Dubai:Five creative installations at Dubai Design Week are revolutionizing the concept of language by transforming it into interactive and sensory experiences. These installations, part of the Abwab 2026 programme, utilize light, silence, materials, and traditional craftsmanship to explore how design can transcend linguistic and cultural barriers.
According to Wam, the programme, themed "In Other Words," brings together five projects in a unified exhibition space. This new format replaces the individual pavilions of previous editions and encourages interaction between artists and their works while inviting visitors to explore different forms of human communication.
The Abwab programme continues to support designers and creative practitioners from West, South, and East Asia, as well as Africa. It provides a platform for artistic experimentation, knowledge exchange, and the celebration of cultural diversity. This year, the five participating projects investigate the relationship between language, memory, and identity by transforming letters, symbols, materials, and sounds into visual and spatial experiences that engage the public.
Among the featured projects, Kanaka Raghavan's "Cheent Devanagari" reimagines letterforms through layers of translucent fabric inspired by traditional woodblock printing. Grace Shih's "A Library of Paper Memories" uses handmade paper to create an artistic language, while Dalia Rafea's "Shhhhh" transforms the sound of silence into a visual experience. VARUSSI Studio's "Taleem" reflects the transmission of craft knowledge through an architectural installation, and UBIK's "Non/sense" explores the gap between reading texts and understanding their meanings.
Abwab 2026 runs until November 8 at Dubai Design District (d3) as part of Dubai Design Week, showcasing how design can bridge geographical and linguistic divides while connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary expression.