Slanted Magazine #32 – Dubai

slanted 32 visits and authors Abjad Design, Uday Al-Araji, Becky Beamer, Jason Carlow, Dr. Nadine Chahine, Afra Bin Dhaher, Fatmah Al Dhanhani, Noor Eid, Elephant Nation, Jori Erdman, Reem Falaknaz, Marcus Farr, Fikra Design Studio, Martin Giesen, Glyphs, Nan Goggin, Gökçe Günel, H2R Design, Hanken Design Co., Tulip Hazbar, Khalid Al Jallaf, JAM Type, Kemistry Design, Ibraheem Khamayseh, Cristiano Luchetti, Faissal El-Malak, Mohammed Mandi, Möbius Studio, Moloobhoy & Brown, Myneandyours, Nasir Nasrallah, Ingo Niermann, Narjes Noureddine, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Uzma Z. Rizvi, Khaled Al-Saai, Sheikh Saifi, Fatmah Salmeen, Ruben Sánchez, Tarsila Schubert, Wissam Shawkat, Slash, The Flip Side, The Lighthouse, T.ZED Architects, Tahreek, Tinkah, Toil & Tinker, Tribe Magzine, Twothirds Design Bureau, WTD Magazine, Majid Al Yousef, Mandana Ziaei

video interviews slanted.de/dubai

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WELCOME TO UAE

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Fikra Design Studio Ramadan Imsakiyah 2018

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Tinkah Ramel 2018

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Tinkah Synergy Healing Centre 2017

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F aissal El Malak M orphology Autumn / Winter Collection 2017

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Möbius Studio Type—Illustration Hybrids 2012

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XXL SIGN OF SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, AL JEER

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Ruben Sánchez Pura Sangre, 2015

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Martin Giesen Burj Khalifa with Dhows 2010

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Kemistry Design Disorientation II, The Rise and Fall of Arab Cities, 2010

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Slash The Founders Memorial 2018

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Abjad Design Hermès Eid Greeting 2017

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Abjad Design Zayed National Museum, 2015 Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture

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Tulip Hazbar Sheikha Bin Dhaher Ruben Sánchez Nasir Nasrallah Afra Bin Dhaher Diana Hawatmeh Mandana Ziaei

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Actions speak louder than words

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XXII Arabian Onenightstand / Tulip Hazbar

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Scheherazade / Sheikha Bin Dhaher

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Afra Bin Dhaher Reem Falaknaz Alfredo Marco Pradil / Hanken Design Co. João Symington / JAM Type Hani Charaf / Kemistry Design Myneandyours Tarsila Schubert Tarik Zaharna / T.ZED Architects Sueraya Shaheen / Tribe Magzine Meitha Al Mazrooei / WTD Magazine

10 × 10 DESIGNERS 10 questions + 100 answers ‫إذا تم العقل نقص الكالم‬

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The smarter you are, the less you speak

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any field is vital to success, but I feel it’s even more important in typography if one wants to compete—and be successful—in a global market.

Please present yourself: who are you, what do you do?

What is your background?

Hani Charaf / Kemistry Design My name is Hani Charaf, I’m a graphic designer.

I studied Visual Communication at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, Syria. I moved to Dubai in 2002, where I live and work now.

Afra Bin Dhaher My name is Afra Bin Dhaher. I live and work in my hometown Dubai. After graduating from the American University of Sharjah, with a BSc in Visual Communication, I began working as a freelance graphic designer and visual artist.

Reem Falaknaz I’m a photographer from the Emirates and very much interested in the social and cultural makeup of the city Dubai. I studied Visual Communication, and worked as a television producer and director for a few years before delving into photography.

Alfredo Marco Pradil / Hanken Design Co. I am Alfredo Marco Pradil and I am a multidiscipline designer at Creative Sauce in Dubai, UAE. I have been in the game development, advertising, publications, and visual merchandising design fields for the past 13 years. Parallel to these fields, I design and develop bespoke and retail typefaces for individuals and companies.

Hani Charaf / Kemistry Design, Jameel Arts Centre, 2018. Poster design.

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João Symington / JAM Type I am a graphic and type designer who is absolutely passionate about his work. Based in the picturesque city of Dubai my type foundry JAM Type is dedicated to produce “fonts that are effective, beautiful, and full of character.”

My approach to work is intricately structured, focusing on a fluid and proven methodology that takes me from the initial concept to a finished product without losing any of the project’s momentum along the way. With a strong background in creative direction, advertising, branding, and packaging, my foundation is solid and it led to my foundry’s continued success ever since its inception.

If there’s one thing I understand about the business of typography, it’s the importance of a dependable work ethic paired with a willingness to learn as much as possible while applying that knowledge freely. Being well-rounded in

Myneandyours Myneandyours. Artist. London. Baghdad.

Tarsila Schubert I’m Tarsila Schubert, I was born in Brazil and I moved to Dubai, which is now my base since 2012.

I have made a living with art for ten years now. I started painting in Brazil when I was 15 because of my grandmother who is a painter. I stopped for five years and I came back to paint when I was 21 years old after dropping out of university in the last year after realizing it was not my passion. The first years were very difficult. I was trying to organize my exhibitions in Brazil alone and trying to sell paintings here and there to pay my bills, I also had to work in a shoes shop for three years to be able to continue painting.

In this period I met a lot of street artists from my home town that later became my friends (Fernando Chamarelli and l7matrix) and I started painting on the streets of Brazil.

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Tarik Zaharna / T.ZED Architects T.ZED Architects was founded on one of the pivotal determinants to find the region’s contemporary architectural language through investigative research and design that gives breed to a dynamic architecture.

retical and critical dimension of architecture, and print (for now) seems to me to be the space in which ideas can be presented in an experimental stage—with the hopes of probing an audience.

2 What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Afra Bin Dhaher Lately, I realized that I do enjoy the early morning’s stillness. So, I guess witnessing the day’s moment of quietude gets me out of bed.

Reem Falaknaz To sustain myself, I work as photographer for a local newspaper. So, throughout the week, I’m usually in different cities. So, if an exciting photo story is sent my way, I look forward to the ride and exploring a neighborhood I’m not familiar with; and I’m always thankful for the access and trust people kindly allow. I also look forward to free evenings, where I spend time reading to my nephew, and later, it’s movie night.

Tarik Zaharna / T.ZED Architects, KOA CANVAS, Dubai, 2017 and ongoing.

KOA, mixed-use development.

Alfredo Marco Pradil / Hanken Design Co. Seeing my work out there in the world and receiving good feedback motivates me to get out of bed in the morning.

Sueraya Shaheen / Tribe Magazine I’m a photographer by nature, born in Beirut and both my parents are Syrian. I take pictures— mostly portraiture: I have an archive of over 100 artist portraits from the Middle East which are part of an ongoing project, I also like photographing children. With strong ties to international galleries and with the artists themselves, I am a photography consultant to collectors. I am the photo editor and co-founder of Tribe, the first magazine to focus on photography and new media from the Arab world. Basically if it has anything to do with photography—I’m involved!

João Symington / JAM Type Being a graphic and type designer, I thrive on what I can create on a daily basis. I love it when a brief comes in and I have the opportunity to create something from nothing. It gives me such a great sense of purpose and achievement.

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Meitha Al Mazrooei / WTD Magazine I am the current editor of WTD Magazine, a print publication that attempts to address the forces that impact the built environment in the so called “Middle East.” My interest lies in the theo-

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João Symington / JAM Type, JT Symington, 2018. Typeface design.

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Hani Charaf / Kemistry Design My kids for a start, I’m also fortunate enough to have a number of challenges and opportunities that I get to tackle everyday. In design terms, the endless cycle of learning, exploration, and making things is what I find fascinating.

3 What would you say are your strongest skills and how have you honed those skills over the years?

Myneandyours My alarm.

Myneandyours, Eight Hours in Hell, 2017.

Digital illustration.

Tarsila Schubert I have a purpose and my purpose is very emotional. The feeling of making my ideas and dreams come to life is very strong. Sometimes things go wrong, but what I've been learning from all these years and all the people I met during my journeys, is that you just have to move forward. I'm a positive person, it may sound cliché but being positive always saved me from bad situations and moments.

Tarik Zaharna / T.ZED Architects Being first. A sense of grasping the day as early as possible to be able to accomplish more, and to know that I am—through the practice— contributing to the new architectural movement of the region. As architects and designers, we owe it to ourselves and to the built environment to constantly experience and engage with it.

An early start to the day allows for a wide, varying range of experiences to occur that ultimately makes us more receptive to our context.

Sueraya Shaheen / Tribe Magazine The fact that every new day is a fresh blank slate and you can start all over again … plus nobody remembers yesterday if you don’t bring it up!

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Meitha Al Mazrooei / WTD Magazine Sunlight! Mornings are the best, so it doesn’t take much to get me out of bed.

Afra Bin Dhaher I do enjoy anything that involves creation; both in art and design; so I find it difficult to select a certain skill, but, for the sake of answering your question, my strongest skills might have to do with conceptualization, interpreting ideas, and critical thinking—which are ultimately a few of the basic skills needed for any artist / designer.

Having certain traits can be a reason behind the development of certain skills. I’ve always been a timid, observant, and analytical person. So, I guess this might have something to do with having these skills.

I believe the only way for a person to hone any skill, whether innate or learnt, is by practice, education, and dedication.

Reem Falaknaz When out on the street researching stories, I’m quiet content at approaching people and starting a conversation. But I feel that I’m beginning to “lose an eye” when trying to capture a scene or a moment with my camera. Honing the eye on how to see has been a constant selfdisciplining exercise, and I’m currently at a place where I’m reassessing my approach and inhibitions within my practice.

Alfredo Marco Pradil / Hanken Design Co. My strongest skills would be my tenacity in creating typeface design. I have been honing that skill since my elementary years, and now I have the opportunity to create something that can be a part of change and visual identity.

João Symington / JAM Type I would say that my strongest skills are attention to detail and a shear determination to get the very best out of every project or experience.

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already a rich cultural history. It was practically spelled out in the National Pavilion at the Venice Biennial a few years back … look it up!

Reem Falaknaz Nationalism, a false understanding of it at many times, has recently been tied to militarism (the UAE introduced compulsory military service in 2014). It might exist, but I personally have not seen projects coming out from the UAE that discuss the dogma shifts. Of course, I understand why; free public speech has consequences here.

But I have seen artists and writers, younger and older generation, speaking up more and more about their beliefs; discussing tradition, religion, and politics together.

Sueraya Shaheen / Tribe Magazine, Tribe 00, 2015. Cover inaugural issue, photo: © Hassan Hajjaj, from the series My Rockstars.

Alfredo Marco Pradil / Hanken Design Co. In my eleven years of residency here in Dubai, I have seen changes in living space, architecture, and communication. One of the most dramatic change that I have seen is the openness of communication and freedom of expression in art and design, but without the arrogance and negativity. It is very positive and progressive.

Meitha Al Mazrooei / WTD Magazine Culture existed and continues to exist in both cities. Yes, the real estate and oil economy were the obvious driving forces towards the construction of institutions, but culture existed in tandem. I guess it is a question of how “culture” is perceived—is it in relation to a western ideal / model? Or accepting that alternative modes of expression have the space and the means to emerge in and from the UAE.

8 While artists in the UAE often cover topics like tradition and change, it is more difficult for designers to touch upon these topics.

What are the most dramatic changes you have seen over the years in the UAE? Afra Bin Dhaher Well, I don’t think it’s more difficult for designers to get in touch with topics like tradition and change. In fact, they do seem like cliché concepts.

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The UAE, in its own way, is looking forward to progress with the world. To me, the dramatic changes, is in its implementation of tax, mandatory national service for males, allowing the registry of organ donation, announcing to send the first Emirati astronaut into space, and having young and female ministers. Have you heard of a Minister of Youth Affairs and one of Happiness and Wellbeing existing in any place else?

João Symington / JAM Type Having been in the UAE for the last 15 years, I have seen the city completely being transformed. It is quite surreal how much it has changed in such a short period of time, but most notably for me are the various art galleries and creative events that have started to be omnipresent in the city.

A few years ago, Dubai had nothing for a creative person to see, but now there are a bunch of things to do and places to visit.

Hani Charaf / Kemistry Design Change and traditions are also common topics in design, some are visible in nostalgic print graphics, calligraphy based logos and typefaces, palm-shaped skyscrapers, and ornamental details in products and wearables. The big change was towards a deeper understanding of identity,

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that had been reflected in the rise and success of many local small businesses and initiatives in an environment that used to be dominated by chains and multinational corporations.

has allowed so many artists based in Dubai to have the chance to live off of their own art and change the art scene in the future.

Tarik Zaharna / T.ZED Architects Over the years I have noticed a collective sense of patience and permanence. An openness to investing more in our built-up fabric, for users who are looking for a long-lasting environment to be in. A shift in the way people perceive property as well as living spaces in Dubai are a blatant indication that residents are now seeking the more permanent as opposed to the temporary.

Myneandyours Physical change is as dramatic as psychological.

Your environment plays a role on your interpretation of it, and a building that wasn't there yesterday will challenge your perceptions, while you question how a city only forty or so years old has become a household name.

Sueraya Shaheen / Tribe Magazine I don’t really see any drama in change, but much evolution and growth. The art fairs grow and add new dimensions, the art districts blossom and thrive—the areas are real communities, Bastakiya, Al Serkal Avenue, RAK, D3 even the malls are sensory environments.

Myneandyours, There’s an Angle to Everything, Sharjah, 2016.

Photo: © Jo Askew.

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Tarsila Schubert No, I don’t think it is different for artists and designers. Everybody who works in the creative industry in the UAE has to somehow follow some etiquette here and there as a matter of respect of the laws in this country. I think once people realize it and respect things the way they are, creatives can find a way through creativity to express their ideas and messages in a nonoffensive way.

I have lived in Dubai since 2012 (six years) and I’ve seen a lot of changes regarding street art for example. When I arrived it was forbidden and only in 2013 the Spanish artist Ruben Sánchez managed to be the first artist to get a permission to paint a public wall in collaboration with a government entity: Tashkeel.

It opened the door for muralists, and it changed a lot since then. Of course in Dubai everything goes for the business side and 90 % of the walls you find around are of commercial nature, but it is good anyway that this

Meitha Al Mazrooei / WTD Magazine I grew up in Dubai so to me the pace of change is normalized through my personal experience.

But being away for the past two years, what catches me off guard when I visit is the drive of my friends, and their determination to add value to the place they deem important, either by teaching at the local universities or setting up their businesses in the UAE.

9 What would your “Best of Dubai Tour” look like, starting at 6 a.m. and ending …

24 hours later?

Afra Bin Dhaher Late October through April, when the weather is still forgiving, is the ideal time to enjoy the most out of Dubai. It’s also the most eventful time of the year with multiple events like, Design Week, Art Dubai, and Art Abu Dhabi. Ironically, you can also lay on the beach in December.

My “Best of Dubai Tour” would start by having a wholesome breakfast at Menagerie, from there, you can either choose to enjoy the drive to the beautiful mountains of Hatta and Kayak

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Uday Al-Araji Fatmah Al Dhanhani Khalid Al Jallaf Ibraheem Khamayseh Mohammed Mandi Narjes Noureddine Khaled Al-Saai Sheikh Saifi Fatmah Salmeen Majid Al Yousef

10 × 10 CALLIGRAPHERS 10 questions + 100 answers ‫التجربة العلم الكبير‬

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Experimentation is the greatest science

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Mohammed Mandi I’m the calligraphy artist Mohammed Mandi, from the United Arab Emirates.

Where are you from? And if you are not from the UAE, what made you move there?

Narjes Noureddine I’m from the UAE, born and raised in Abu Dhabi, and currently living in Dubai. I graduated with a diploma in Financial Studies and a BFA in Interior Design.

Uday Al-Araji I am originally from Iraq. I chose the UAE because it has been a hub for different cultures from around the world to meet and interact. It’s a great opportunity to open up my horizon and have new experiences.

Fatmah Al Dhanhani I’m from the UAE, specifically from Dibba Fujairah.

Khaled Al-Saai I’m a Syrian artist, but I’m not entirely living in the UAE. I am traveling around the world because of my art. I think this country is my base now, since my home country Syria is not safe anymore.

Sheikh Saifi My name is Sheikh Saifi and I am from Pakistan.

My decision to move to the United Arab Emirates was based on two factors: For one thing, calligraphy originated from the Holy Quran, and Arabic is the language of the Quran. Hence, I wanted to be close to its heritage. Secondly, the UA leads the Arab world in terms of heritage and culture and the government here encourages culture and arts.

Fatmah Salmeen I am from the United Arab Emirates.

Majid Al Yousef I was born and raised in Iraq to a Saudi / Iraqi family. I moved to the UAE in 2002 to join one of the international advertising agencies. I liked the dynamics of the city and the opportunities it offered, so I decided to stay ever since.

Fatmah Al Dhanhani, Quranic Verse, 2016. Dewani Jali script style, black & dark brown ink, nature paper, 100 × 70 cm. Islamic graphic: Nuha Al Mansoury

2 Why are there so many well-known calligraphers from Sudan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan, but not as many from the UAE?

Khalid Al Jallaf I’m from the UAE and born in Dubai.

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Ibraheem Khamayseh I’m originally from Palestine, I was privileged to grow up in one of its most beautiful cities: Jenin.

I moved to the UAE almost five years ago, and for the same reason the majority of expats moves to the UAE; for better opportunities and more exposure.

Uday Al-Araji Because these countries have ancient civilizations and a rich cultural legacy, while the UAE is a newly born country, so you expect the arts as a practice to start growing after the country

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reaches a certain level of economic and social stability, that is why we see a potential artistic movement across the UAE in recent years.

Fatmah Al Dhanhani Because it did not appear in the UAE like the other countries mentioned above. The calligraphy has existed since the first centuries. The UAE has been interested in Arabic calligraphy lately, and this is really good. It has now become a state of great interest in the Arabic calligraphy, as evidenced by the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, the “Burda Award,” and other events held in Dubai.

in the business for the past 45 years, and whose angular designs can be found on every banknote in the UAE. Other great examples are Narjes Noureddine and Jamal Habroush Al Suwaidi.

Due to the small population of the UAE, the numbers of UAE calligraphers might not weigh in when compared to other Middle Eastern countries, however, this doesn’t necessarily mean the country doesn’t flaunt a decent number of prominent ones.

Khalid Al Jallaf The art of calligraphy is new in the UAE comparing to other countries, where some of Arabic calligraphy scripts are founded or modified. Therefore, the population of our country—as compared to other Islamic countries is very small, so the number of calligraphers is also small. Moreover, the number of calligraphers in the UAE is increasing, and we are observing that through the new memberships to our UAE calligraphy association.

Ibraheem Khamayseh, Hawasi, 2018.

Digital print, 70 × 100 cm.

Mohammed Mandi There are a lot of calligraphers in the UAE, but this is due to the luck of limited spread of business, perhaps in the UAE only, and foreign business is not enough. I have foreign work in Germany, at the mosque and the Islamic center in Pensberg.

Khalid Al Jallaf, 2014.

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Ibraheem Khamayseh I believe the UAE has its own share of great and prominent calligraphers in the region. Take for example Mohammed Mandi, who has been

Narjes Noureddine The UAE is relatively a new state which had less historical records and international awareness than these bigger nations. However, considering the size and population, the UAE still rank well proportionally and not in total numbers.

Khaled Al-Saai The UAE is a good calligraphic environment, that is why it’s attracting calligraphers to move here, but it is very challenging as well. Syria, Iraq, and

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Turkey have a huge legacy of art and culture and calligraphy in specific. The UAE have no similar history, but they have the will and desire of building up their culture, and that takes time. We can’t expect an instant shift. The Emirates have a big potential of doing something big for this art, and what we witness of what they are doing to preserve this artform is excellent. Calligraphic institutions, foundations, and competitions will give a big result.

Sheikh Saifi These countries had a strong influence of Sufism and mysticism and were centers of science and research in the golden age of Islam. This is the major reason why these regions retained the cultural aspects of that era.

Fatmah Salmeen There are Emirati calligraphers from my generation who are still learning. They need time, attention, and with the presence of centers and exhibitions of calligraphy in the country we hope to see many of them in the future.

blooming with artistic and cultural activities for centuries which reflects in their social life and education up to this day, regardless of the political problems they face. Let’s not forget also the population of each of the countries in question, which exceeds the population of the UAE. The UAE on the other hand, is a newly born country with a small population. The past four and a half decades of their state history were dedicated toward building the infrastructure and establishing the system that led to the modern UAE that we live in right now. Though it was recently established, the UAE did have a few names in the art scene since the 70s and that is remarkable.

3 Which script style (Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, or Ruq’ah) do you use in your work and why?

Uday Al-Araji I find myself more interested in Jali Diwani style because it has a glimmering, prestigious look along with flexibility which I consider strong artistic properties. I also write other styles like Thuluth, Naskh, and Diwani.

Fatmah Al Dhanhani I write several styles such as Ruq’ah, Diwani, and Thuluth, but the best style for me is Thuluth Jali.

I like it because I found myself in this type of calligraphy. They are expressing my personality in detail, accuracy, and strength. Also Diwani Jali gives me freedom in design and an opportunity to get out of the ordinary.

Khalid Al Jallaf In my artworks I mostly use Kufic script, but during my workshops I use the most known Arabic calligraphy scripts such as Naskh, Thuluth, Diwani, Jelly Diwani, Nasta’līq, and others.

Majid Al Yousef I think this is due to the fact that these countries have been populated since the dawn of human civilization so they have more experience and longer heritage to begin with. As a result of that, many major cities across these countries were

Ibraheem Khamayseh I like to explore different styles in my calligraphy, but I mainly use Thuluth. The reason why I choose this style, is because it adds more value to the Arabic text, and it’s one of the styles that has many guidelines to follow and many secrets to unearth, which adds more to its

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Fatmah Salmeen, Quranic verse: “It is those who hasten to good deeds, and they outstrip others therein.”, 2017.

Thuluth Al Jali script style.

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affirmation; he uses the pen to write everyone’s timeline of life for example. In the Islamic— as well as the other Abrahamic—tradition, God is using a form of writing to communicate major issues, hence the Quran or the Ten Commandments.

As for the second part of your question: Personally speaking, I don't think so. The experience of practicing calligraphy is soothing and relaxing for sure, it even contributes to some aspects of the calligrapher’s personality, but a correlation with the divine or the sacred, sounds far-fetched and more like art jargon. It can create a halo around the artwork which is a usual practice in all fields of arts, but it could be totally wrong since we don’t really know the divine (empirically), we can’t claim that we discovered ways to connect with it.

Khalid Al Jallaf I believe that artistic expression in the Middle East is going towards the Arabic and Islamic identity, which is represented clearly in Arabic calligraphy and art. Using calligraphy and Arabic alphabets as parts and figures of artworks, shows their identity and the beauty of this art.

Ibraheem Khamayseh The region has recently witnessed many novel artistic ways for expression. The Arab Spring leades to a new wave of art in the Middle East dealing about politics.

It is also where the women, so often characterized as mute and oppressed, are finding their voice through art. They may not be able to vote, drive a car, or wear what they like, but there is nothing to stop them from making art at home.

Women artists in Saudi Arabia are now estimated to outnumber the men. In addition, women are among the biggest patrons and collectors of Middle Eastern art. Many have the top jobs, running new art museums and festivals, springing up in such places as Abu Dhabi.

Majid Al Yousef, Reflection, 2017.

Giclée print.

Mohammed Mandi The Quran came from heaven with the Arabic calligraphy, and that is the reason why it is important. Also it has developed in many ways.

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Narjes Noureddine Although it is considered as an Islamic artistic expression, Arabic calligraphy art may also play another role at a neutral zone between religions.

Iconophobia or Islamophobia may play a role in the West, but not in the Middle East where a Muslim majority exists. I believe Arabic letters and identity will continue taking part of the artistic expression in the Middle East in spite of the strong current of westernization. For example, new artistic applications for calligraphy appeared in calligraffiti, abstract calligraphy, sculptures, furniture, etc. The last 20 years were indeed another golden age of this art, in spite of some global opposing political movements, and I see this continuing for decades to come.

Religious association with the Quran, as well as iconophobia, has led calligraphy to become one of the major forms of artistic expression in Islamic cultures. Where do you believe artistic expression in the Middle East is going today?

Uday Al-Araji There is a diversity of opinions and interests.

Some people dedicate their careers to preserve the classical tradition, while others like to mix it and try it out with other fields of arts or media.

I think both directions are essential to create a rich art scene.

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Fatmah Al Dhanhani It will serve as a bridge between the Middle East and the whole world.

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Khaled Al-Saai I believe beyond being a beautiful piece of art, Arabic calligraphy acts as a vehicle for a message, expressed through words, and can be used for visual expression. Calligraphic art, taken to the level of abstract letters, opens up new avenues of expression and a limitless potential to generate new forms.

On the other hand, there are so many traditional calligraphers carrying the responsibility of the tradition, while the contemporary ones are using a completely different approach. That shows the diversity of this art, and how each artist makes his own version.

It is amazing to see artists turning calligraphy into sculptures and installation art, up to very extreme directions. Eventually, this art is going in an interesting direction, and I have no worries at all because this art depends on the artists minds and imaginations.

as a beautiful artistic reply to those who think that the Quran can only be used to spread hate and war mongering.

Sheikh Saifi, Noon Walqalam, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 90 × 70 cm.

Fatmah Salmeen I can say that the arts of the Middle East are unique. We have a holistic view of modern and contemporary art, as we witness the return of interest in calligraphy nowadays. People have become more and more interested in development and usage, and it’s being used in all fields, not just in art because it reflects Arab identity and culture.

There is no doubt that this precious care will catapult the art of Arabic and Islamic calligraphy in the rest of the Middle East and Islamic countries to the best and most beautiful stages.

Khaled Al-Saai, Language Reforming Itself, 2016. Tuluth script style, acrylic watercolor & ink on paper, 40 × 62 cm.

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Sheikh Saifi In this day and age when the Quranic material is mostly used to spread misinformation about Islam and the Quran itself, calligraphy has risen

Majid Al Yousef Religious association does have a notable role in calligraphy development since religious text was the main source of content that calligraphers used. But it wasn’t the only force behind it.

I think there is a major impact that came from the visual quality and properties of Arabic characters as well, which triggered calligraphers to investigate and explore this form of art and push the boundaries in order to discover its

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aesthetic potential. Calligraphy developed and nurtured around the globe by different cultures and is not only associated with religion.

Iconophobia’s role is controversial though; we know that the official religious establishment was not supportive of pictorial representation of living things in general, but there are many illustrations and manuscripts dated back to different periods of the Islamic empire that has figurative drawing, and even depictions of the prophet and other highly respected characters from the Islamic history in scenes from religious stories and tales. There were also famous singers and musicians (both men and women) at the peak of the Islamic era, another thing that mainstream clergy were not happy about.

I believe the iconophobia note tallies up because of who told the story thereafter. The cultural stories and traditions that we know as such were written and disseminated by the more powerful at that particular juncture in time—as all history is—whose version won in the end.

There are many schools of thought regarding Islam’s problem with images and the one that was most politically influential in the end became mainstreamed and had a lot of political backing. One version just so happened to cover other versions or interpretations.

In terms of concepts and content: Artistic expression in the Middle East is heavily influenced by the political and social situations. You can easily detect that when you browse different artists portfolios and exhibitions. Subjects like war, family, woman rights, and religion are very common themes.

As for the technical side, there is a wave of conceptual artists and artworks, and new techniques in mixed media are being explored as well as sculpture, so I think there is a lot going on, and a rapid change in the art scene is emerging. But we do lack the sense of serious art critique and true development of artistic abilities and skills over the broad landscape. I hope with time, this could be overcome and we see quality art works replacing the mediocre pieces or installations in the surrounding. This applies to many art fields and not just to calligraphy and typography. We need better art education and awareness, and more qualified people to lead the way.

Currently there is a big problem with that.

7 Many companies, like Al Jazeera and Emirates, already incorporate traditional Arabic calligraphy into their brand design.

How do you feel about western brands, which are working in the Middle East, adding Arabic calligraphy to their design as well?

Do you see it as a form of cultural respect?

Or even a job opportunity for calligraphers?

Uday Al-Araji Yes, it is a good field to enter for calligraphers, but we notice that there are a few techniques or designs that need to be fixed. This comes from the lack of experience in the field of design or calligraphy and the way they try to unleash the aesthetic of the artwork or design.

Uday Al-Araji, Mercy, 2016.

Indian handmade paper processed in Turkey, pigments ink, Jali Diwani script style, Quranic verse: “And He (Allah) is the most merciful of the merciful.” (64) Yusuf, 60 × 40 cm.

Fatmah Al Dhanhani I am proud when I see the Arabic letters in western logos. This shows the beauty of Arabic calligraphy. I like the integration of different

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cultures in the world very much. It creates convergence and a different kind of art. I also see it as a form of cultural respect and even as a job opportunity for calligraphers. I think that the arts are beginning to take the lead and have a greater interest in the fields of work, including the field of calligraphy. It creates an exceptional job that is no less important than other jobs.

Mohammed Mandi It’s my pleasure to put traditional Arabic calligraphy into their brand design to maintain a look and to protect the traditions. As long as it’s used in a good way that respects the calligraphy and doesn’t destroy it for just a logo design.

Khalid Al Jallaf I believe it is both, and it can carry both meanings and it might be, in addition to that, their emotional ties and inspiration from the beauty of the Arabic calligraphy, which has influenced the western art since ages.

Ibraheem Khamayseh Typeface matching is now considered an important element of the overall branding strategies for all brands across the world.

It’s a gateway to show cultural respect, and to also be more relevant and closer to their customers.

I believe all the western brands who are looking to be more relevant and getting closer to the audience must adapt such a strategy.

Mohammed Mandi, The 99 Names (qualities or attributes) of Allah, 2007.

Kufic script style, Qibla wall, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Narjes Noureddine It is indeed a form of cultural respect and subject to give it to a professional Arabic calligraphers to design it. Otherwise it becomes a cultural insult as many prestigious brands have unfortunately done. We have witnessed several terrible designs for Arabic logos done by intruders who never learned or understood Arabic calligraphy.

In this case, we unfortunately can’t talk about job opportunities for calligraphers.

Khaled Al-Saai Arabic calligraphy is a unique art form. The way they use it, is also a way of communication for big brands, when they are communicating with Arabic people. But on the other hand, what makes big museums collect modern Arabic calligraphy, or contemporary art of Arabic calligraphy?

Many international collections such as the Written Art Foundation in Germany consider this as contemporary art, as well.

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Ibraheem Khamayseh, Mirage, 2017.

Silkscreen poster, 70 × 100 cm.

Sheikh Saifi As for Middle Eastern firms incorporating Arab culture, it’s a positive aspect, since it shows Arab culture. Also their audience is Arabic speaking, making it easy for the marketing teams to target

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gious brand fragrance bottle, and even an opera performance inspired by my calligraphy paintings. I could have never expected these achievements before they were achieved, so I don’t know what tomorrow might bring. I’ll continue working hard to turn every project I work on to a significant achievement in my portfolio.

artwork, as well as calligraphy. I’m also working on another branch of the font known as Iqbal Font. My aim is to spread this art, which gave me not only worldly fame, but also peace of mind.

Khaled Al-Saai Maybe I’ll be playing calligraphic music, or doing calligraphy at the surface or beneath the water, but I’ll definitely do some films about calligraphers. The mystery of calligraphy has always seduced me. And I hope to be back in my home town Mayadeen in Syria, and doing that on the river side. I hope to leave thousands of artistic calligraphers all around the world, as Iben Battota. I also want to build up my own modern calligraphy institute and museum in Damascus, Syria, my home country. ­

Fatmah Salmeen I have not planned the next ten years, but I will do my best to do outstanding work, participate in many exhibitions, both inside and outside the country, win many awards, and most importantly, I wish to have my own exhibition in the future “In Shall Allah.”

The art of Arabic calligraphy previously reflected the culture of a nation that dominated the world with art and culture. I will be very pleased that I have worked to preserve the iden­ tity of this art and have presented works that reflect my culture and my national identity and that the art of calligraphy is a living art that does not die.

Majid Al Yousef I deeply identify the artists of the Renaissance notion as intellectual, and I would love to leave a legacy of notable work with constructive thoughts and philosophy.

Fields like architecture and spatial design have always been fascinating to me, and I hope I can build up a portfolio, with contributions to these two fields in a calligraphic flavor.

Khaled Al-Saai, Diving in the Red Sea, 2007.

Acrylic & gold on canvas, 120 × 90 cm.

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Sheikh Saifi I have received wide appreciation for my font style from a number of followers, many of which have become my students to learn this new font.

I am developing newer fonts to propagate my

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Ingo Niermann 11 Cristiano Luchetti 2 Dr. Nadine Chahine 3 4 Rainer Erich ScheichelbauerTitle Gökçe Günel 5 Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi 6 Uzma Z.Subtitle Rizvi 7 Jason Carlow 8 Jori Erdmann 9 becky beamer 10 Nan Goggin 11 Martin Giesen 12 Marcus Farr 13

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Ingo Niermann

Introduction to Dubai Democracy Where Desert Dreams Come True

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In 2008, Ingo Niermann started the Solution book series to develop an abundance of compact and original ideas for different countries and regions of the world, contradicting the widely held assumption that, after the end of socialism, human advancement is only possible technologically or requires a yet-to-be-established world order.

After he and other invited writers dealt with alternate futures of Germany, Scotland, and the US, Niermann dedicated Solution 186–195 to a Dubai Democracy, Where Desert Dreams Come True. Published in 2010, the following introduction of the book looks at Dubai and its role in the current world order in ways that still surprise and that might be more up-to-date than ever.

In Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man in the High Castle, Germany and Japan have won the Second World War and conquered ESSAYS

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the US. Yet at least on the West Coast, the Japanese occupiers evince an ambivalent attitude toward the Americans. On the one hand, they subjugate them and scorn them as inferior; on the other, they are fascinated by their folklore and pay enormous prices for their rare artifacts, such as old pistols and comic books.

This behavioral pattern is familiar from the history of western colo nialism; with reference to Asia and North Africa, Edward Said calls it “Orientalism.” The conqueror believes he is superior to another people, but also craves its alterity. He recognizes in it the pure virgin or the naive child he himself once was, untainted by truth and lie. Or the apple whose magnificence merely heightens his hunger. Even if he didn’t eat the apple, educate the child, or deflower the virgin, someone else would, or they would simply spoil.

By now, some former colonies and protectorates of the West are develop ing so rapidly that the descendants of their erstwhile overlords accuse them of being even bigger capitalists or consumerists than they themselves. The West blames them for repeating its own mistakes, such as polluting the environment and exploiting the workers, even more rapidly and in worse ways, and yet outsources ever more dirty work to these countries.

This is not only hypocritical; it also distracts from the real concern. What

do we care for the future of the world and the planet when we see our own prosperity under attack? Those who toil in the sweatshops and bathe in filthy rivers embody the nightmare of our own future impoverishment.

Around the turn of the millennium, a menacing pincer movement commences. China floods the West with cheap merchandise. Not only does it brazenly copy western technology; it also simply buys companies that possess the desired know-how. At the same time, Islamist terrorists destabilize the West, inveigling the U.S. in particular into sinking billions of dollars into combating them. The wars it thus instigates drive up oil prices; instead of investing the rising revenues in America, the Arab world now prefers to keep its money at home, particularly in Dubai, where work on the artificial peninsula Palm Jumeirah has just begun. Arab countries conclude cooperation agreements with western universities and museums, such as the Louvre and the Guggenheim, which enable them to receive works from these institutions on permanent loan. Not unlike in The Man in the High Castle, the pursuit of western cultural goods seems to escalate into an Occidentalist looting expedition.

In 2005, I moved to China and began work on China ruft dich, a book about immigrants in

China—whether from Denver, London, Essen, or Lagos. China is destined to become the world’s greatest economic power in the near future, and as the “workbench of the world,” it is following the West down the entire laborious path of industrialization, though at a more rapid pace. By contrast, Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, seems to be vaulting over this stage of development; a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins is transforming itself into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism. The West takes a substantial share of the profits, but sees itself at a growing disadvantage: It is left to point out the shadow’s cast by the glittering façades, especially the miserable conditions in which the foreign construction workers live and labor, and the gigantic amounts of energy wasted on turning the desert green and making it skiable.

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In 2007, when I first traveled to Dubai, it is home to no more than 1.5 million people. With all its rapid growth, it has retained a fairly clear structure: luxury hotels here, business district here, freight harbor here, villas here, working-class neighborhoods here, free-trade areas here, industry here, and still, a great deal of desert. Driving around, you can see all of this in a single day; and so before long, I stand in the middle of one of the residential areas for the cheap labor, most of them Indians and Pakistanis. It is early evening, the construction workers are just returning from the day shift and crowd around the supermarkets, mosques, and restaurants. They live six or eight to a room. More recent buildings are equipped with air conditioning, older ones only with fans.

What I see is not fundamentally different from the elementary conditions in which the itinerant laborers on large German construction sites live. On their jobs, too, industrial safety regulations may not be abided by; their employers may confiscate their passports and not pay the wages they promised. Although Germany guarantees the freedom of assembly, here, too, we do not see workers protesting against these grievances. Unlike in Dubai, their employment is often illegal.

Dubai air-conditions interior spaces during large parts of the year, whereas Northern

Europe needs to be heated for almost half of that time. Cool Northern Europe has artificial ski slopes, too, in addition to tropical water parks and saunas. Moreover, westerners like to think that their harsh climate is the reason behind what they presume to be the superiority of their own civilization over those of peoples to whom nature gives bounteously in their sleep.

Per-capita oil consumption may be higher in the Emirates than anywhere else, but at

least it is their own oil, and with the sun scorching the region almost year-round, they might find it easier than the West to replace oil with renewable energies.

When I asked the Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, who became

famous in the 1980s for his shocking advertising campaigns for Benetton, about his impressions of Dubai, he responded: “There was not one thing that I liked, not one thing,” and many western visitors to Dubai can be heard expressing similar views. Then again, in the cities of the West they usually also like only what is already of a past era and thus prevented from proliferating excessively.

People complain about Dubai’s artificiality and would like it better if the

Emiratis continued to live in adobe houses and personally cleaned their touristic visitors’ toilets; instead, they, who a few decades ago usually did not even have electricity and running water, drive around town behind tinted car windows and have guest workers toil in their service. In reality, the very fact that Dubai’s rapid progress has brought affluence not only to an elite, creates the opportunity to sever the automatic association between tradition, on the one hand, and poverty and backwardness on the other. For formal occasions, women still wear abayas, and men dishdashes—traditional costumes that veil the wearer to a similarly high degree. At the same time, emancipation has made great progress, and Dubai is the first Muslim country to allow female muftis.

I was immediately fascinated by Dubai as a place that practices globaliza tion with particular force and consistency. Since Dubai became independent from Great Britain in 1971, the Al Maktoum sheikh dynasty has governed it like a modern corporation. The Chinese single-party government presents itself as a nationalist dictatorship of experts; in Europe, an immigrant share of a few ESSAYS

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percent of the total population is enough to cause riots and instigate debates; Dubai, by contrast, practices a developer absolutism that aggressively recruits both labor and capital from all over the world. The share of foreign nationals in the population rose to around 90 %. But they receive permission to stay in the country only as long as they have work and remain in good health.

Instead of taxes, the country primarily levies fees.

Having for decades spent the revenues from its fairly modest oil reserves on developing

the country’s infrastructure, particularly the cargo port and the airport, Dubai’s leadership openly aspires to turn it into the world’s unofficial capital by 2050, to make it the New York of the twenty-first century. A family enterprise finds it easier than a public company to set longterm goals, and it is less compelled to disclose its activities. Who exactly owns Dubai’s major real-estate enterprises—Nakheel, Emaar, and Tatweer—remains a secret. Dubai is highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, as tourists, guest workers, and capital can take flight at any moment.

Islamists would find enough reasons to strike Dubai instead of, let’s say, Saudi Arabia: its bars, clubs, and hotels serve alcohol, and both men and women are permitted to go to the beach in light attire. The rumor circulates that Dubai protects itself by investing Al-Qaeda funds.

In fall 2008, as the western real-estate and financial crisis sets in, Dubai’s real-estate

boom likewise comes to an abrupt end. Lately, developers have delayed the installation of water and electricity supplies to the finished high-rises at Business Bay in a last-ditch effort to keep rents and hence also real-estate prices up, but it has been impossible for a year to ignore that a deep slump is imminent. Apartment rents were exorbitant and frequently had to be paid a year in advance, while numerous new high-rises stood virtually empty. Instead of renting their apartments, owners preferred to wait for a few months before flipping them at a 50 % profit. It was said that new residential spaces changed owners an average of four times before the first tenant moved in. The development companies abetted the speculative artificial short age by letting owners sign only long-term leases.

Dubai’s crisis fills the West with malicious pleasure. The country’s biggest

hotel to date, inaugurated in November 2008 with one of the biggest firework shows of all time, is improbably called Atlantis; and so observers already see Dubai’s skyline sink back—not into the sea, but into the desert sands. The Guardian writes: “As they did Ozymandias, the dunes will reclaim the soaring folly of Dubai.”

When I visited Dubai in spring 2009, evidence that such apocalyptic

scenarios are coming true is hard to come by. The biggest investment sinkholes, the artificial archipelago The World and the artificial peninsulas Palm Deira and Palm Jebel Ali are piles of sand that barely rise from the sea and can be seen only from upper floors of buildings. Yet work continues at the construction sites on the mainland; the greenery is being watered and the pools and streets kept clean. Only the horrible traffic jams have disappeared; the first bus lines with air-conditioned bus shelters are in operation; the metro, which extends all the way to the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi, is almost finished; and rents have declined. There is less work, but the quality of life has gone up.

Abu Dhabi, whose size and oil wealth grant it dominance over the United

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which defended the village—majorly made up of mud houses—from the attacks of the Bedouins arriving from the desert. The settlement opened, instead, towards the sea through the creek.

After all, danger came from the dry inner territory, far less from the sea. The overlooking

sea floor was hardly crossable except for expert navigators who knew safer ports of landing. Moreover, the sea was the fundamental economic resource. Almost all the food and natural pearls, which constituted the most important exported goods, came from there, at least until the 1920s, when their artificial cultivation started in Japan. From the sea also merchants came from India, Iran, and other neighboring countries. The creek gave the possibility of benefitting from a natural harbor, safe for the Dhows, which were traditional commercial boats. The settlement, located exactly at the crossing of the land and sea commercial routes that unraveled from Europe to south-east Asia, developed with the arrival of migrants coming from surrounding countries, from India to North Africa. In 1841 an epidemic of Variola spread in the village, which in the meantime had been named Bur Dubai, that was when Deira developed. Its name reminds of the word Al Estedarah (“roundness” in Arab) which refers to the shape of the creek in that point, while there is no certain etymology of the name “Dubai.”1 Since the southern shore was no longer considered healthy, the population massively

migrated to the other side of the creek starting the expansion of the area which in a short time became the most important commercial neighborhood of the Arabian Gulf, exceeding in extension the original nucleus of the city. A fire in 1894 radically changed Deira’s image.

The former housing typologies and the constructive materials used until then were no longer considered safe. The first houses in coral stone started to appear, constructed by the wealthiest members, while the rest of the population continued living in huts made of palm branches and leaves for a long time. A long period of slow development followed. Al Shindagha was added to the two original areas, being located along the strip of land which constitutes the initial part of the creek. Here the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, at that time Sheikh of Dubai, constructed his headquarters in 1896.

In the 1930s the pearls cultivation market suffered a sudden fall and for

many years Dubai remained wedded to the creek’s shores occupied by boats, goods, and all kinds of trades sustained by the absence of taxations on commercial activities.2 However, the original condition of the sea floor didn’t allow the passage and docking of the boats whose dimensions progressively increased over time. Since the 1960s the “father of Dubai” Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum started an important process of transformation of the city which in just a few years turned from a very small village into the most important metropolis in the Middle East.

Between the 1960s and 1970s, the canal was subject to several dredging

operations and to the construction of docks which considerably increased the draft limitation of the boats allowed to pass / dock and consequently its commercial attraction. With the discovery of petroleum in 1966, the end of the Trucial States, and the resulting fading-out of the British Protectorate which had promoted the current administrative structure of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai pursued a different direction of development. After the adoption and ESSAYS

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In fact it is the playful aspect, which is the true driving force behind Dubai’s “spectacular” connotation (in a Debordian way), to redefine the creek’s new uses.

The spatial offer for leisure time (always somehow linked to consumption) is the driving force for new investments aimed at huge residential projects.7 They redefine shores and convert territories, once inaccessible or forgotten, into public spaces in an attempt to connect the various functional nodes with pedestrian and bike paths. However, the ultimate goal is the struggle to create “places.”

In the city built on the desert’s “tabula rasa” and on the almost complete absence of spatial archetypes, the expansion strategy takes form through the planning of thematic areas that propose an identity set in advance.8 Motor City, Festival City, Media City, Silicon Oasis, these names refer to a functional specialization, but it’s actually the symbolic / evocative dimension to prevail. The same strategy is implemented along the creek, too. One example is the underway project of the Design District, started after the watercourse beyond the swamp area of the wildlife sanctuary was extended. This historically represented the last part of the creek up to its connection with the basin of Business Bay. To connect the creek to the sea the part through Safa Park to Jumeirah was missing. This was inaugurated in 2016. Today the Dubai Water Canal completes a river stream that starts in Deira / Bur Dubai and flows into the gulf circumnavigating Downtown.

The inner “river” now is the main catalyst of the biggest real estate

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International Airport. The urban potential of the river is the reason behind the race for the urban development of its bank. The Cultural Village, currently under way along the east side of the Business Bay Crossing, repeats the spatial model of the pedestrian public space facing a series of artificial canals, and is surrounded by a volumetric density set around them in order to exploit the view on the water. This density makes for quite a juxtaposition the rear image of the vast area of Al Jadaf, scattered with punctual projects that, because of their rarefied presence and lack of an organic implementation plan, fail to take on an urban dimension. The “cultural” designation is justified by the presence of the Jameel Arts Centre and of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, both under construction.

The Water Canal required both large investments and large-scale infra structure projects that have had a severe impact on the whole metropolitan area. Three new bridges were built over Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Wasl Road, and Jumeirah Road, and the whole territory involved by this new presence has changed its identity. Those areas, vacant and unattractive for land speculators, are now a main focus. It is as if the city, in the areas interested by the new canal, is rotating by 180° the buildings’ main fronts. Today there are new “stunning views” to pursue and put on the open market. The creation of the new canal takes place together with a change of strategy in the projects’ promotion. Traditionally the housing estate was built and the apartments were sold first, and then the commercial services arrived and supported their demand. Nowadays it’s the other way around. It became clear that in order to attract interest towards new areas, these ESSAYS

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Dr. Nadine Chahine

The Dubai Font A Monument for Every Day

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The Story: How It All Started Like most projects these days, it all started with a simple email. Our Sales Director had emailed us, saying that the Dubai Executive Council is interested in commissioning a custom typeface from us—can I please be on the call? At the time, I was the UK Type Director for Monotype and their resident Arabic expert. The chance to design a custom typeface for Dubai, a city I knew and loved, was very exciting!

Though projects can differ in how they start and what process they go through, sometimes you can tell, from that first call, that a project is going to work out. As it is with people we meet in our social lives, there are these occasions when designers and clients connect and you know that there is an alignment of vision of what to do, ESSAYS

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and how to go about it. This was the case here. We prepared our estimates, and soon the project was ours. The agreement was that I would fly to Dubai to pick up the design brief in person, and that turned out to be an excellent way to start.

The Brief From its inception, the project was very clear: to design a typeface that carries the name of Dubai and embodies its vision for its future. But when I arrived in Dubai, there was a new twist that added a whole new dimension to the project: The typeface was going to ship with Microsoft’s Office 365 and would sit alongside Microsoft’s curated collection of typefaces. This would make it available to tens of millions of users. It also brought the need to make it suitable for use in Office applications into focus, alongside the usual design ones. Thus, the typeface needed to be legible and to contain matching Latin and Arabic parts that would be in harmony with one another. The design needed to be versatile, so it can be used in a variety of situations, and the weight distribution would include Light, Regular, Medium, and Bold.

The first meetings with the Executive Council very quickly established

that we were all in agreement as to what the typeface is supposed to do.

Of central importance were legibility, reading, and capturing what Dubai is and what it aims to be. I was very fortunate to have already lived in Dubai and to have visited it so regularly that there was no need to introduce what Dubai is to me. I had already experienced first-hand its cosmopolitan flavor, its ambitions on the world stage, and its drive to establish itself as a world destination that is open to one and all. This spirit of openness had always fascinated me about Dubai. It’s so Arabic, and yet so international, a model to aspire to in terms of harmony and co-existence. It is no wonder then that the typefaces had to reflect that, to bring Latin and Arabic scripts in harmony, while still being true to their respective roots and heritage. It’s all in the acceptance of the other and of ourselves, and that is where the solution for the design became apparent.

In terms of typographic style, we were given the freedom to experiment with the caveat

that we need to submit three proposals and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, would chose the most suitable one. This meant that the brief was more focused on what the typeface needs to represent, and how it needs to function, than on the actual design implementation of that. This brings great advantages to the design process as the design team can have the space to translate that conceptual framework into actual outlines.

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The First Round of Proposals The start of the project was right there and then in Dubai. It’s not typically the case that a client would include the location of the design activity in their request, but given how the project ran, it all made sense and spending two weeks in December in Dubai was no hardship at all. The team on site very quickly expanded. Simon Daniels from Microsoft flew in, so we could talk more about how the typeface would fit within Microsoft’s existing offering, and a few days later ESSAYS

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Ralph du Carrois joined us to work on the Latin adaptation of the Arabic sketches I was making.

The plan for the three design proposals was as follows: I would work on the Arabic design, and once that was ready, I would pass it on to Ralph and he would work on the Latin. The decision to start with the Arabic was due to many reasons. One, Dubai is first and foremost an Arab city so it was natural to start there. Two, it’s the script I’m most comfortable in, so it’s easier to craft the vision of the typeface in that one. Three, the Arabic script is quite complex to match, so it’s simpler to start there and let it lead the way.

Those two weeks were quite hectic and I was working round the clock to make sure that we were on schedule. It is the type of design whirlwind that brings with it the great rush of creative energy. I wrote this on December 9th, 2015: “It’s another 2 a.m. post about the obsession that is type design. The hotel room is quiet, and I look at the letterforms in front of me and I am giddy with happiness: Did I just draw this? Many months pass by sometimes without me designing anything and then there are moments like this, when I find myself in the outlines and it is where I want to stay. Early next year I hope to be able to tell you what is this project that keeps me up at night, that I am so excited to work on … sit in meetings and I think to myself: I have to do a good job, I have to do a good job.”

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The Design Features The solution for the design was driven by the Arabic component. Similar to Dubai: it is an Arabic city in its essence and this typeface carries that too. So how do we get to a unique Arabic text face? Usually, Arabic text faces are based on the Naskh tradition and the solution

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The Dubai Font

to this came via one of the requirements of the design. We needed a typeface that would work in text sizes, but also in large sizes, too, in its light and bold weights. The Naskh style is perfect for text settings, but, with the exception of the styles developed for newspaper headlines, it often feels a bit too fluid for headlines. We needed a bit of sturdiness. We also needed a typeface that carried the gravitas necessary to represent the city whose name it carries. The design mixes the Naskh style with elements of Muhaqqaq, so it is a bit more stable, less fluid, with slower and more precise movements. The Muhaqqaq calligraphic style is perfect for large sizes and monumental designs so the concept came together quite nicely: a monument for every day.

The Latin companion needed to have the same gravitas, the legible yet not too familiar.

The inspiration came from Dutch typeface design tradition. That style is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and maintains a refreshing quality and movement of curves that fit very well with Arabic. A quick look at the arches of m, n, and h shows the slow shallow arch that turns very quickly, just like we have in Tah and many other letters in Arabic. Another advantage of this design direction is that Microsoft Office did not ship any font in that style so we were really able to contribute to an additional flavor to the users.

The Light and Regular weights can be used in text, while Medium and Bold are best

suited for highlights and large settings. The Light is also well suited for headlines. The family is designed in a way that the stroke contrast (how the strong modulates from thin to thick) changes across the weights. The Light is very low in contrast but the Bold is high in contrast. It adds an interesting dimension to the family and a very contemporary flavor.

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This Project in Time Usually we are asked to design typefaces for certain design functions that the client has. For branding, or broadcasting, or newspapers etc. But this time it was different. The Executive Council was asking for a typeface to carry the vision of this modern Arabic city, not just for its own use, but to give it freely to anyone who wishes to use it. The power of typography is great, and it’s been wonderful to see government support for the value of design and typography and their contribution towards communication and innovation.

This typeface family was designed by a team of six people: Myself and

Malou Verlomme from Monotype; and Ralph du Carrois, Pilar Cano, Ferran Milan as external contractors for Monotype. Toshi Omagari was the eagle eye who reviewed the outlines. They all contributed greatly towards the success of this project and the credit goes to the whole team. Thankfully, the public’s reaction was quite positive. There was a rush by local designers and companies to use this new typeface that carries the name of their city. The typeface became the way they show support and buy in to the vision of Dubai and this marks an important milestone in the cultural development of Arabic typography.

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12

Marcus Farr

Curtain Mosque Mental Structures

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My hope is that light, flexible architecture might bring about a new and open society.

— Otto Frei 1 “Wholes are composites having an internal structure, func­tion or character that clearly differentiate them from mechanical additions, aggregates, and constructions, such as science assumes on the mechanical hypothesis.2 The concept of structure is not confined to the physical domain (e. g. chemical, biological, and artifacts); it also applies to the metaphysical domain (e. g. mental structures, properties, attributes, values, ideals, etc.)3” As a typology, mosques are found all over the world, regardless of location, population, or financial conditions of a particular community. This is a pluralistic typology by definition in that the architecture ESSAYS

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1

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may be discussed in terms of how the buildings are historically similar, or in terms of how the architecture can be divided into different types based upon region or geography.4 In both discussions, these buildings often blend with the local sense of place, adhering to the impact of culture or heritage, and responding physically to the resources of its community. It’s true that the design of a mosque can vary greatly depending on location, need and budget, however, most constructed mosques have the same basic requirements architecturally if built to accommodate the public in which it will serve. Beyond the basic features mosques can be large or small, with or without ornament, simple or grand. The material palette can be varied, as history has shown mosques constructed of materials such as mud, stone, marble, granite, wood, and glass. Research will show even more examples. They can also contain courtyards, rows of columns, or more complex programs to satisfy public need for gathering. They might even consist of a single room.

The elements discussed below indicate the special spatial requirements typically found

in mosque architecture. The mihrab is an ornamental indentation in the wall of a prayer room, its function is to locate the direction of the qiblah, or direction of Mecca. The minbar is a platform like space that is raised in the prayer hall, usually toward the front, in this area announcements and sermons are offered. Because this area is usually raised, it typically is accompanied with stairs. The ablutions are ritualistic activities that take place before prayer, these require water and sitting and an ability to clean ones feet and wash the face. This can be indoors or outside in an area such as a courtyard. Mosques usually have a minaret which serves as an architectural marker, and also as an instrument that offers an audible call to prayer throughout the day. The minaret is most commonly seen as a tall, slender tower and may be a ESSAYS

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3

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variety of configurations in plan such as octagon or square or round. The largest area is the prayer hall, usually left as an open plan configuration. This area can be covered with carpet or can be a place for individual prayer rugs and usually accommodates the largest number of people in the structure at one time. The architecture of the mosque is also usually inclusive of domes, although not always. The dome can be found decorated with intensive geometric patterns and offers a practical feature of allowing heat to rise into the uninhabited areas of the architecture. In certain situations, the inner roof of the dome has served as a “gallery” for storytelling.

The mosque can be a place of complex programmatic requirements acting as the center

of cultural activity serving multivariate needs beyond worship. Its role in the community is not singular, but rather an entity that can be used for worship, reading, studying, relaxing, gathering, meditating, or education. It can act as a teaching space or be the center for community activity, existing as the architectural location for events or gatherings beyond the function of worship. It can be permanent, or momentary, and regardless of function, moves beyond the physical to a place that is as much a “mental” structure as it is a set of physical tectonic or stereotomic properties.

When discussing religious architecture and the sublime, the architect Richard Meier

stated, “When I think of a place of worship, I think of a place where one can sit and be reminded of all the things that are important outside our individual lives. To express spirituality, the architect has to think of the original material of architecture, space, and light.”5 Mosque architecture usually has articulated features seen to be common elements moving from culture to culture, most notably these are the mihrab, ablution, minbar, minaret, prayer hall, and dome. While these features help facilitate the act of worship, they need not be physically represented in every mosque. The Arabic word mosque, masjid, references a place of worship in Islamic culture, although prayers can be offered in private, either indoors or outdoors, nearly every community of Muslims dedicates a larger, more open space for congregational prayer, a space of mental clarity. The main architectural components of a mosque are practical in purpose and in many ways exist to provide both continuity and a sense of tradition worldwide. However, despite the characteristics that most mosques have in common, a cursory review of mosques throughout history reveals a parcel of variety in how architects have interpreted the built form of the mosque. The project discussed below is one of many interpretations of the mosque as a form of mental structure whereby the physical exists to act as reference of past architectures, and a projection of Meier’s indication of the sublime nature of space, light, and form.

It is also beneficial to understand how people are attracted to a space

beyond the common physical or ritualistic notions of architecture. The human body is naturally attracted to certain spaces and can only accept a small range of temperatures before feeling uncomfortable. In the reading Thermal Delight in Architecture, the author Lisa Heschong describes the use of space as one that is sublime beyond its physical properties, and discusses architecture as climactically important stating, “Places with desirable thermal qualities naturally tend to become social.”6 The project Curtain Mosque references the common ESSAYS

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Though the continued research of fabric, localized custom, and existing spaces gave specific shape to the prototypes of Curtain Mosque, the life span of this architecture is multi-variate, and ultimately fleeting. Its form is meant to move slightly with motion, use or breeze and ultimately become one with its location programmatically, perhaps disappearing from its original definition and moving from “one” architecture, to a more pluralistic definition of what architecture can become. It isn’t designed to remain in one place, but rather is best when it is moved in different heights in a large, vertical space, and is destined to be ephemeral, lasting for only a transitory time throughout the day that is respondent to local programming. Because of this, in many ways, the performance of the project is contingent upon placement and location. With this logic, the project is introduced as a civic amenity, but also presented as an opportunity for public enlightenment by utilizing architecture as a vehicle. The project leverages technology in a simple way and offers an alternative architectural trajectory, re-introduced, and paired with the aesthetic of localized customs. Over time, the mosque becomes art. The art becomes mosque.

1 Otto Frei, Quote, undetermined date.

2 Jan Christiaan Smuts, Holism and Evolution, 2nd edition, Macmillian and Co., 1927.

3 Jan Christiaan Smuts, Holism and Evolution, 2nd edition, Macmillian and Co., 1927.

4 Philip Babcock Gove, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language. Unabridged:

A Merriam Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2002. “sameness;” paraphrased as, “or in terms of how the architecture can be divided into different types based upon region or geography.”

5 Richard Meier, The New York Times, October 30th, 2003.

6 Lisa Heschong, Thermal Delight in Architecture, MIT Press, 2002.

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Pictures: 1 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, drawing, 2018.

2 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, Sectional Morphologies, 2018.

3 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, Section Drawing, 2018.

4 Traditional Dress.

5 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, Exterior Elevation, drawing, 2018.

6 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, drawing, 2018.

7 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, Section Drawing, 2018.

8 Traditional Dishdash clothing.

9 Marcus Farr, Curtain Mosque, drawing, 2018.

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Hot Spots Publications Playlist Index Useful Words Colophon

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APPENDIX

APPENDIX

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Hot Spots

Trade Centre Bur

d

Jumeirah

Ro a ye d Za kh ei Sh

The Palm Jumeirah

Design District

Business Bay

Downtown

Al Quoz

Dubai Marina

Hotel

Music / Club

Museum

Bar

Shopping

Gallery / Art Space

Café / Tea

Theme Park / Aquarium

Architecture

Restaurant

Swimming / Spa

Books

Fast food

Have a look

Park

01 Dubai Marina Dubai Marina is a man-made canal city, built along a three kilometers stretch of the Persian Gulf shoreline. The district has been given the new name of “New Dubai” owing to its chic urban lifestyle and unique waterfront living.

Find a huge assortment of cafés, bars, and restaurants.

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Buddha-Bar

Grosvenor House

Al Emreef Street buddhabar-dubai.com This is a hip bar popular for cocktail and champagne nights, with a full view at the marine

canal. The inner decoration is stunning and sophisticated. There is a special space in the dining room that makes you feel tiny due to its high ceilings and a huge golden Buddha focusing you when entering. Taste the cocktail named blueberry-ginger. It is an absolute must-try!

Stereo Arcade

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

Jumeirah Beach Residence

The Walk This is a trendy New York-style pub with a lively funky atmosphere inviting people to play, party, and dance. Part of the outstanding decoration is the laser light, playful graffiti, and old-school arcade

HOT SPOTS

game machines. Stereo Arcade has strived to offer something refreshingly different in this part of town.

THE BEACH by Jumeirah

Beach Road

Opposite Jumeirah

Beach Road thebeach.ae This family-friendly beach is easily accessible from anywhere in Dubai and has a wide selection of beachside dining and boutiques as well as water sports such as parasailing and wakeboarding. There’s always something awesome and exciting happening at THE BEACH, from fireworks to carnivals and music events.

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Hot Spots

Ramusake

Inside DoubleTree by

Hilton Hotel, The Walk ramusake.ae This cool venue has a unique Japanese atmosphere with beautiful wall paintings. The menu is based on izakaya style where they rework Japanese classics with a modern innovative twist. Featuring a large selection of sharing dishes and an extensive cocktail and sake menu, you can expect reasonable prices for a good quality and quantity of dishes.

Barasti Bar

Le Meridien Mina Seyahi

Beach Resort & Marina barastibeach.com Barasti is a world famous beach bar with a vibrant atmosphere all day and night. You can enjoy your drink in the vast outdoor pool and sitting area. Here you can watch sports live on a big screen.

With refreshing music beats and a free entrance, you will get in full summer mode.

Reem Al Bawadi

Marina Walk

Near Spinneys Market reemalbawadi.com This friendly restaurant became famous during the years and has become a multi-restaurant in different locations of Dubai. It has won the What’s On Dubai Awards in the category “Affordable Dining” for two consecutive years. The food in Reem Al Bawadi is centered around Levant culture. Experience the Arabian hospitality at its fullest.

The Market at THE BEACH

West seaside at THE

BEACH, opposite Jumeirah

Beach Road This is an outdoor artisanal marketplace opening only for some months during the year. Located at THE BEACH, here you can find unique, one-of-a-kind pieces to take back home. The market offers two sections of goodies: the “Eat Later” one, featuring packaged traditional local snacks and the “Bits and Pieces” section selling beautiful arts and crafts including African handmade jewelry as well.

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Cayan Tower cayan.net The Cayan Tower, known also as Infinity Tower, is a 306-metertall skyscraper that has a unique twisted design. The tower is designed by the same architec-

tural group who did the concept design for the Burj Khalifa and Trump Tower in Chicago.

Lock Stock & Barrel JBR

The Walk, Jumeirah Beach

Residence, ground floor

of Rixos Premium Hotel lsbdubai.com This is Dubai’s favorite party bar with great deals and vibes. After the bar gained great success in Barsha, the owners opened a new and bigger one in Dubai Marina.

Here you can enjoy Britpop and indie hits all night long. There is a smart casual dress code during the week, but on Saturdays and Sundays you can come in your flipflops, try it!

02 Jumeirah Is a coastal residential area used to be home of Emirati fishermen and pearl divers back in time.

Today it is a famous touristic destination due to the large hotels, resorts, and housing develoments.

The district extends several kilometers along the sea offering some of the best beaches in Dubai.

PROART Gallery

Palm Strip Mall, first floor,

opposite Jumeirah Mosque proartuae.com This gallery is one of the leading dealers in modern and contemporary art, cooperating with private clients and museums worldwide. There is always an upcoming exhibition planned.

Burj Al Arab

Jumeirah Beach Road

Jumeirah 3 jumeirah.com/en/hotels resorts/dubai/burj-al-arab Located on a man-made island and opened in the year 1999, Burj Al Arab is the tallest hotel in the world with a height of 321 meters.

The hotel with its sail-shaped silhouette stands as a symbol of modern Dubai. It was repeatedly voted the world’s most luxurious hotel. No doubt, since it offers extraordinary luxurious services like a 24-carat iPad during a visitors stay or the opportunity to land with a private helicopter.

Sunset Beach

Jumeirah 4 Also known as Jumeirah’s Public Beach, this spot will get you the best side of Dubai’s iconic Burj Al

HOT SPOTS

Arab hotel. The free beach is full of activity hive and is one of the Emirate’s most beautiful stretches of sand. The beach is also known to be ideal for surfing.

Amongst Few

40 Jumeirah Beach Road

Palm Strip amongstfew.com This clothing store aims to present a new image of what Dubai can offer underneath its superficiality.

The store’s atmosphere is modern, material such as steel and concrete which offer the perfect background to the premium readyto-wear clothes and shoe wear.

Amongst Few has recently opened a coffee shop in the same neighborhood which reflects the brands identity and is a favorite meeting spot for many locals.

Moylo’s Burger

Jumeirah Beach Road

Jumeirah 3 moylosburgers.com This tiny burger restaurant has a unique and raw style, decorated with a range of vibrant colors and furnished with simple materials it evolves the impression of a converted warehouse. Don’t forget to order the salty caramel milkshake.

It tastes heavenly.

Mokha 1450

Shop #8, Aswaaq shopping

development, Al Wasel Road

Al Badaa mokha1450.com This is not just a simple coffee shop. Named after the year when coffee was born in Yemen in the ancient port of Mokha. Their philosophy is based on early Arabian coffee culture, emphasizing on exceptional quality and staying faithful to a fair trade relationship with local farmers. Mokha 1450 is the place for real coffee lovers who look for an extraordinary coffee experience.

Cove Beach Dubai

Al Darmeet, 2C, and 11A

Street, inside Jumeirah

Beach Hotel covebeach.com This is a restaurant and lounge featuring authentic Mediterranean Riviera cuisine from the South of France and Italy, offering a modern twist to traditional tastes. Located on the Cove Beach, here you can relax from day to night having the ocean view in front and the impressive five-star hotel Burj Al Arab right by the side.

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Hot Spots

Stomping Grounds

Villa #98, 12D Street

(Corner of the 51 Street) stompinggrounds.ae Aside of a coffee house, Stomping Grounds is also UAE’s only Specialty Coffee Training Center accredited by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

It offers Batch Coffee and Batch Micro Roastery. Here you can enjoy your favorite coffee beverage along with fresh food in a cozy and comfortable atmosphere while knowing that the baristas are doing some magic alchemies!

Salt

Kite Beach, 2C Street

Umm Suqeim find-salt.com Salt is a burger restaurant claiming to offer the “best beef in the world” from free range, grassfed, hormone-free and 100 % halal certified Wagyu beef. You can enjoy urban favorite meals while sitting on the sand of Kite Beach.

Ailuromania Café

844 Jumeirah Street

Jumeirah 3 ailuromania.com This cozy café is a paradise for any cat lover out there! Its brilliant concept allows customers to sip their brews among rescued cats, all chosen for their gentle nature.

You can admire them through a see-through glass pan or even get inside and pet them. No other place is filled with so much love at once.

Comptoir 102

102 Jumeirah Beach Road comptoir102.com This is one of the best concept stores in the city being awarded as the best furniture store and best healthy restaurant in Dubai.

Designed to look more like a house than a typical store, therefore it feels like home, try through a variety of delicious healthy food, but also shop! The founder, Emmanuelle Sawko, has integrated a well sorted clothing boutique as well as a collection of jewelry and home decor.

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Wild Wadi Waterpark

Jumeirah Street

Opposite Burj Al Arab Situated next to the Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wild Wadi offers attractions for the whole family including 30 rides, a heated wave pool and multiple water slides. The park is

themed around the famous tale of Juha, a known character from the Arabian folklore.

Al Farwania

757 / 1 Jumeirah Road If you are a tea lover then this place is for just you. Al Farwania is a local restaurant / canteen, known for its tea specialties. Musttry is the Masala (milk tea)!

Box Park

433 Al Wasl Road

Al Wasl boxpark.ae Box Park is a funky retail district offering an eclectic mix of HighStreet fashion labels and some quirky dining options as well as some pretty interesting sustainable art. The area is big, so you could spend a whole day strolling through the shops, and even if you get tired there are some options to unwind like a cinema or hair salon.

Drop

Entrance 3, Dar Wasl Mall

Al Wasl Road

Near Safa Park dropdubai.ae For Drop, coffee is a serious business … therefore only world class baristas are working there.

Take a seat in Drop’s expanding library and enjoy your best of quality coffee accompanied by some literature.

03 The Palm Jumeirah Is an artificial island that resembles a palm tree and is part of a larger series of developments called the Palm Islands that are still under construction. The Palm Jumeirah is home to some of the most luxurious resorts and sailing points in Dubai, but there are also many family friendly activities you can do. A monorail offers transportation from the mainland to the Hotel Atlantis The Palm, at the end of the palm.

Fairmont The Palm

Southwest coast of the Palm fairmont.de/palm-dubai This is a five-star beachfront resort located on the west side of the Palm. It offers unrivaled views of the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai Marina Skyline. Included are a private beach as well as water sports and refined dining. The hotel is especially favored by couples.

HOT SPOTS

Aquaventure Waterpark

Atlantis The Palm Hotel

Crescent Road atlantisthepalm.com Any adrenaline junkies out there?

Aquaventure is one of Dubai’s most thrilling water park located in a vast space full of activities: from zip lines, to slides through shark-filled lagoons and splash areas for kids. There are basically all types of water based activities for all ages. Also, guests of Atlantis The Palm Hotel are offered all day free entrance.

The Lost Chambers Aquarium

Atlantis Hotel

Crescent Road atlantisthepalm.com This is another attraction that the world famous Atlantis The Palm Hotel has to offer. The aquarium is themed based on the myth of Atlantis with underwater halls and tunnels housing exotic marine life. You can have fun times by the feeding sessions, or a unique relaxing experience if you try the special yoga classes surrounded in blue.

Zaroob Restaurant

Golden Mile 1

Building #4

Galleria Mall zaroob.com Zaroob means “small alley” and is a long-time favorite restaurant chain with accessible prices. The menu is inspired by the traditional street food vendors found around the Levant region. You can find this restaurant chain all around the city and if the hunger strikes late at night do not worry, it is open 24 hours!

Al Ittihad Park

Palm Jumeirah Al Ittihad Park is a 102,000 meter long green oasis containing more than 60 indigenous varieties of trees and plants. It is ideal for jogging enthusiasts and relaxing strolls through a shaded, natural surrounding. Along the way you will find many shops and eateries that will keep you occupied the whole day.

Talise Ottoman Spa

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel

Crescent Road (West) This award-winning spa is said to have the most authentic Turkish hammam treatment in the whole UAE. The treatment lasts one hour, but you can go earlier and

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Hot Spots

use all facilities available such as thalassotherapy, steam room, snow room, jacuzzis, and saunas.

04 Design District Since Dubai is the modern art and design capital of whole Middle East, we are not surprised to find this small, but lively district in the heart of the city. The Design District is a master plan development in Dubai dedicated to the design community including startups, entrepreneurs, and established international design, luxury, and fashion brands. Take a stroll and gain some inspiration while exploring innovatively designed products.

The Cartel

Building #9, Shop #105 thecartel.me Founded in 2012, this is a multibrand fashion gallery by the awardwinning architect May Barber.

As a creative space it supports talented emerging fashion designers from Tokyo to Bogota. It offers women’s and men’s wear, bags, and accessories.

FBMI

Showroom #1, Building #2 fbmi.ae FBMI stands for Fatema Bint Mohammed Initiative and is a carpet shop where a 100 % of the profits made go towards the salaries of the female Afghan weavers. Moreover this non-profit concept store provides health, education, and community services to the contributing families in Afghanistan.

The Lighthouse

Building #6 thelighthouse.ae The Lighthouse is a concept store featuring a curated selection of food and design, including gifting merchandise as well as books and papeterie. The design events that take place here as well as the integrated restaurant make this unique store one of a kind. Don’t forget to check their book recommendations on page 244.

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Corcel Collective

Building #3, Unit R-03 corcelcollective.com Corcel is more than a bike store, selling fixed-gear bicycles. It is a concept store combining a retail store and a bagel house where

you can sit and drink a coffee under one roof. It introduces new life-style brands to all trainers and sport lovers.

Amorino Gelato

Building #11, Unit 5 amorino.com This ice cream empire has many branches all over the world, including New York and Las Vegas.

You will love their signature rose formed cones!

Sconci Art Gallery

Building #8, offices 107 / 108 sconcigallery.net This contemporary art gallery offers a wide range of artworks from the 17th century to the present. Their collection focuses on modern and contemporary art and often hosts exhibitions with artists creating their artwork on site.

05 Bur This is a historic district located on the western side of the Dubai Creek, and it is home to several mosques, historic buildings, and museums. The district has many “souks” (traditional markets), such as the colorful textile souk, offering a big variety of fine silks.

Here you will find the opportunity to appreciate the country’s traditional origins.

Dubai Museum

Al Fahidi and Ali Bin Abi

Taleb Street This museum is a must-visit if you happen to visit Dubai. Situated in the Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest building of the city constructed around 1800. Get an insight of the evolution of Dubai growing from a fishing village to a global center of commerce. Included are archaeological findings and exhibits on Bedouin life in the desert.

The Dubai Frame

Al Kifaf

Zabeel Park Jogging Track thedubaiframe.com Located in the big Zabeel park, the Dubai Frame is an architectural landmark described also as “the biggest picture frame on the planet.” It measures 150 meters high and 93 meters wide. On the ground floor there is a museum, and visitors can also get on the top and have a 360° view of the city though the glass panels.

HOT SPOTS

Special Ostadi Restaurant

Al Mankhool Road

Near Al Fahidi Metro Station This is a traditional family owned Iranian eatery that offers the best tasting kebabs since 1978! Enjoy the hospitality of the Ostadi family members who are the owners and will also happily serve you.

The place is a favorite to many locals that keep faithfully visiting again and again.

Coffee Museum

Villa 44

Al Fahidi Historical District coffeemuseum.ae What would a visit in Saudi Arabia be without a tour about the history of coffee? The museum, situated in a historic Emirati house, offers an aromatic bean-based journey back in time and around the world.

XVA Hotel Dubai

Al Fahidi Street

Al Fahidi Historical District xvahotel.com XVA is a unique art hotel containing 14 individual guest rooms all uniquely designed and decorated to showcase the cultural and architectural motifs of the region.

Inside the hotel an internationally acclaimed art gallery is integrated as well as an awardwinning restaurant.

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House

Al Shindagha area This is a historic building once owned as the residential of former Dubai’s ruler Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum. The building is located along the Dubai Creek and serves as a museum that contains artifacts and images of the old Dubai town.

Dunya Al Sham Tea shop

40 2C Street

Al Hudaiba Neighborhood This small take away place is very famous for its tea preparations.

It also offers different local pastries. Must-try is the original Indian Karak tea with saffron.

Al Fahidi Historical District

(or Al Bastakiya)

Al Hamriya Neighborhood Interested in discovering Dubai the way it looked before the massive industrial change? This historical neighborhood, also known as Al Bastakiya, is the oldest standing residential area of Dubai and dates back to the 1890s. Here the traditional ochre-

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Publications

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The Lighthouse Dubai Design District Building 6, Ground Floor P.O. Box 333285

The name Harper’s Bazaar might conjure images of a glossy, flashy American magazine about fashion design, style, and mainly anything devised as a target in the housewives of the era. We beg to differ, albeit chiefly when it comes to Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s Interiors and Art editions; two separate publications that are released on a quarterly basis with editors based in China, Russia, and the Middle East. In the last years, the two editions have cemented a firm place on the coffee tables of inquisitive audiences in Dubai and the greater Gulf region.

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors & Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Art / ITP Publishing / 30 × 22 cm / quaterly since 2010

The WTD Magazine was first published in 2011. Instagram has recently been launched and so, generally, it is safe to conclude that not a lot of eyes were looking in the direction of classic print media. The magazine was created by a group of graduates from the American University of Sharjah, among them was the editor in chief Meitha Almazrooei.

They set out to reach an audience of similar like-minded architects and designers for the simple idea of offering a medium of discourse. Later the WTD Magazine encouraged other young coeds in the region to put forward own remarkable niche publications.

WTD Magazine / 25 × 19 cm / since 2011

Published by Tashkeel, Dubai’s multidisciplinary art and design space, Never Forget is an illustrated guide to the “old” and somewhat overlooked parts of the city, of which many buildings are undergoing a demolition process to make way for new developments.

Khalid Mezaina, who is an Emirati graphic designer completing his MFA in Textiles at Rhode Island School of Design, USA, described Never Forget as an “activity book.”

You could color your way through, while reminiscing about erstwhile Dubai, its alleys, shops and neon store fronts, or you could leave it blank—a total contrast to the Dubai of year 2018.

Never Forget / Khalid Mezaina / Tashkeel / 19 × 25 cm / 2013

Published by Tashkeel in Dubai, Arabic Type Design For Beginners: an Illustrated Guidebook might just be the perfect essential guide to Arabic typography originating in the Middle East. Edited by type design giant and Founding Director of Khatt Foundation, Center for Arabic Typography, Dr. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, the book takes you through a series of workshops that were held in Dubai with the support of Tashkeel in 2011 and 2012. The book is bilingual and supported by color and black and white illustrations and photos of workshop leaders, demonstrating their work, as well as step-by-step explanations on how new fonts were created.

Arabic Type Design For Beginners / Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès / Khatt Books & Tashkeel / 17 × 24 cm / 2013

Uncommon Dubai + is a clothbound, hardcover book of photographs and essays about Dubai, showing, as one can deduce from the title, a more uncommon side of the Emirate.

Edited by architect and researcher Sharmeen Enayat, Uncommon Dubai + features contributions by the likes of radio docu producer Razan Alzayani, architect Todd Reisz, TANK magazine’s Natasha Stallard, and photographer Farah Al Qasimi, all reflecting on the Dubai that you meet off the beaten track. The book invites its audience to look at the city, its design, and urban landscape, through the musings of such high caliber contributors.

Uncommon Dubai + / Sharmeen Enayat / Uncommon Ltd / 15.2 × 21.8 cm / 2018

There are currently quite a few brilliant magazines published out of the Middle East, but not many of them, or, only some of them, are based in Dubai. The Brownbook Magazine is a bi-monthly periodical, founded

by Ahmed and Rashid Bin Shabib concentrating on the design, art, and culture of the Middle East, North Africa, and Iran. The Brownbook Magazine falls under the umbrella of a project of the Bin Shabib duo, intended to advance the way in which Middle Eastern cities are identified and therefore also perceived. What they create invariably turns into a destination in and of itself, attracting with them the young and hip of the design-oriented crowd of Dubai.

Brownbook Magazine / Brownbook Publishing / 26 × 21 cm / bi-monthly since 2007

244

The Lighthouse is a concept store and restaurant featuring a curated selection of food and design. It boasts a handpicked selection of gifting merchandise including glassware, serveware, travel, and lifestyle accessories as well as books and papeterie by international and regional designers.

It was founded by Hashem Montasser and Hany Bassiouny.

PUBLICATIONS

+971 4 4226024 info@thelighthouse.ae Sunday–Friday: 8 a.m.–11 p.m.

Saturdays: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

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Playlist

P 250

The Flip Side represents the only existing record store in the UAE. Its founder Shadi Megallaa is a DJ and one of the pioneers of Dubai’s electronic scene. He invites us to discover the town’s music culture.

Scan the QR code or follow this link to turn on the music: bit.ly/2Nmy3zB

The Flip Side Unit 71 Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz Dubai +971 4 2216830 info@flipsidedxb.com Saturday–Thursday 12–9 p.m.

This one is by the homies The Recipe. They’re a local hip-hop collective that you need to see live if you get the chance. They’ve just dropped they’re recent album Funerals & Purgatory. It’s been flying off our shelves.

The Recipe / Hard To Say No / 2014

Nasrawi is one of my favorite local producers.

You never know what to expect with their productions. Not only does he make all kinds of music, but he does it well. Here is one of his latest songs that came out on a recent compilation by SouvenirMusic.

Nasrawi / Franco’s Off / 2018

The Afif Brothers are my favorite local jazz band.

They often also back up Hamdan Al Abri, who is another local favorite of mine. These boys know how to swing.

Afif Brothers / Jig A Jug / 2014

Aeli is another dope producer and friend. Here is a mix of his LP, released by 264 Records in 2016.

His sound has changed and developed since then.

AELI / Late Future Calls / 2016

Tacit is Aaron Kim’s alias for all kinds of modular synth wizardry.

When it comes to modular synthesis in the UAE, he is the undisputed champ. Hopefully we’ll hear more in the future.

Tacit / Electronica / 2016

WYWY are a duo consisting of X Alvarez (vocalist, synths, and samples) and Mckie Alvarez (synth, bass, and guitar).

They are wonderful people who make sweet music. This video was recorded in Alserkal Avenue, where our shop is located.

WYWY / Drowning love / 2017

I had to include my man Essarai on this list. I believe this is still unreleased, but damn, I love this one. I’d also suggest you check out Essarai’s Boiler Room set in Dubai. Essarai knows what’s up.

Essarai / Go my way / tbr.

As Abri is one of my favorite local artists, I had to include his project with The Dreamfleet.

This is a project

by Adriano Konialidis, Hamdan Al Abri, and Mostyn Rischmueller.

Summertime vibes.

Abri & The Dreamfleet / Not young / 2017

GYPS is a project by myself and Abood Nasrawi.

This one features Abri and Aleksandra Kristic. They both are dear friends and talented artists. This GYPS beat is coming out soon on their album GYPS4.

You can find GYPS1–3 on bandcamp: gypstapes.bandcamp.com GYPS feat Abri & Aleksandra Krstic / Never Come Down / 2018

Tarek Yamani used to live in Dubai but I had to mention him in this playlist as he is the most talented piano player I’ve ever witnessed live.

This track is from his Peninsular album which fuses jazz with local Khaleeji rhythms.

Tarek Yamani / Hala Land / 2017

Siamak Amidi is another close friend who is getting out consistently good music. He runs Volt Music and is one of the head honchos at Analog Room. This song was recently released by my friend Omar Jayyusi’s label, Ingenious Electronics.

Siamak Amidi / Unconditional Love (Siamak’s Floor Vision) / 2018

245

This is a track I produced with my friend Tolga Fidan for my Ark to Ashes label.

It’s very much inspired by the magic created by Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus on their Rhythm & Sound / Basic Channel productions.

Shadi Megallaa & Tolga Fidan / Brotherhood / 2014

PLAYLIST

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

Index

P 96–99, 101, 103, 130 abjaddesign.com video interview: slanted.de/dubai Sheikha Bin Dhaher / Abjad Design, Dubai (AE) Sheikha Bin Dhaher is an Emirati graphic designer. In 2010, she gained her MA degree in Communication Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London, with a focus in typography and language. Not long after, she cofounded Abjad Design with Diana Hawatmeh. She derives her inspiration from literature, history, and nature.

P 96–99, 101, 103, 134 abjaddesign.com video interview: slanted.de/dubai Diana Hawatmeh / Abjad Design, Dubai (AE) Diana Hawatmeh is the art director and co-founder at Abjad Design. She is a graduate of the American University of Sharjah with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication. For several years she worked as a graphic designer in the fields of branding, publishing, and television in Dubai and the Netherlands. Her work is influenced by the Dada movement and recognized by experimental and exaggerated forms.

P 152–168 calligrapheruday. com/arabiccalligraphy

246

Uday Al-Araji, Dubai (AE) Uday Al-Araji is passionate about art and Arabic calligraphy since his childhood. Later, he became interested in the process of research, learning, and development in the field of calligraphy.

In his work, he tends to combine the original and the renewal, but takes the original as a inspiration and tries to create his own style by breaking rules.

P 219 beckybeamer.com

becky beamer, Sharjah (AE) becky beamer is a documentary filmmaker, book artist, and Fulbright Fellow. Her work reflects on personal identity and cultural preservation. She started her career in documentary for National Geographic, Discovery, and PBS. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. becky’s motto: With so many stories to tell, there’s no reason to stay in one place.

P 212–215 aus.edu/faculty/ jason-carlow

Jason Carlow, Sharjah (AE) Jason Carlow is an Associate Professor at the American University of Sharjah where he teaches architecture and interior design. He holds a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard and a Master of Architecture from Yale. His work uses digital design and fabrication as a lens to investigate building typologies, building systems, and compact interiors within dense, urban environments.

P 186–189 arabictype.com

Dr. Nadine Chahine, London (UK) Dr. Nadine Chahine is an award-winning Lebanese type designer. She has a Master in Typeface Design from University of Reading and a PhD from Leiden University. In 2016 her work was featured in the 4th edition of First Choice highlighting 250 top global designers. In 2017, Nadine was selected by Creative Review to their 50 Creative Leaders.

INDEX

P 136–151, 133 @afra.bd

Afra Bin Dhaher, Dubai (AE) Afra Bin Dhaher is a communication designer and visual artist.

Her diverse practice involves informing viewers, translating experiences, and portraying emotions.

In her work, she enjoys adding elements of surprise that invite the viewer to question and engage with the work produced leaving them either looking for an answer, a change of mind or even with a sense of excitement.

P 152–168

Fatmah Al Dhanhani, Dubai (AE) Born in the city of Dibba Fujairah in 1987, Fatmah graduated from the University of the Emirates in 2011, specializing in Arabic Literature. She began to learn Arabic calligraphy by Mr. Khalid Al-Nafisi in 2013. Fatmah is a member of the Emirates Association for Arabic Calligraphy and a member of Emirates Fine Arts Society. In 2016 and 2017 she won two awards in Arabic calligraphy.

P 252 nooreid.com

Noor Eid, Dubai (AE) Noor Eid is a passionate, selfmotivated, and confident designer striving to excel in the world of design. She recently graduated from the American University of Sharjah with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication. Noor is eager to embark on memorable learning experiences that challenge her craft in design to further develop herself as a growing young designer.

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Index

P 63 elephantation.com video interview: slanted.de/dubai

Elephant Nation, Dubai (AE) A Dubai-based branding and digital agency, Elephant Nation is a group of young, inspired minds from all over the world. They love what they do and believe in doing it well. They share their passion for creating and launching brands.

With a multi-platform thought process, their goal is to create meaningful visuals and verbal conversations between the audience and the brand.

P 216–218 linkedin.com/in/ jori-erdman

Jori Erdman, Charlottesville (US) Jori Erdman, AIA, is an architect and principal at the design and research firm, ROOM. As a former Professor and Director at the Louisiana State University School of Architecture, she was invited to be a Visiting Professor at the American University of Sharjah in the spring of 2018. Her design, teaching, and research focuses on urban resilience, sustainability, and the cultural production of architecture.

P 136–151 sharjahart.org/ sharjah-artfoundation/people/ falaknaz-reem

247

Reem Falaknaz, Dubai (AE) Reem Falaknaz is a documentary photographer based in the UAE. In 2014, she took part in the Arab Documentary Photography Program that is funded by the Arab Fund for Art and Culture, the Prince Claus Fund, and Magnum Foundation.

Her commissions include UAE’s National Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale.

P 228–236 material-artifact. com

Marcus Farr, Sharjah (AE) Marcus Farr is the founder of Material Artifact, a studio focusing on matters of material reference and culture. He is also Assistant Professor of Architecture at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. He studied architecture at Rice University and Drury University.

P 3–8 fikradesigns.com video interview: slanted.de/dubai

Salem Al-Qassimi / Fikra Design Studio, Dubai (AE) Salem Al-Qassimi is a multidisciplinary designer, educator, and entrepreneur. He is the Principal and Founder of Fikra, and Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial. He has published numerous articles, reviews, and essays on Arabic typography, culture, design. Al-Qassimi’s work focuses on elements of culture and identity and has been awarded regionally and internationally.

P 39–44, 222–227 martingiesen.com video interview: slanted.de/dubai

Martin Giesen, Sharjah (AE) Born and schooled in Germany, Martin Giesen studied Art History at Heidelberg University. After interning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and completing a PhD, Giesen entered into a career of university teaching. He has taught in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and most recently in the UAE where he was founding dean of the School of Architecture & Design at the American University of Sharjah.

INDEX

P 190–192 glyphsapp.com

Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer / Glyphs, Vienna (AT) A trained photographer, Scheichelbauer holds both, a Philosophy and a Dutch Studies degree. He creates typefaces, works as a digital punchcutter for other type designers, and gives type design workshops. Since he has joined the Glyphs team, he has been writing articles, tutorials, and Python scripts, as well as the blog and the handbook. He also runs his type studio Schriftlabor.

P 220 / 221 ninthletter.com

Nan Goggin, Indianapolis (US) Nan Goggin, Dean, The Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI; past Director, School of Art Design, University of Illinois.

Goggin’s practice and teaching extends from the printed book to virtual reality narratives. Her collaborative projects link literacy, art, and new technology. At Illinois, she co-founded @art gallery, first curated art space on the web and Ninth Letter, which is an arts and culture magazine.

P 193–203 gokcegunel.net

Gökçe Günel, Houston (US) Gökçe Günel is an Assistant Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona. She finished her PhD in Anthropology at Cornell in 2012. Her book Spaceship in the Desert: Energy, Climate Change and Urban Design in Abu Dhabi, (Duke University Press, 2019) focuses on the construction of renewable energy and clean technology infrastructures in the UAE, concentrating on the Masdar City project.

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

P 246

Useful Words compiled by Noor Eid

Hello

Goodbye

Good morning Good night

Thank you Welcome Please

Excuse me

Nice to meet you Me

Me neither I want …

I want to go …

Yes No

Where?

What?

I don’t know

‫صباح الخير‬

‫تصبح عىل خير‬ ‫شكرا‬

‫اهال وسهال‬ ‫لو سمحت‬ ‫عن إذنك‬

‫فرصة سعيدة‬ ‫أنا‬

‫وال انا‬ ّ ‫بدي‬

ّ ‫بدي روح‬ ‫نعم‬ ‫ال‬

‫وين‬ ‫شو‬

‫مابعرف‬

I didn’t understand

‫مافهمت‬

Show me

‫ورجيني‬

Come on

‫يال‬

Help me

‫ساعدوني‬

What’s your name? (for male)

َ ‫اسمك‬ ‫شو‬

Wrong

What’s your name? (for female) Vacation

Art

Design

Bathroom Food

Coffee

Male: I’m hungry

Female: I’m hungry Yummy / Delicious Nice / Sweet

Today

Tomorrow Always Day

Night Sun

Moon

Flirting

My love

I love you

Joke

‫غلط‬

‫اسمك‬ ‫شو‬ ِ ‫إجازة‬ ‫فن‬

‫تصميم‬ ‫حمام‬ ‫اكل‬

‫قهوي‬

‫جوعان‬

‫جوعانة‬ ‫لذيذ‬ ‫حلو‬

‫اليوم‬ ‫بكرى‬ ً ‫دائما‬ ‫نهار‬ ‫ليل‬

‫شمس‬ ‫قمر‬

‫معاكسة‬ ‫حبي‬

‫بحبك‬

‫مزحة‬

Funny

‫مضحك‬

Crazy woman

‫مجنونه‬

Stop the stupidity

‫بال هبل‬

Crazy man Stupidity

Get away from me

252

‫مرحبا‬

‫مع السالمة‬

‫مجنون‬ ‫هبل‬

‫ِحل عني‬

USEFUL WORDS

mar-ha-ba

maa-asalama

sabah-al-khair

tesbah-ala-khair shuk-ran

ahla-wasahla lo-sa-maht aan-iz-nak

forsa-sa-edaa ana

wala-ana bidd-di

biddi-rooh na-am laa

wein shu

mabaa-rif

ma-fhi-mit yalla

wargini

saa-doo-ni ghalat

sho-is-mak sho-is-mik ejaza fann

tas-meem hammam akel

qah-we jo-aan

jo-aane la-zeez heloo

el- youm bukra

day-man nahar leil

shams qamar

moakasa hobbi

ba-hibbak mazha

mod-hik

maj-noon

maj-noone habal

bala-habal hil-anni

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

slanted video interviews 150+ figures of the design scene slanted.de/videos switzerland istanbul paris new york marrakech portugal warsaw helsinki athens tokyo dubai

Colophon

SLANTED MAGAZINE TYPOGRAPHY & GRAPHIC DESIGN AUTUMN / WINTER 2018 / 2019 32 DUBAI PUBLISHER Slanted Publishers Nebeniusstraße 10 76137 Karlsruhe Germany T +49 (0) 721 85148268 magazine@slanted.de slanted.de Editor in Chief (V.i.S.d.P.)

Lars Harmsen Managing Editor

Julia Kahl Assistance

Isabella Krüger, Clara Weinreich Art Direction

Lars Harmsen Graphic Design

Julia Kahl, Clara Weinreich Assistance Graphic Design

Melina Vafiadis, Alex Staudt Photography Dubai

Lars Harmsen Video Editing

Sandrine Bassily, Lial Mooti SLANTED WEBLOG

Editor in Chief (V.i.S.d.P.)

Julia Kahl Editors slanted.de/redaktion

PRODUCTION Printing & Finishing

Stober GmbH, Druckerei und Verlag

Eggenstein / Germany

info@stober.de, stober.de Book Binding

Josef Spinner Großbuchbinderei GmbH

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info@josef-spinner.de, josef-spinner.de Paperboard Cover

Gmund 925 Brown Silver, 310 g / sm Paper Inside

MultiArt Gloss, 130 g / sm

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Papyrus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG

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info@papyrus.com, papyrus.com/de Spot Colors

HKS Warenzeichenverband e. V.

Stuttgart / Germany

info@hks-farben.de, hks-farben.de

HKS 14 N, HKS 54 N Fonts

29LT Zarid Serif, 2018

Design: Pascal Zoghbi, Khajag Apelian, Ramiro Espinoza

Label: 29Letters / 29lt.com

29LT Zarid Sans, 2018 Design: Pascal Zoghbi, Jan Fromm Label: 29Letters / 29lt.com

Suisse Int’l / Int’l Mono / Neue, 2011 Design: Swiss Typefaces Design Team Label: Swiss Typefaces / swisstypefaces.com

VIDEO Video interviews slanted.de/dubai

254

ISSN 1867-6510 Frequency 2 × p. a.

(Spring / Summer, Autumn / Winter) Copyright © Slanted, Karlsruhe, 2018 All rights reserved.

COLOPHON

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

Colophon

SALES AND DISTRIBUTION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Slanted Magazine can be acquired online, in selected book­stores, concept stores, and galleries worldwide. You can also find it at stations and airports in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. If you own a shop and would like to stock Slanted Magazine, please get in touch with us.

This issue could not have been realized without the enthusiasm and support of all participants (alphabetical order):

Abjad Design, Uday Al-Araji, becky beamer, Jason Carlow, Dr. Nadine Chahine, Afra Bin Dhaher, Fatmah Al Dhanhani, Noor Eid, Elephant Nation, Jori Erdman, Reem Falaknaz, Marcus Farr, Fikra Design Studio, Martin Giesen, Glyphs, Nan Goggin, Gökçe Günel, H2R Design, Hanken Design Co., Tulip Hazbar, Khalid Al Jallaf, JAM Type, Kemistry Design, Ibraheem Khamayseh, Cristiano Luchetti, Faissal El-Malak, Mohammed Mandi, Möbius Studio, Moloobhoy & Brown, Myneandyours, Nasir Nasrallah, Ingo Niermann, Narjes Noureddine, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Uzma Z. Rizvi, Khaled Al-Saai, Sheikh Saifi, Fatmah Salmeen, Ruben Sánchez, Tarsila Schubert, Wissam Shawkat, Slash, The Flip Side, The Lighthouse, T.ZED Architects, Tahreek, Tinkah, Toil & Tinker, Tribe Magzine, Twothirds Design Bureau, WTD Magazine, Majid Al Yousef, Mandana Ziaei.

Thanks to all the colleagues and students of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) for giving me (Lars Harmsen) the opportunity to teach in the UAE and share my thoughts. Without this experience, this issue would not have been possible. My thanks goes to Varkki Pallathucheril, Kevin Badni, and Zinka Bejtic and of course to all the professors like Martin Giesen, Juan Roldán and Camilo Cerro, but also to Sunitha and Yara Libzo as well as Pramod Kumar, Savio Creado, Shafy Nizamdeen, Rhoda Azizoghly, Matthew Trimble, and Rick Angeli. Most of all I am very happy that I met Nan Goggin, Jori Erdmann, becky beamer (with cat!), Saket Sarraf, Greg Watson, and of course Frederic Gmeiner and Sümeyye (love you!), who I can call friends now.

We are very happy that this issue of Slanted Magazine comes along with a limited special edition exclusively available at slanted.de/shop—or as a free gift with all subscriptions at slanted.de/abo until 11/30/2018. It contains a photo book, a risograph printed magazine, and a tote bag.

The photo book Under Construction is edited by Lars Harmsen and presents the work of Ola Allouz, Faysal Tabbarah / Architecture + Other Things, Ammar Al Attar, Lamya Hussain Gargash, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Irenaeus Herok, Johannes Heuckeroth, Celia Peterson, Juan Roldán, Christian Topp, and Ashok Verma. Thanks also to Josipa Weinrautner and Christoph Gauss (Océ / Canon) for producing this special edition on a Canon imagePRESS C10000.

The risograph zine is the visual impression of Dubai from Ruben Sánchez—thank you very much for sharing your illustra­tions with us! Big thanks to Alexander Branczyk and Florian Haberstrumpf (Drucken3000) for the amazing risograph prints!

Thanks a lot to Wissam Shawkat (wissamshawkat.com) for writing the calligraphy for the tote bag saying “Love Dubai,” and to World of Textiles (world-of-textiles.com) for producing it!

A big thank you to Jori Erdman for editing the editorial words of this issue, and to Aurelia Amrou and Hussein Amri for Arabic translations and insider’s knowledge.

Thanks to Sandrine Bassily and Lial Mooti for filming the interviews and making all the video edits.

Last but not least: Thanks a lot to Marcus Grunvinck and Frank Prath (Papyrus) for the amazing paper support, and to Thomas Appelius, Joachim Schweigert, and their team (Stober) as well as Ernst Gärtner for the support and great printing!

Contact

Julia Kahl, T +49 (0) 721 85148268 julia.kahl@slanted.de Slanted Shop (best!) slanted.de/shop Stores (all over the world) slanted.de/allgemein/stores Stations and airports

IPS Pressevertrieb GmbH / ips-d.de International distribution

Export Press SAS / exportpress.com Distribution US

Small Changes / smallchanges.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to Slanted Magazine and support what we do.

Magazines via subscriptions are at a reduced rate and get shipped for free directly at release. slanted.de/abo Within Germany

One year subscription, 2 mags: € 32

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ADVERTISING We offer a wide range of advertising possibilities online and in print. For advertising enquiries please get in touch with: Julia Kahl (advertising management / sales) +49 (0) 721 851 482 68, julia.kahl@slanted.de Isabella Krüger (advertising sales) +49 (0) 721 851 482 68, isabella.krueger@slanted.de AWARDS

255

(Selection of design awards for publications by Slanted) ADC of Europe 2010, 2008 ADC Germany 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007 Annual Multimedia 2008, 2013 Berliner Type 2008 (Bronze), 2009 (Silver) Designpreis der BRD 2009 (Silver) European Design Awards 2011, 2008 Faces of Design Awards 2009 iF communication design award 2007 German Design Award 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 Laus Awards 2009 Lead Awards 2008 (Weblog des Jahres), 2007 Lead Awards 2013 (Visual Leader / Silver) red dot communication design awards 2008, 2017 Type Directors Club NY, 2011, 2008, 2007 Tokyo Type Directors Club 2015, 2014 Werkbund Label 2012

DISCLAIMER The publisher assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of all information. Publisher and editor assume that material that was made available for publishing, is free of third party rights.

Reproduction and storage require the permission of the publisher. Photos and texts are welcome, but there is no liability.

Signed contributions do not necessarily repre­sent the opinion of the publisher or the editor.

COLOPHON

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

Index

256

With Alexander Branczyk (thanks to you and all the other friends who came to see us in Sharjah) on the Animal Market of Sharjah. The man sells a lamb to an Emirati.

Lars on the Camel Market of Al-Ain.

INDEX

SLANTED 32—DUBAI

Many people, when describing Dubai, sum up their own worst fears: That Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, is all sickening shine and has no soul, an air-conditioned bubble of hype whose hubris guarantees imminent cultural and ecological Armageddon. They believe the UAE to act as a kind of narcissistic mutating mirror to the emerging anxieties of the West.

Dubai and the whole region was a piece of desert sparsely populated

by Bedouins, transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism. The oil (discovered in 1958, exported since 1962) brought prospectors and the money brought hustlers. Fortunately Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan made the change. He was the principal driving force behind the formation of the State of UAE (1971). Using the country’s enormous oil revenues, Zayed built institutions such as hospitals, schools, and universities and made it possible for UAE citizens to enjoy free access to them.

From the 70ies, everything went fast. Very fast! Lightning-quick construction made a town of an outpost in a week, maps were redrawn monthly and laws stretched to accommodate overnight industrialization realized by a migrant workforce and expats underwritten by the promise of a pot of gold. Dubai has often been described as one large transit hotel—everyone stays with a check-out date in mind. “No one cleans a rented car,” is a known maxim in Dubai, where those creating Dubai might have no vested interest in its outcome.

But something important happened in the last years: Culture! Dubai and its neighbors have come to believe that even seven-star luxury and tax-free sunshine is stale without culture. If underwater hotels and desert ski slopes were how Dubai once sought to grab the world’s attention, design is the new catchword among the leadership. The Dubai Design District (D3) has been erected on a patch of out-of-theway wasteland and Emirates ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has decreed the founding of a Design and Fashion Council that lobbies government in the name of the industry. Believe it or not, all designers we met had claimed it to be the best moment in their lives, being in the right place at the right moment!

Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private— to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are readable in this issue!

This issue of Slanted Magazine goes along with additional video interviews which have been conducted by the Slanted team in March 2018 in Dubai.

To watch videos scan QR code, or visit slanted.de/dubai