Promising Designers in MENA Region Tackle Nature’s Challenges at Ithra’s Tanween Competition
DHAHRAN: Get ready for a showdown of creativity as talented designers from the MENA region gear up to present their groundbreaking solutions to some of the world’s most pressing nature-related issues. This annual creative competition, hosted by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), is set to showcase innovation like never before.
Under the umbrella of Tanween, Ithra’s Season of Creativity, Tanween Challenges has handpicked 80 designers from a competitive pool of applicants to participate in a rigorous six-day challenge. With a looming deadline of July 20, these designers must deliver tangible products or solutions that push the boundaries of creativity.
Sultan Al-Badran, creative programs developer at Ithra’s Idea Lab, emphasized the importance of harmonizing human activities with the planet’s biodiversity in the face of challenges like technological advancements, growing inequalities, and urbanization. This competition is a platform for designers to make a real impact.
The challenges span various disciplines, with 20 participants taking on each challenge either solo or in teams. Workshops and talks with industry experts will equip competitors with the necessary tools to address their challenge briefs effectively.
Tanween Challenges has called upon designers to devise practical solutions in urban development, graphic design, furniture, and fashion. Collaborating with partners like NYXO, Albawardi Group, AM Unique by NamtHajja, and Vanina, this competition seeks to nurture all forms of life through innovative problem-solving.
Here are the four categories:
– Pavilion Design Challenge: Rethinking how humans can coexist harmoniously with the environment amidst rapid urban development and industrial activities that harm air quality and contribute to pollution.
– Graphic Design Challenge: Transforming complex data into actionable insights for a sustainable future, combatting threats to biodiversity and ecological balance.
– Furniture Design Challenge: Designing public spaces that prioritize human needs while considering the needs of other species in the environment. How can urban spaces promote cohabitation between humans and other species?
– Fashion Design Challenge: Addressing issues like overproduction, overconsumption, and the dominance of fast fashion in the industry, which have had detrimental effects on the environment and cultural heritage.
One standout project from each challenge will be chosen for commercial production, with all successful projects showcased at a design exhibition during the Tanween Conference in November at Ithra’s headquarters.