Join us for an Online Demo Session delving into Exhibition design for our time – A guide to reducing the environmental impact of exhibitions for the MENAT region and its interactive companion: the MENAT Impact Model. 

Originally developed in 2023 by the Design Museum, London, in collaboration with URGE Collective, the Guide has been adapted for the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey). This adaptation was informed by discussions during the ‘Culture & Climate Summit’ hosted by Art Jameel and the British Council in 2023, as well as interviews and contributions conducted by URGE Collective from organisations such as Darat Al Funun in Amman, NYUAD Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi, Salt in Istanbul, Alserkal Initiatives in Dubai, and theOtherDada in Beirut.

The MENAT Impact Model, an interactive tool accompanying the guide, allows exhibition project managers to assess the carbon footprint of their exhibitions. It facilitates benchmarking of lifecycle emissions related to development, production, and hosting of exhibitions, enabling comparisons of options for objects, transport, construction materials, and more. The tool can also be used as a decision making tool across an exhibition’s lifecycle, aiming to raise awareness and encourage efforts to reduce environmental impact.

The aim of this session facilitated with URGE Collective is to provide cultural practitioners and platforms with insights on how to effectively utilise these regionally-adapted resources. Participants will gain valuable insights into sustainable exhibition design practices and tools to measure and mitigate their carbon footprint in the MENAT region. This is an opportunity to learn about these resources and integrate them to the everyday operations of their spaces.

Browse the Guide here

Browse the MENAT Impact Model here

Session programme:

• 15min. Introduction from Art Jameel – Nora Razian, Deputy Director and Head of Exhibitions and Programmes
• 50 min MENAT Guide and Impact Model presented by URGE Collective, Alexie Sommer and Paul Zhu
• 35 min Break outs for participants to experiment with the Impact Model
• 20 min Q&A

Open to all cultural platforms and practitioners in the MENAT region and worldwide. Session conducted in English. Free to attend. RSVP here.

Held on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at:

• 4:00-6:00 pm Dubai / Muscat
• 3:30-5:30 pm Tehran
• 3:00-5:00 pm Amman / Baghdad / Beirut / Damascus / Doha / Istanbul / Jerusalem / Kuwait City / Manama / Riyadh / Sana’a
• 2:00-4:00 pm Cairo / Khartoum / Tripoli
• 1:00-3:00 pm Algiers / Rabat / Tunis
• 12:00-2:00 pm Nouakchott

The first edition of this toolkit was published by the Design Museum in 2023, with the support of Future Observatory, a partnership between the Design Museum, URGE Collective and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The original guide is available at designmuseum.org