Deglobalizer / Cultural Hacking

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