It covered topics that varied from the history of European printing of Arabic books, to expressive calligraphy, to the relation of typography and dance, to the relation between culture and technological advancement in the printing arts, to political activism through visual communication in the Middle East, to case studies of inter-cultural design projects between Dutch designers and Arab institutions (or designers), and statistical information about the visual arts, design, new media and typographic expression in the Arab world.
It also marked the launch of this online community. The symposium introduced the Khatt Foundation's collaborative 'Typographic Matchmaking' pilot design project. The participating scholars and designers from the Netherlands, the Middle East, the US and Europe discussed the impact of historical and contemporary visual culture on today’s Arab identity. The program was dense and comprehensive, with 17 speakers and 15 concise presentations and short films that barely did fit within the planned one-day symposium. The lectures indirectly and/or directly discussed the positive role that design and typography can play in changing perspective- especially in contemporary Arabic youth culture- and in generating productive collaborations and mutual respect between Arab and Western societies. The symposium wanted to present a ‘real’ and non-stereotypical image of the contemporary Arab world that is rarely portrayed in current western media. The symposium aimed at presenting the five new Arabic typefaces developed within the framework of the Typographic Matchmaking project, and to set them within the bigger context of Arabic visual culture. The Khatt Kufi & Kaffiya | Symposium on Arabic Visual Culture This project, and its presentation though the symposium in Amsterdam, has marked the turning of a page in the history of Arabic type design. It was an infectious viral idea that attracted many, and brought about a very heart-warming spirit of collaboration between roughly 50 people from different cultural backgrounds, origins, and professional interests. With all these activities and products that were generated as a result of this project, the project in its totality has overshot and exceeded its original goals.
0 kommentar(er)
