Returning with a new challenge for 2009, traffic design’s ‘design as reform’ competition focusses on fostering a provincial sense of design through the reapplication of existing Arab art forms on contemporary projects.

Candidates are asked to explore ways in which Arab culture should preserve authenticity in light of mass production and exportation.

In an effort to revitalise a historically rich region, without withdrawing from constructive interactions with the modern world, this year’s competition is dedicated to exploring regional design systems as an integral part of the everyday urban landscape.

The applicant’s task will be to reinterpret the following structures according to certain design disciplines, without depriving them of their history. Structures include:

The Mosque through Architecture,
The Majlis through Interior Design,
The Mashrabiya through Graphic Design, and
A Public Installation through Experimental Design.

The competition is open to students, professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world with the deadline for first entries on 6 March, 2010.

The award ceremony will be held in Dubai in June 2010.

traffic is a Dubai-based multi-disciplinary art and design practice founded in 2007 which includes a store, gallery and studio.

traffic design
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