancing Studies” will be celebrated with a dinner hosted by Bottega Veneta and Palazzo Grassi during the opening week of the Biennale di Arte on April 21.
Also, Bottega Veneta has chosen to partner with the Festival de Hye?res for the first time this year. That will run Oct. 14 to 16. With the Bottega Veneta grant, the house aims to support creativity in all its forms and will award the winner of the Photography Grand Prix the opportunity to collaborate on one of the brand’s campaigns.
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