A reinterpretation of the renowned installation ‘Le Refuge’, envisioned by French-Italian designer Marc Ange, is one of the key highlights of Dubai Design Week, where it will sit for the duration of Downtown Design, on the fair’s waterfront terrace set on Dubai Creek in Dubai Design District (d3).
‘Le Refuge’ is designed as a day bed, with soft foam cushions sitting on a green marble base and large gold-plated leaves sprouting from long stems creating shade. A place for people to sit and dream, to escape for a while entering the secret garden of Marc Ange’s imagination, the refuge the outdoor installation creates is not just from the blazing sun but also from reality. It is a shelter for all people and is supposed to conjure up a sense of fantasy. The slats inside the stylised leaves of ‘Le Refuge’ mirror the shadows cast by the spiked branches of palm fronds that cast their shade across the desert sands.
The first edition of ‘Le Refuge’, rendered in baby pink upon a teak wood base, was unveiled in Milan last year and awarded by Wallpaper* magazine for being the most instagrammed piece of Milan Design Week.
Born in Rome, raised in Paris and based in LA, the designer’s creations often address the invisible gap between real and unreal and try to access the subconscious of his audiences.
His studio, Bloom Room, currently the most sought-after design agency in France has worked with worldwide brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari, Moet et Chandon and Orient Express. He is also well known for creating a massive showroom for the Peugeot car brand in the heart of Beijing.
Visitors to Downtown Design certainly need to get their smart phones at the ready because the dance of light and shadow will play out in front of Dubai’s iconic skyline, further enhancing the fantastical possibilities that Marc Ange had in mind for his piece.
Download the Dubai Design Week app for complimentary fast-track access within public opening hours. Onsite registration for public is AED 55.
