All projects
Mission
Under the theme The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities, the ICOM Dubai 2025 General Conference explored the landscapes in which museums and communities operate today.
Three interconnected sub-themes – safeguarding intangible heritage, harnessing the power of youth, and embracing emerging technologies – provided a framework for in-depth dialogue and knowledge exchange throughout the conference.
How do you turn a vision for the future of museums into a lived experience?
In response to this vision, VAVESTUDIO developed the conference’s spatial concept and design, translating the conference theme and its sub-themes into a series of immersive, interactive, and multisensory experiences.
From scenography and spatial storytelling to the central immersive installation, each intervention was designed to foster participation, cultural engagement, and meaningful connections with the conference theme and its sub-themes.
From scenography and spatial storytelling to the central immersive installation, each intervention was designed to foster participation, cultural engagement, and meaningful connections with the conference theme and its sub-themes.
The entrance installation extends the project's visual language into the public space.
Spatial identity translated into functional counter design.
Idea
Inspired by Al Sadu, a UNESCO-recognised Bedouin craft, its distinctive patterns are transferred into a spatial system that defines and structures the entire experience – extending across floors, walls, and media.
A large-scale kaleidoscope invites immersive exploration.
Distinctive patterns are transferred into a spatial system that defines and structures the entire experience – extending across floors, walls, and media.
Flowing digital threads form a dynamic landscape, translating weaving into an immersive spatial experience.
From the outside, the event’s central immersive installation looks like a patterned light cube.
By touching the wall, the digital threads can be pulled aside.
Solution
At the centre, an immersive installation translates traditional weaving into an interactive environment. Digital threads and patterns respond to touch and movement in real time.
A large-scale kaleidoscope invites immersive exploration.
Hands-on crafts like coffee brewing, perfume making, calligraphy, and henna create direct sensory access.
The Al Sadu pattern as a digital tapestry: an interactive, three-dimensional experience.
A Talli artisan at work – the traditional Emirati hand-weaving craft, recognised as an intangible cultural heritage.
The visual concept of the Spacial System is consistently applied throughout all areas. At individual experience points, visitors can get an up-close look at cultural artifacts such as coffee brewing and traditional coffee makers.
A holistic sound design connects stage and experience, accompanying key moments of the programme and creating impactful and memorable moments as speakers took to the stage.
coffee brewing
traditional performance
perfume making
A curated selection of regional perfumes, available for personal testing.
calligraphy
Visitors could have their name written in Arabic calligraphy.
The space and activations designed by VAVESTUDIO helped turn cultural knowledge into lived experiences.
The central stage brings together global voices, supported by cohesive visual and sound design.
Credits
Client
Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
Event Organizer
International Council of Museums (ICOM)
ICOM Dubai 2025 Organising Committee
International Council of Museums (ICOM)
ICOM UAE
Association
International Council of Museums (ICOM)
Spatial Concept & Design
VAVESTUDIO
Creative Director
Tobias Geisler
Project Manager
Phil Püschel
Design Director
Wenqian Luo
Concept Design
Peter Mülling
Space Design
Hussein Nabolsi, Zi Yi Chua
Schematic Design
Katja Mikhalenka
Communication Design
Soorim Kim, Abdul Zakaria
Digital Content Manager
Abdul Zakaria
Digital Content Production
VAVE DIGITAL
Visual identity system
TheLoveTriangle and Tamakan Design Studio
Professional Congress Organizer
DXBLIVE LLC
Project operation
DWTC
Photographer & Videographer:
Deedstudio
