Keyword
MINISTRY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN FIKRA GRAPHIC DESIGN BIENNIAL 01 INDEX
Direction by The Office of the Archive (Tetsuya Goto ＆ Saki Ho) ＆ Idea
Design by LABORATORIES (Kensaku Kato, Hiroyuki Kishida)
Translation by Duncan Brotheron, Manami Yamamoto, Emma Okubo, Christopher Stephens, Tetsuya Goto
Cooperation by Fikra Graphic Design Biennial
Photo by Obaid AlBudoor
The Sharjah-based, inaugural Fikra Graphic Design Biennial titled “Ministry of Graphic Design” presents graphic design as an intrinsic part of today’s world, seen in many aspects of our daily routine. Hosted in a country with innovative ministries, such as the Ministry of State for Happiness and Wellbeing and Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, the idea of a fictional “Ministry of Graphic Design” was utilized to dig deep into the origins, contemporary value, and potential of graphic design. Artists from many parts of the globe, including the Middle East, were invited to give lectures, workshops, and hold exhibitions that explored the possibilities of graphic design.
The “Ministry of Graphic Design” was organized into five departments. The Department of Graphic Optimism presented an overview of graphic design in the UAE between the 1970s and 90s whereas The Department of Mapping Margins analyzed de-centralizing and de-colonizing strategies for design criticism. Design works of a wide range of designers from multi-cultural backgrounds were displayed in The Department of Non-Binaries while The Department of Flying Saucers functioned as an office space for four independent projects across the globe. Lastly, The Department of Dematerializing Language introduced unconventional ways of communication through design works, breaking away from the burden of producing easy-to-understand, legible works.
This issue serves as an index of the keywords presented in the biennal and an attempt to reimagine the event through the contextualization of the behind-the-scenes work and the words of the artistic directors, curators, and featured artists.
What If…
Ministry as a Design Metaphor
An interview with Steven Heller and co-artistic director Emily Smith
Text by Steven Heller
Dept. of Graphic Optimism
Alia Al-Sabi: Al Shareqa / Dialectic of Power
Arabic Typography: A New Era of Possibilities
Text by Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès
Prem Krishnamurthy:
Collaboration / Tour Guides / Structures + Stories + Subjects = Social Space / Many Hats
Dept. of Mapping Margins
Uzma Z. Rizvi: Decolonizing Design / Decentering Design / Commensality / Speculative / Undisciplining Design / Knowledge Sharing
Santi Lawrachawee: Decentering
Asad Pervaiz: Translation
Radiographique: 1.Construction, 2.Game
Emily Smith:
Essential Non Sequitur / Play / Poetry
Dept. of Non-Binaries
common-interest: Lowercase-design, Non-binary
Benedetta Crippa: Transformation
Christopher Benton: Subversive
Lawrence Lemaoana: Ambitious, Unique, Diverse, Challenging, Avant Garde
Sina Fakour: Decolonizing Design
Paula Minelgaité: Dialogic
Oddkin: Alarmclock, Gap
gideon-jamie: Fikra Biennial
Justin Zhuang: International
Dept. of Flying Saucers
Hala Al-Ani: Transient
Turbo: Memorabilia
Foundland Collective: Survival Routes, Syrian Community, Diaspora Identity Seendosi: Story Teller
Na Kim:
Optimism / What if – Why not / Women Speak! / Coral Wall
Dept. of Dematerializing Language
Arcadian Studio: Translation-Language, Cultural Mixing, Remixing, Sampling, Hybrid, Arabic, Gulf
Astrid Seme: Bank
Esen Karol: Jeff Talks / #noreceipe
Christoph Knoth ＆ Konrad Renner: Transcultural
Interview: Graphic Design Practices in the Middle East
Fikra (Salem Al-Qassimi)
Möbius Studio (Hala Al-Ani)
Turbo (Mothanna Hussein, Saeed Abu-Jaber)
Office of the Archive
Tetsuya Goto: Archive
Saki Ho: Instagram, WhatsApp
A Mirage of a Design Institute, Shimmering in the Desert
Text by Kiyonori Muroga
Index
29th International Biennial of Graphic Design Brno 2020
Direction by Radim Peško, åbäke, Sofie Dederen and IDEA
Design by Radim Peško, åbäke
Japanse Typesetting by Kazuhiro Yamada (nipponia)
Translation by Emma Okubo
Sulki ＆ Min, åbäke, David Pons ＆ Lissana Jouret, Bibliomania: Alexandru Balgiu ＆ Olivier Lebrun, Zak Group, Radim Peško, Tamara Maletic / Linked by Air, Aaron Nieh, Laura Pappa ＆ Elisabeth Klement, Noviki: Katarzyna Nestorowicz ＆ Marcin Nowicki, Shin Akiyama, Alice Gavin ＆ Valentin Bigel at Groupe CCC, Alyssia Lou, LPPL, Katja Gretzinger, In the shade of a tree: Sophie Demay ＆ Maël Fournier-Comte, Jon Sueda ＆ chris hamamoto, Jean-Claude Chianale, Na Kim, Kazunari Hattori, Mevis ＆ van Deursen, Betsy Bickle, Pinar＆Viola, Wayne Daly ＆ Shumon Basar, Dan Eatock, Ryan Gander with Zbigniew Zuławski
New Series｜FormSWISS #1
Art Direction by ＆Form
Design by Arata Maruyama, Keitaro Takahashi, Yuichi Kato
Writing by Arata Maruyama, Kanako Ushijima, Mika Iwasaka
Translation by Kazuko Fujimoto-Hedges, Renna Okubo
Photography by Hidetake Oohata, Simone Cavadini (p.174)
Typeface by Swiss Typefaces
Printing (pp. 149-150) by Taiyo Printing Co., Ltd.
Interview with Arata Maruyama
OK-RM Narrative Project Derived from the Conversation
Design by Seigo Kitaoka
Translation by Ayano Atsumi
Interview with OK-RM
Atlases: Visualizing the Ecological Conception of the World
Final Episode: Between Visible and Invisible
Text by Akio Ota
[Event Report] Graphic Design and Co-Created with AI
Text by Yasuhito Nagahara
Yusaku Kamekura Design Award and The JAGDA New Designer Award
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