VIRTUAL Barcelona

Abstract

For thousands of years, humans have sought out beautiful objects to decorate their spaces and their persons. How those objects were commissioned or collected may have changed, but the use of storytelling through culturally significant motif and themes has not. With a specific focus on Egypt, this presentation will examine one of the world’s most ancient cultures and discuss how modern-day branding, visual merchandising, and product development are incorporating ancient motifs and themes within the modern Egyptian context to not only create beautiful spaces and products, but to connect modern-day Egyptians, and modern-day travelers, to the country’s past. A cross-continent, mixed-methods approach will be used to explore how four modern Egyptian brands move fluidly between the ancient and the modern to create beautiful spaces and products, and to act as a network for cultural exchange, connecting modern-day Egyptians and modern-day travelers, to the country’s past. From this exploration, we will ask: What works and what doesn’t work when pulling from the past to create modern stories and modern designs? What does the success or failure of these Egyptian brands tell us about our own use of cultural heritage within our design and artwork? And: How do we represent our past within our designs while simultaneously moving towards our future?