Category: Design

Cinescape have finally given their website a much needed facelift and just in time before Eid. The new website makes looking for, and booking a movie a much faster experience with a lot less clicking and page reloads.

When you first enter the website you have all the movies currently showing listed, if you’re looking for movies playing in a specific Cinescape location, you just click on the location on the left sidebar and it will filter out all the movies not playing in that location without having to reload the page. Booking is also a much quicker process now with the quick book option and overall you can do a lot more now without having to leave the main page. The website also looks pretty great on mobile browsers.

The only thing that seems to be missing in the new redesign is the banned movies section. Cinescape used to have a page where they would list all the movies that were banned by the MOI and it seems they’ve now removed that in this new version of the website.

If you want to check out their new website, click [Here]

On Wednesday I posted about the interesting local Kickstarter project by a Kuwaiti artist called ‘Dual Bowls‘. The Kickstarter ended up reaching its £40,000 goal within 3 days of launch and right now the pledges are up to £60,000 with still 35 days to go. Crazy!

You can check out the Kickstarter page [Here] or if you didn’t read my post on this project then click [Here]

Yesterday I finally backed my first Kickstarter campaign, the Dual Bowls project by Kuwaiti artist Kawther Al Saffar. Dual Bowls are one of a kind, hand crafted pieces made in Kuwait by pouring two different metals together in a mold to form a rough bowl. I fell in love with the bowls when I first got a sneak peek at them early on in the month. Then yesterday, when the Kickstarter page finally went live, I grabbed the super early bird deal on one.

I’ve actually been a fan of Kawther’s work for some time now. I originally fell in love with her stools, then her chairs and now her bowls. I think she’s extremely talented and theres always a strong concept behind her work. When she first told me about her Dual Bowls project I had a lot of questions, so we ended up having a pretty thorough discussion about her idea. I wanted to share two paragraphs from one of her emails that resonated with me the most:

The intention with creating them in larger quantities, is to make them affordable art pieces. My aim is to build a high end, multinational brand that fosters collaboration and craft in Kuwait. One that can compete within the spectrum of businesses such as Tom Dixon, Ned Debs, and Tiipoi. I’d like to show that Kuwaiti craft and production can have international and commercial value, but I think the way to show value is by marketing it abroad. I’m aiming for high end because after studying the production scene in Kuwait for the past 3 years, I feel thats what our production is capable of catering too. This might seem counter intuitive, but I feel this is the case because a lot of the work is done by hand, and our low cost products such as merchandising can’t compete with quality abroad. My tag line is: Personal.Local.Universal. 

I think there exists a distorted view of product cultural value in the world, where countries somewhat fulfill a stereotype of their worth. For example Kuwaitis are willing to spend a large amount of money on furniture branded as Italian. While some Italian design is great, that doesn’t mean they are investing in design thats well made, or that the products they buy are truly Italian. They are investing in the stereotype. The way this generalization applies to Kuwait is through a false distinction of luxury and Orientalism. That means the way we apply Islamic geometries and patterns with no context or translation of their purpose. My aim is to create a dialogue around these issues and facilitate a better translation of our identity thats more honest and experience based. I want to create products that are Kuwaiti through their origin and story. 

I loved that.

If her Dual Bowls project wasn’t interesting enough, there is a second part to this project that I also found fascinating, her partnership with Kickstarter on this. When Kickstarter heard about the Dual Bowls project, they reached out to Kawther and asked her to launch her campaign on their platform. Most of the big and popular Kickstarter projects are electronics related, but Kickstarter is more than just electronics and gadgets, they actually care about creativity and supporting artists. So recently Kickstarter has been trying to promote a more diverse offering, and they saw a great opportunity to work with Kawther on the Dual Bowls. Her project has a very strong narrative and so requires a platform like Kickstarter to be able to tell her story. There is actually a great article on FastCompany that was published yesterday that discusses this further and even mentions and highlights Kawther and her project. You can check that article [Here]

Kawther (pictured above on the left) is aiming big, she’s hoping to sell a 1,000 bowls by the end of her campaign. I already pledged for mine yesterday, a medium sized bowl. If you’re interested in finding out more about her bowls, she has a great video on her Kickstarter page that explains the whole project as well as photos of the different kind of bowls she’ll be making and a much more thorough explanation on the project. So make sure you check her out on Kickstarter [Here]

There is also a Dual Bowls launch party taking place tomorrow, details on that [Here]

The Origami House is a project by AGi Architects whom I’ve posted about a number of times before. This home is currently featured in this month’s issue of the popular Wallpaper* magazine and is currently the top story on their main page. It’s a house located in Abdulla Al-Salem designed by AGi for a discreet couple who wanted complete privacy but also wanted to distinguish their house within the neighborhood. Wallpaper* have a full writeup on this project as well as some photos so check it out [Here]

Thanks Sulaiman

There is a low detail 3D walkthrough video of the new Terminal 2 airport available online. It’s divided into two parts, first part is arrival to the airport, checking-in and then heading towards your gate. The second part is getting off the plane and heading to the baggage pickup area. There is no audio in the video and you can skim through it without missing anything important.

Thanks Kutsuit

The rendering above is of the new and approved design proposal for the Palace of Justice which was unveiled a few days ago. I think it looks incredible good and I’m so glad they didn’t end up going with a ridiculously tall skyscraper like the new Central Bank building. The project is going to be overseen by the Amiri Diwan which means we can expect it to be completed in the next couple of years.

Thanks ChaoticTranquility!

I tend not to post about instagram businesses mostly because the majority are not that interesting but, @brushed965 is one I think is actually pretty cool. For a price, Brushed 965 will customize your personal items like wallets, purses and sneakers by painting them. Its a great way of customizing a popular item like a Chanel or LV purse. Based on what I’ve seen on their instagram account, their work ranges from simple monograms to detailed illustrated designs like the one above.

If you’re interested to check out their work or to commission a job, check their instagram account is @brushed965

Nuqat is one of the largest creative conference events in the MENA region and registration is now open for their seventh annual conference titled “The Seventh Sense”. The week long program will take place at the Amricani Cultural Centre from the 10th to the 17th of November and include interactive talks, discussion panels, roundtable sessions, workshops, cultural tours, galleries, live performances and more.

All lectures and discussion panels are free to attend but you still need to register for a ticket [Here] or using the Nuqat app.

The workshops on the other hand aren’t free (Except the kids ones). Below is a list of all the workshops that will be taking place:

Designing and Producing Arabic fonts using Glyph app ($365)
Wall Tagging: Wajh Al Hurouf: Face of Calligraphy ($265)
Creative Pivoting: Your Business From New Perspectives ($365)
Food in Motion Videography ($365)
The Daily Future: Improve Everyday Objects or Problems Using Technology ($365)
Boosting Your Employability in the Creative Industry ($165)
Sadu Inspired Product Design ($280)
Creative Leadership Group A: Shifting Perspectives for Societal Impact ($220)
Creative Leadership Group B: Shifting Perspectives for Societal Impact ($220)
Kids Workshop: Gardening Activity (Free)
Kids Workshop: Center of the Arts Painting (Free)
Kids Reading Corner by My Book My Friend (Free)
Kids Workshop: That Al Salasil Arts & Crafts (Free)
Kids Workshop: Engineering For Kids (Free)

If you’re interested to find out more about a specific workshop or want to register for one then click [Here]

Between East & West: A Gulf

Kuwait is participating at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale which is the largest architecture show in the world. The Kuwait Pavilion is called ‘Between East & West: A Gulf’.

I had seen photos of the Kuwait Pavilion exhibit over the summer but didn’t post about it since I had difficulty understanding the exhibit myself and so would have trouble writing about it. But one of the architects involved in the project recently sent me the video above which made things a lot clearer so I decided to share it on my blog. If you can’t hear the audio in the video because you’re at work, here is the project description from their website:

Hundreds of islands dot the waters between the Arabian and Persian shores. An afterthought in the political maneuverings of their respective coasts, these islands tell an alternative narrative to the one which drives conceptions of the region. They represent a possibility greater than spaces of political contestation and hesitant demarcation. These islands are the sites of identity in formation, places of experimentation and architectural invention. Their historical roles were as varied as places of leisure, spirituality, planning, war, exile, and health. The island is an entity both isolated but also crucially connected through the waters of the Gulf, and thus not an exception to the national but the rule which defines it.

This year’s Kuwaiti pavilion looks beyond the shores of the country and argues in favor of a masterplan for a united Gulf. By presenting the untold history of the region and proposing an alternate future, the pavilion casts the hydrography as a singular entity of neither East nor West, but as an untapped archipelago which defined the region and offers the greatest possibility for its reconciliation.

What is unique about this exhibit is that it was conceived and executed by a fairly small and young team of architecture students and recent graduates. Here is a list of everyone that was involved and you can find their full bio on the pavilion website:

Commissioners: Zahra Ali Baba – National Council for Culture Arts and Letters / Kuwait (NCCAL)
Curators: Hamed Bukhamseen, Ali Karimi
Art Director / Graphic Designer: Fahad Alhunaif
Publication Coordinator / Editor: Muneerah Alrabe
Project Designers and Research Architects: Saphiya Abu Almaati, Shahab Albahar, Mai Albusairi, Nada Alqallaf, Rawan Alsaffar, Yousef Awaad Hussein
Financial Team: Mohammed Al Ajmi, Mohammed Al Jameel
Administrative Team: Abdullah Albeeshi (Head of team), Noora Al Musallam, Jaber Al Qallaf, Jassim Al Shamali.

The 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale opened up this past May and is running until November 27th. For more information and photos on the project, check out the Kuwait Pavilion website [Here]

Over the weekend two talented graffiti artists painted the above Grendizer mural on the side of a building in Sharq. The two artists were Mohamed & Omar Kabbani, identical twin brothers who go by the name ASHEKMAN. The mural is part of this weeks Urban Culture Week organized by Redbull that started yesterday and ends tomorrow. For more information on Urban Culture Week click [Here]

If you want to check out the mural in person, here is the location on [Google Maps]
Make sure you also check out ASHEKMAN’s instagram account @ASHEKMAN

Nuqat are mostly known for the creative conference which they hold every year (one of the largest in our region), but throughout the year they also offer various workshops and courses related to the creative field as well. Last week they launched a new membership program that includes a lot of benefits and if you’re planning to attend this years creative conference then you should probably sign up to it. Some of the benefits include:

– Free admission ticket to the Nuqat annual conference, not including workshops
– 15% discount on any paid event
– 15% discount on paid workshops and courses
– Access to a set of free courses during the year
– Priority seats to free and paid workshops and courses during the year
– Quarterly E-Newsletter: Receive exclusive up-to-date news on what’s happening in Nuqat.
– Invites/Priority seats to events of interest including: gallery previews, think tank sessions, research discussions, roundtables, film screenings, private musical performances, networking events etc.
– Discounts from various partners [Details Here]

The annual membership costs KD35 but admission ticket alone to the Nuqat annual conference this year for example is KD45 (unless a sponsor subsidies it). So if you’re planning to attend the talks this year then just by becoming a member you’re already saving KD10. If you’re interested and are looking for more information, check out the Nuqat page [Here]

Looks pretty incredible, can’t wait to check it out myself.

Thanks Love_my_kuwait

Yesterday images started floating around on whatsapp and instagram of what looks like the new branding for Kuwait Airways. I personally doubt it’s their new branding just because the presentation seems too shallow and because I highly doubt the agency they’re working with would prematurely share the work before an official launch. Not only that but Kuwait Airways sent out the RFP (Request For Proposal) in mid March and they were going to select an agency by mid April so two months isn’t enough time to rebrand an airline.

The agency behind this presentation is Argentinian based DHNN and a few days ago they uploaded a few slides of their Kuwait Airways work to their Behance portfolio. Most likely DHNN was one of the agencies that was pitching for the job but didn’t get it and these few slides are just from their initial pitch.

In any case I’ve attached a few images from the presentation to this post but you could see all the slides that were released on Behance [Here]

Nuqat is the largest creative conference event in the MENA region and the video above is a flashback from the last event which was held back in November. The video has been online since March so I have no idea how I missed it. [YouTube]

Ricardo Camacho, one of the leading architects behind Al Shaheed Park posted some more information on Phase II which I posted on yesterday. Ricardo mostly discusses the thinking process behind Phase II and the numerous obstacles they had to be aware of.

Following the research survey of numerous youth-related facility units within Kuwait City’s urban perimeter, the Al Shaheed Park extension (phaseII) assumes a mixed program along the following facilities: a. Educational; b. Social/Culture; c. Health; d. Food+Beverage; e. Retail; f.Sports. The majority of the program typologies assumed for this site, encompass a range of facilities (outdoor and indoor) that in Kuwait are usually in centralized locations within a residential neighborhood and directly connected to institutional facilities such as schools, mosques and Coops.

His full post is on Linkedin and you can check it out [Here]