The Path

- Sunday 15 May, 2022 09:00PM

VENUE

1971-Design Space, Flag Island

Designs by Modu Method and Layth Mahdi

Exhibition Opening: Thursday 16 December, 2021 | 10:00 a.m.

An exhibition offering a special experience in which the visitor is invited to explore the designs of Modu Method and Layth Mahdi in an interactive environment. The designs that are transformed into this art installation fill the entire gallery space at 1971 – Design Space and has been based on the theme of the Sharjah Islamic Art Festival 2021 “Gradations”.

The installation focuses on the gradation process of what humans go through in the passage of life to explore what is right and wrong. The designs consist and reflect on numbers that have religious connotations in Islam and other religions, namely the numbers 5 and 7. Gradation is the process of fluctuating between one entity and another – a process that turns into a journey.

The designs are mainly composed in elements made in and out of the numbers 5 and 7 structurally act as symbolic reminders to the viewer of the passage of life itself. The pieces of the exhibition have been created in a modular, interactive format for viewers to explore their functionality.

MODU Method is an independent house of products founded by Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, influenced by pieces collected, passed down, and lived with. MODU, short for modular, represents pieces that are multi-functional, faceted, and that grow with time. The MODU Method is an exploration of human behavior and the interaction with objects and spaces. MODU plans to create and encourage a way of living that is convenient and functional, to the extent where a community is developed around the method. The brand also encourages the exploration of human behaviour and its interaction with objects and spaces. The products are mainly inspired by mid-century design.

Layth Mahdi Al-Atar is an Iraqi Architect and Robotic Researcher based in the UAE. Al-Atar holds a Master’s degree of Science in Architecture and Digital Technologies from the University of Michigan in the United States. He was chosen to be a research fellow at the University of Robotic Lab and has recently finished his Quarra Matter Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship between the University of Michigan and MIT. His projects won multiple awards, among them the American Institute of Architects Design Award and the best 2018 Young Designer from Harper’s Bazaar Magazine.

He has collaborated with international designers and robotic researchers and has been involved in the design of many of the UAE’s iconic projects. He is currently a Senior Robotic and Design Researcher at the Dubai Future Foundation.