Karim Mekhtigian presents the world of design through a cinematic lens in the Design Show

The world renowned designer Karim Mekhtigian took part in the 7th edition of The Design Show with his project titled “The Moviola” which is a journey of engaging the world of design through a cinematic lens.

Presented in collaboration with Chief Designer/Art Director Hisham Mahdy, “The Moviola” gives a unique insight that blends the world of design with that of cinema.

Mekhtigian and Mahdy introduced a slew of classic films, including THE DARK CANDLES, ALL THREE MEN LOVE HER, BAREFOOT ON A GOLDEN BRIDGE, and THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, with contemporary designs.

The project’s main concept is to merge the past and the present, through re-editing scenes from the rich Egyptian film library into a contemporary reinterpreted reality, where furniture pieces and accessories are re-edited and repositioned to complement the contemporary time.

In addition, the idea behind presenting the designs in an exhibition is to allow the audience to embody the space and narrative through their five senses, giving them the chance to relive the stories and articulate how the narratives of now would unfold.

Held at the Cairo International Conference Centre (CICC),The Design Show - TDS is the largest and most significant Architecture, Interior, and Product Design show in Egypt & the MENA region.

The exhibition covers all design aspects regarding Architecture designs, Interior and Exterior designs, Product designs, Landscape designs, Furnishing and fit-out solutions.

Mekhtigian hails from a family of artists.

His uncle is Takfour Antonian, one of the most celebrated distributors and producers in the golden age of Egyptian cinema.

He produced films that starred Egyptian movie divas such as Soad Hosny’s Khally ballak Men Zouzou (Watchout for Zouzou) and distributed Adel Emam’s El Harrif (Streetplayer). 

Mekhtigian often engages in film-related activities. Previously, he was responsible for the design of The 40th Legacy Exhibition in celebration of the 40th edition of Cairo International Film Festival.

In the following edition, he worked on the scenography of "Cairo Je t'aime" exhibition that features photographs that chronicle various historical phases of the city.

Furthermore, he curated a tribute exhibition, on the works of acclaimed set designer Onsi Abou Seif, at the 4th El Gouna Film Festival. 

Karim Mekhtigian is a world renowned artist of Armenian origin and a pioneer in the world of design, be it architecture, interior, product design, art direction as well as design management.

In 1997, Mekhtigian founded Alchemy Design, which was joined after that by partners Mohamed Fares and, most recently, Eman Hussein.

He then established the Kyme brand, under Alchemy Design’s umbrella, after the original name of Egypt.

Under Kyme’s umbrella, Mekhtigian launched a number of commercial brands, including Kari Mekhtigian design studio,  which encompasses Architecture and Interior Design; US is inspired by our own rich heritage and multi-layered culture.

They are promoting a new all-encompassing idea of a “living culture” influenced by Egyptian history. Analogue creates tableware.

In addition to that, he founded Tchai Tea House, a place in Maadi where tea products are offered; Life Lab, an interactive space and The Yar, a grand experiment to introduce environmentally friendly “green” village designs that follow the sustainability principles of modern urban developments.

Karim Mekhtigian is a world renowned artist of Armenian origin and a pioneer in the world of design, be it architecture, interior, product design, art direction as well as design management.

In 1997, Mekhtigian founded Alchemy Design, which was joined after that by partners Mohamed Fares and, most recently, Eman Hussein. 

He then established the Kyme brand, under Alchemy Design’s umbrella, after the original name of Egypt. Under Kyme’s umbrella, Mekhtigian launched a number of commercial brands, including Kari Mekhtigian design studio,  which encompasses Architecture and Interior Design; Tchai Tea House, a place in Maadi where tea products are offered; Life Lab, an interactive space and The Yar, a grand experiment to introduce environmentally friendly “green” village designs that follow the sustainability principles of modern urban developments. In addition to that, he founded Analogue, which creates tableware, and US, which he founded in partnership with Marwa Sabah, Analogue’s director of business development, and a partner in Analogue and US.

US is a cultural platform that celebrates the contemporary reality of Egypt’s multilayered history through workshops, exhibitions, cultural events, short films, books, products, among others.

Throughout his brilliant career, Karim collaborated with top notch companies such as Al-Borouj Misr-Administrative Capital, Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, and Groppi.

He designed the logo and was responsible for the branding of the Pharaoh's Golden Parade. Mekhtigian is a winner of numerous local and global awards. His studio Alchemy Design received the Platinum Muse Design Award.

Mekhtigian is one of the most influential personas in his field in the Arab world.

As part of his intense activities, Mekhtigian created the Egyptian Designer’s Forum in 2005 and served as Art Director of the Egyptian Furniture Export Council (EFEC) in 2006.

He is a regular head of Cairo Design Awards’ panel of jurors. Founded by Chief Designer/Art Director Hisham Mahdy, Cairodesign Awards is a platform for award-winning design creativity and innovation, bringing together prominent designers and celebrating the industry’s achievements.