科威特 Desert Cast 项目

Desert Cast是由来自科威特的三位设计师Jassim Al Nashmi, Kawther Al Saffar和Ricardas Blazukas在迪拜设计周期间为Abwab核心展览打造的项目，旨在向世界展示科威特城的文化风貌。三位设计师深入挖掘了科威特的设计历史，并在展览中讲述了一个“利用过去创造当代产品”的故事。展馆中共展出了46件定制产品，均是在科威特的工厂中以沙模铸造而成。展馆中还设有5个屏幕，展示了产品制造过程的5个阶段。

The three designers Jassim Al Nashmi, Kawther Al Saffar and Ricardas Blazukas were invited by Dubai Design Week to participate in the week-long design festival from the 12th to the 17th of November. The trio was invited to represent Kuwait City in Abwab, the centerpiece exhibition of the festival and respond to the theme of storytelling. The team decided to dig into the history of Kuwait’s design identity and tell a story about using the past to create contemporary product designs. 46 custom designed products, that were sand-cast in a foundry in Kuwait, are being presented in the Kuwait City Pavilion accompanied by 5 screens showing the 5 stages of the fabrication process.

▼Desert Cast在迪拜设计周，Desert Cast in Dubai Design Week

该项目批判性地探讨了古典建筑元素在科威特住宅中的大规模复制现象。在希腊罗马风格的冲击下，科威特需要花费更多努力来提高自身在设计方面的辨识度。Desert Cast对这些住宅中常常出现的飞檐结构和雕带装饰元素加以变形，创造出一系列根植于科威特历史且能够呼应当代城市形象的产品。

The series starts from a critique of the kitsch replication of Classical architectural motifs in Kuwaiti houses. Kuwait has struggled to develop a context-based design identity due to the copying of Greco-Roman decor. Desert Cast borrows the profiles that were used for extruded cornices and friezes for these homes, and morphs them, to produce and establish a Kuwaiti identity that is rooted in its migrant history, yet embraces its contemporary image.

▼该项目批判性地探讨了古典建筑元素在科威特住宅中的大规模复制现象，the series starts from a critique of the kitsch replication of Classical architectural motifs in Kuwaiti houses

Desert Cast探索了当地材料和制造方法的可能性，以“制造者”的身份探索并发明了能够展现科威特城市特征的生产方法。例如，石膏的塑形曾被用于古典希腊罗马建筑图案的批量复制，在科威特的许多豪宅和别墅都采用过这种经济实惠的技术。尽管这是一种流水线式的生产模式，但最终的成果却是精致而美观的，甚至是具有“东方性”的。

Desert Cast is an exploration of locally available materials and fabrication methods to reach a local ‘maker’ identity. Different Kuwaiti production methods were explored, and reinvented. Gypsum-moulding, for example, is a method used to easily reproduce Classical Graeco-Roman architectural motifs, many of Kuwait’s decorated mansions and modest villas utilize this affordable technique. Although simple methodically, the end results are formally elaborate and considered “Oriental”.

▼作为“普通家具”的铸模板凳，the sand-cast product as a “furniture piece”

Desert Cast的目的是将石膏塑形与沙模铸造技术相结合，打造出实用的家具产品。设计师首利用泡沫制作出每件家具的轮廓和模型，然后再委托Alwafi Foundry的大师级工匠来打造纯金属的实际产品。该做法的目的是展示出大师工艺的可触及性，使其能够借助现代技术得到更加广泛的应用，从而发挥出更大的价值。

▼铸造过程，fabrication process

The objective was to align gypsum-moulding with sand-casting through foam as mediator to produce functional objects. The extruded profiles were cut in foam, and used to cast complete metal objects by Alwafi Foundry master craftsmen. The objective is to shed light on the accessibility to master fabricators’ craft. These skills are used in a narrow practice, with limited perceived value, but by reading between the lines, can be used for much more. The Desert Cast installation visually narrates this story by showcasing functional objects in D3 that are made through lost-foam- casting.

▼细部，detailed view

▼设计示意，design concept

▼板凳原型，Desert Cast Stools

CREDITS

Primary Sponsor

Becarre @becarrels

Secondary Sponsor

Boubyan Bank @bankboubyan

Renders

LiFANG International

Videography

Mohamad Chehimi @mac_leb

Illustrations and Images

Desert Cast