Celebrity guests and exhibition curators inaugurate ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ at Burj Khalifa
- James Bond stars join exhibition curators and dignitaries for the launch of ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’
- Exhibition runs from November 14, 2016 until February 13, 2017
Dubai, UAE: ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ exhibition officially opened today at Burj Khalifa ANNEX at a press event attended by stars, exhibition curators, VIPs and dignitaries.
Marking over 50 years of the Bond franchise, the event was fronted by a star-studded panel, which included Caterina Murino – who played the leading lady in Casino Royale; Irka Bochenko – The Blonde Beauty in Moonraker; and Tonia Sotiropoulou – who starred in Skyfall; alongside EON Archive Director, Meg Simmonds; and guest curator, Bronwyn Cosgrave. They took an in-depth look at the craft behind creating a multi-billion-dollar franchise and the difficult process of selecting the very best props, costumes and memorabilia for the exhibition, from the extensive archive.
Irka Bochenko, Bond Girl, Moonraker commented on the exhibition: “Launching this fantastic exhibition in the incredible city of Dubai – which I have come to cherish throughout my many visits – is a beautiful way to celebrate the invincible agent, 007. It’s a privilege to be part of the ‘Bond’ family and I’m honoured to be in Dubai to attend the event launch of the celebrations at Burj Khalifa. Welcome to Dubai Mr. Bond!”
‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ is expertly curated to highlight the craft behind the cinema icon – James Bond – focusing on its distinctly British luxuriance. Presenting the design and style of the, now, more than half-century old franchise, ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ unveils the craft behind the sets, the music, gadgets, vehicles, technology and fashion – in a showcase never seen before in the Middle East. On showcase are items including Scaramanga’s Golden Gun from The Man with the Golden Gun and Daniel Craig’s wardrobe from Casino Royale, the Spectre Aston Martin DB10 and more.
Ahmad Al Falasi, Executive Director – Group Operations, Emaar Properties, said: “Designing 007 is shaking up the Dubai entertainment landscape, as the latest international high-profile event and another first for the Middle East. Dubai is an ideal host for the exhibition, offering a distinct synergy for design masterpieces, and a unique level of excitement that Burj Khalifa and James Bond evoke. Over the next three months, visitors to Downtown Dubai can revel in all things ‘Bond’ in a series of exciting showcases.”
Since its successful debut at the Barbican Centre, London, in 2012, ‘Designing 007’ has been exhibited in Toronto, Shanghai, Melbourne, Moscow, Rotterdam, Madrid, Mexico City and Paris.
Neil McConnon, Head of Barbican International Enterprises, Barbican Centre, said: “Barbican Centre is delighted to have the opportunity to bring ‘Designing 007’ to Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Dubai’s dynamism, glamour and energy are in many ways the perfect setting for Bond. We hope the audience here will enjoy taking a journey through the craftsmanship and artistry that have made Bond so enduring.”
The ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ exhibition is staged in Dubai by Colina Capital and Koutoulou Art+Events, in association with Emaar; it is brought to you by Visa in association with OSN.
Ibrahim Selim Ergoz, Country Manager, Visa – UAE, Qatar and Pakistan, said: “James Bond is perhaps the most iconic movie franchise of all time and many of the exhibits on display will be instantly recognisable to visitors. Our association with the franchise stretches back to the Pierce Brosnan era and connects Visa’s innovation with Bond’s iconic gadgets. Throughout the exhibition’s run, Visa cardholders will be able to enjoy a number of exclusive benefits, including discounted tickets, giving them unrivalled access to what is sure to be a must see attraction in Dubai.”
Emad Morcos, Chief Content Officer at OSN, said: “As the region’s leading pay-TV network, OSN not only brings the latest Bond movies straight into homes before anyone else in the Middle East, but by offering an exclusive and dedicated Bond channel, we truly set ourselves apart from the competition. The new OSN Movies HD 007, is a 7-week Bond spectacular, marking the first time in the region that all 24 blockbuster movies will appear together, on one channel, and all in stunning High Definition. The lineup of timeless classics will give fans across the region the chance to binge-watch their favourite Bond films back-to-back, anywhere, any time and on any device.”
Tickets for ‘Designing 007’ are now available at burjkhalifa.ae/en/jamesbond with special packages which include At the Top, Burj Khalifa access, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo entry, or Reel Cinemas James Bond screening tickets also available. The exhibition runs from November 14, 2016 until February 13, 2017.
About Emaar Properties PJSC:
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer and provider of premium lifestyles, with a significant presence in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. One of the world’s largest real estate companies, Emaar has a land bank of approx. 196 million sq m in the UAE and key international markets.
With a proven track-record in delivery, Emaar has delivered more than 40,600 residential units in Dubai and other global markets since 2001. Emaar has strong recurring revenue generating assets with over 690,000 sq m of leasing revenue generating assets and 14 hotels and resorts with around 2,400 rooms. Today, around 54 percent of the Emaar’s revenue is from its shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure and international subsidiaries.
Burj Khalifa, a global icon, and The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, are among Emaar’s trophy developments. Emaar has now launched a magnificent new tower that will serve as the centrepiece of the Dubai Creek Harbour development.
About Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions:
EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, the copyright in the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films as well as all worldwide merchandising. EON Productions, an affiliate of Danjaq, is the UK based production company which makes the James Bond films. The 007 franchise is the longest running in film history with twenty-four films produced since 1962. Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, SKYFALL and SPECTRE.
About the Barbican:
A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. Its creative learning programme further underpins everything it does. Over 1.5 million people pass through the Barbican’s doors annually, hundreds of artists and performers are featured and more than 300 staff work onsite. The architecturally renowned centre opened in 1982 and comprises the Barbican Hall, the Barbican Theatre, the Pit, Cinemas One, Two and Three, Barbican Art Gallery, a second gallery The Curve, foyers and public spaces, a library, Lakeside Terrace, a glasshouse conservatory, conference facilities and three restaurants.
The City of London Corporation is the founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre. The Barbican is home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra; Associate Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra; Associate Ensembles the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia, and Associate Producer Serious. Our Artistic Associates include Boy Blue Entertainment, Cheek by Jowl and Michael Clark Company. International Associates are Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
About OSN:
OSN is the ultimate destination for the widest choice of brand new premium Western, Arabic, South Asian (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil) and Filipino entertainment in the Middle East and Africa.
OSN is the home to over 150 channels and services filled with great value entertainment, offering viewers in the MENA region exclusive access to the latest blockbuster movies, top rated series, sports, documentaries, news, kid’s entertainment and live talk shows. The movie offering includes over a 100 uncut and uninterrupted movie premieres a month.
OSN boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of exclusive rights from all the major studios including Warner Brothers, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, NBC Universal, HBO and DreamWorks and offers access to the world’s leading television brands including Disney channel, Sky News, Discovery Network and National Geographic.
Launched in August 2013, OSN Pehla brings the best of Bollywood movies and premium cricket, including exclusive telecast rights of international tournaments such as the ICC Cricket World Cup and Indian cricket, through leading sports channels OSN Sports Cricket HD and Ten Cricket.
As the leader in innovation, OSN has changed the TV viewing experience by bringing quality entertainment through 65 High Definition channels and is currently the only network offering a full HD bouquet of channels as well as 3D entertainment in the region.
OSN was the first to launch the OSN DVR HD; the regions first online TV platform, OSN Play; the regions first 3D, HD, internet enabled satellite receiver and recorder, OSN Plus HD and the region’s first VOD service, OSN on Demand offering viewers the opportunity to watch over 1000 movies and 52 latest seasons of the top series, all available in full HD quality and Dolby Digital sound.
September 2012 saw the launch of OSN’s rewards programme, OSN Privileges, offering subscribers money can’t buy experiences, special offers and premium prizes all year round.
Addressing the changing viewing habits of consumers across the region, in May 2014, OSN launched ‘GO’, an online TV service providing subscribers access to thousands of hours of premium entertainment, contract and commitment-free.
The OSN platform is owned and operated by Panther Media Group Limited; a company registered in DIFC, and is owned by KIPCO and Mawarid Group Limited.
About Visa Inc.:
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead of time with prepaid or pay later with credit products.
About Colina Capital:
Colina Capital is an investment company bringing European businesses and concepts to the Middle East and Latin America.
About KouTouLou Arts+Events:
We organise events that promote music and arts in UAE’s cultural scene and we love what we do.
