A week-long talks programme at BMW’s Elipse installation, bringing together regional and international voices to explore design, material innovation and cultural dialogue.

Within their installation 'Ellipse', BMW will host a series of talk panels throughout Dubai Design Week.

Together We Perceive: A Living Lab by DIDI
An interactive session led by faculty member Joanne Hayek and her DIDI students, exploring collaborative design practices and shared creative processes.
Date: Wednesday, 5 November
Time: 2:30 PM

Carrying Lands in Our Pockets: Public Art as Living Relation
A discussion on how public art can embody and sustain living cultural relationships across spaces.
Date: Wednesday, 5 November
Time: 4:30–5:30 PM
Speakers: Giulio Grilli Cicilioni, Co-Founder, Anamin Festival; Kristel Salloum, Artist and Designer
Moderator: Saad Kabbara, Programme Manager, Art Dubai

In Conversation with Bricklab
A dialogue with the founders of Bricklab on their architectural practice and creative processes.
Date: Thursday, 6 November
Time: 4:30–5:30 PM
Speakers: Turki Gazzaz, Co-Founder, Bricklab; Abdulrahman Gazzaz, Co-Founder, Bricklab
Moderator: Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director – Curatorial, Art Dubai Group

Designing for Belonging: Rethinking Public Space in the Gulf
A conversation on how design can foster inclusion and a sense of belonging within urban environments.
Date: Friday, 7 November
Time: 1:30–2:30 PM
Speakers: Dr Ahmed Almulla, Co-Founder, Arkat; Fatma Al Khayat, Co-Founder, Arkat
Moderator: Amal Anoohi

Reinventing the Material World
A session highlighting innovative material design and sustainability-driven creative practices.
Date: Friday, 7 November
Time: 4:30–5:30 PM
Speakers: Datecrete, Leukeather, Kamal Farrah (DesertBoard)
Moderator: Richard Wilson

Deconstruction of the Creative Mind
An introspective session examining creative processes and the mindset behind artistic innovation.
Date: Saturday, 8 November
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM
Speaker: Neel Jassani

Rooted, Not Romanticised: Cultural Aesthetics and the Cliché
A conversation exploring how cultural identity shapes aesthetics beyond stereotypes and nostalgia.
Date: Saturday, 8 November
Time: 2:30–3:30 PM
Speakers: Marwan AlBalushi, Abdalla Almulla and Nathalie Harb
Moderator: Leila Khatib

Verses in Conversation: On Poetry, Practice and Belonging
A panel reflecting on the intersections between poetry, artistic practice and cultural identity.
Date: Sunday, 9 November
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM
Speakers: Malavika Suresh, Syed Haider, Nathalia Khawand and Jennah Fakhouri
Moderator: Nima El Nour

Creative Panel
An open discussion on creativity, collaboration and artistic growth.
Date: Sunday, 9 November
Time: 2:30–3:30 PM
Moderator: Neel Jassani

About BMW Group:

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking, technology openness and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

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