Deglobalizer / Cultural Hacking
“Turn out that gloabally distributed products, in their attempt to fit all, are perfect white canvas for cultural customization”
Deglobalizer is part of an ongoing research project about objects, global taste and local traditions. In 2012 Ikea opened its doors in Qatar and immediately created a sort of friction or misalignment between the Swedish brand and the Doha environment. Supercars parked outside of the corporate blue and yellow building, a local disinclination for DIY, and the colorful, sparkling North European catalogue, all stand in contrast to the country’s efforts in preserving a sense of heritage and Middle Eastern aesthetic. What is the role of design indeed? In which way could global and local converge to a common recognizable hybrid? Deglobalizer is an IKEAHACKING project where globally purchased standard objects have been subjected to a cultural mutation process and contaminated with local handcrafting.
The project, developed in partnership with the Qatari designer Aisha Al-Sowaidi, has been showcased during Design Days Dubai 2014 and pointed as one of the most pertinent project of the event - Financial Times, Wallpaper Magazine, Living/Corriere della Sera, Frame Magazine, Le Quotidienne d'Art