Safar #8
170 x 240 mm, 226 pages
Beirut, Lebanon and Montreal, Canada (bilingual, English and Arabic)
Biannual
Published since 2014
Editor-in-chief and creative director: Maya Moumne
Graphic design and art direction: Yasmin Ahram and Giorgia Labaki
‘Flirt with, flee from, and fall for graphic design and visual culture’ is Safar’s teasing strapline, which celebrates visual culture from the Middle East while questioning the western-orientated history of graphic design.
First teased by editor-in-chief Maya Moumne at our London conference two years ago, the much awaited ‘Tongues’ issue finally arrives in a notably smaller format—a surprise! Also new is the redesigned cover template and bilingual logo courtesy of Cairo design studio 40MUSTAQEL, with Beirut drag queens Diva and Melanie Coxx ululating on the striking double covers.
Visually and editorially rich as we've come to expect, the issue explores the many connotations of tongues: Aladdin and the dubbing of Disney films; the fantasy of stereographs of Palestine; beautiful deconstructed typography; an analytical approach to restaurant-style hummus; Tintin (or ‘Timtim’) dissected in six comic strips; plus interviews with designer Ellen Lupton and pioneering calligrapher Samir Sayegh.
From the magCulture Journal:
‘All these articles—and the many others in the issue—are well researched and written, as well as being well illustrated. This is always one of the joys of Safar; while the editors make their arguments strongly in words, they also relish the visuals.’
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