Isdar Mustaqel Vol. 001

Published by 40Mustaqel

Isdar Mustaqel is an Arabic-English non-periodical paperback on design practices that is serious, critical and playful. Isdar aims to initiate discussions, develop ideas, continue conversations and experiment with designs that balance theory with practical experience, contributing to the development of a design discourse that engages communities on the margins of Western-centric design practices and conversations.

Language is the theme of the inaugural issue of Isdar. Language in all its forms is used as a lens through which to examine the practice of graphic design and typography and tackling issues such as sociolinguistics, pop culture, script/speech, mass media and more. The issue features several contributors from across the design and arts scene, who share their vivid and compelling take on what language means to them.

“It is with this questioning that we have invited writers and designers to populate the coming pages of the inaugural issue of Isdar Mustaqel, which specifically focuses on the intersection of design and language. We have no pretense to a definitive answer to any of the above. We approach the task with humility and curiosity and a realization that our answers might be unsatisfactory, but we hope, at least, that they are unsatisfactory in a satisfactory way.

In thinking about how this edition might resonate for those interested or practicing design proximate to Arabic speaking communities, we felt it important to understand what is encoded in the way language and writing is spatialized.”

~ Daniel O’Connell and Ahmed Wael

Contributors: 40Mustaqel, Mina Masoumi, Sara Elcamel, Omaima Dajani, Nour Hadwan, Mohamed Gaber, Garine Gockceyan, Khajag Apelian, Salma Belal, Ahmed Abdel Latif, Youssef Rakha, Ben Koerber, Tamer Fathy Mabrouk, Haitham El-Shater, Amparo Baquerizas, Ahmed Mongey, Maryam Al-Homaid.

210 x 274 mm
Paperback
2024