Multidisciplinary design duo Karim Tamerji and Elias El Hage created an installation from sand, one of the most common natural materials in the United Arab Emirates. This IOTA Installation was created for the Dubai City Centre Design 2022 exhibition. More than 150 modular sandballs of various sizes are laid out on the building's grounds to welcome visitors who see the exhibition. The installation project is also supported by House of Today, a non-profit design platform that identifies and connects emerging Lebanese designers to forge relationships with global design experts.

150 modular sand balls greet visitors on the building's grounds

The installation consists of vertically arranged modular sand balls of various sizes. At the very bottom is the ball with the largest size. The upward the size, the smaller. While the layout is made abstract and dynamic so as not to seem monotonous. When exposed to sunlight at a certain time, the arrangement of these sand balls forms a beautiful round shadow.

At certain hours, the installation forms a unique shade from the sun

When viewed at close range, the balls are mostly blood orange and pink and have a texture. Through this work, Karim+Elias wants to elevate the most found local materials that can be used as an ecological code for Dubai. The work preserves the ancient method of hand-pressing a layer of soil on top of the layer, which is now printed in a modern-made mold of two semicircular pieces joined together.

Close-up of the texture on modular sand balls

The process of making modular sand balls with a mould

"This work preserves the ancient method of hand-pressing a layer of soil on top of the layer, which is now printed in modern-made molds. We've reimagined the method through form, presenting the heavy-looking material as contemporary, soft, and seemingly weightless. Each tactile sphere is unique in texture and composition, naturally pigmented in various colors," Karim+Elias said.

The finished modular sand balls will be laid out according to the planned layout. This floor plan is made from the beginning of the arrival of visitors, then passes along the installation, and ultimately boils down to the building for exhibitions. The flow of visitors is in the middle, while the installation works on the right and left sides so as not to hinder the movement of visitors.

The floorplan of IOTA Installation

Visitors in attendance can take pictures of this installation area, taking the best angle among the vertical sandball piles. From IOTA Installation, Karim+Elias was established to explore sand material creatively through art and design. 

"We have recognized sand as a material that has meaning in its timeless and universal qualities. As a potential alternative to stone, marble, or even concrete, it is the basis of the philosophy of work. Karim+Elias started with the pieces of Dubai on a mission to create land relics and spatial experiences of landscapes worldwide," they said.

Examples of unique photo angles that can be taken in this installation