This panel will discuss and examine what makes a product or a design contextual (Lebanese). Does our culture and heritage play a role during the conception and ideation? Or do we just oriental-wash products once they're done? Does "Lebanese/oriental" sell more?

Panelists:

Pascale Wakim is a architect and co-founder of Carwan Gallery.

Marc Baroud is a well a Lebanese design practitioner and director of the design department at Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) since 2012. As an independent designer, his curiosity led him to experiment and challenge various materials, techniques, objects, and scales, working on a large scope of industrial and artisanal products. His works have been shown in Beirut (Art Factum Gallery and Carwan Gallery) and internationally in Milan (MiArt and Milan Design Week), Design Days Dubai, Doha (Katara Art Center), Paris (Galerie BSL), London Design Week and Design Miami.

Annie Tohme-Tabet is an anthropologist specialised is intangible heritage.

Moderator:

Mirko Tattarini is the founder and CEO of Lagos Design and teaches Design Strategies at ISIA, Florence.

From 16 to 24 January, GAIA-Heritage is hosting a weeklong event of activities In Mar Mikhael within the EU-funded project MEDNETA. The event includes Toolbox: a series of free workshops for artists, craftsmen and designers.

Toolbox will be happening over 3 days: 22, 23 & 24 of January.

Day 1 will expose creatives to new technologies and innovative techniques

Day 2 will provide creatives with the needed entrepreneurial, and marketing skills to create their own businesses.

After the first two days of training artists, craftsmen and designers will spend Day 3 collaborating to create products and their respective business plans and present them to a jury. Members of the jury include: Kafalat, RDCL - Rassemblement de Dirigeants et Chefs d'entreprises Libanais, UNESCO, a design market expert and a design process expert.

To participate on Day 3, creatives need to have attended a minimum of 2 workshops on Days 1 and 2 and sign up at the IGA premises by 12pm on Day 2.

By the end of 2015, these products will be further developed between the artists, craftsmen and designers of MEDNETA’s partner cities (Athens, Tunis, Valencia, Florence and Hebron) and exhibited around the Mediterranean.

inMarMikhael