Emirati designer Khalid Shafar and Czech lighting designer Lasvit will be unveiling their first collaboration at the upcoming Dubai Design Week which will be held at Dubai Design District (d3) from November 13-18 2017. The result of their joint effort is a programmable dynamic lighting sculpture named Silent Call.

Integrating time and motion for a function beyond the aesthetic, Shafar’s sculpture showcases the eternal symbiosis of art and religion.

Shafar said: “The five daily prayers are among the most important obligations of Islamic faith. Today’s busy world poses challenges to a worship performed in times determined according to the sun. Prayer times are defined as near dawn, just after midday, in the afternoon, just after sunset and around nightfall, so the exact time changes throughout the season. Software-based Azan Clocks keep track of it for travelers and worshipers inside buildings where the call to prayer may not be heard. This led to the idea of programming a sculpture that would silently remind worshipers of prayer times using lighting effects and motion.”

The installation took inspiration from the crown of Islamic architecture – the mosque. It features stylised domes of five iconic mosques in five countries (UAE, Russia, Malaysia, Germany and Denmark). The shapes of their domes were transformed into silhouettes of the chandelier’s crystal components. Each dome is resized in several dimensions while all components are mounted upside-down for functionality and composition.

Maxim Velčovský, art director at Lasvit said: “It was our pleasure to work with someone as creative and dedicated as Khalid Shafar, and see the philosophical depth of his concept. Although he’s notably versatile as a designer, his background is in furniture design and he primarily works with wood. This was his first major venture into glass design.”

 Emirati designer Khalid Shafar and Czech lighting designer Lasvit will be unveiling their first collaboration at the upcoming Dubai Design Week which will be held at Dubai Design District (d3) from November 13-18 2017. The result of their joint effort is a programmable dynamic lighting sculpture named Silent Call.

Integrating time and motion for a function beyond the aesthetic, Shafar’s sculpture showcases the eternal symbiosis of art and religion.

Shafar said: “The five daily prayers are among the most important obligations of Islamic faith. Today’s busy world poses challenges to a worship performed in times determined according to the sun. Prayer times are defined as near dawn, just after midday, in the afternoon, just after sunset and around nightfall, so the exact time changes throughout the season. Software-based Azan Clocks keep track of it for travelers and worshipers inside buildings where the call to prayer may not be heard. This led to the idea of programming a sculpture that would silently remind worshipers of prayer times using lighting effects and motion.”

The installation took inspiration from the crown of Islamic architecture – the mosque. It features stylised domes of five iconic mosques in five countries (UAE, Russia, Malaysia, Germany and Denmark). The shapes of their domes were transformed into silhouettes of the chandelier’s crystal components. Each dome is resized in several dimensions while all components are mounted upside-down for functionality and composition.

Maxim Velčovský, art director at Lasvit said: “It was our pleasure to work with someone as creative and dedicated as Khalid Shafar, and see the philosophical depth of his concept. Although he’s notably versatile as a designer, his background is in furniture design and he primarily works with wood. This was his first major venture into glass design.”