The exhibition Inner structures. Outer rhythms: contemporary Arab and Persian graphic design at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) showcases current developments in Arabic and Persian typography. On view are posters, videos, animated films, murals, installations, books and typefaces by 33 designers and studios from South-West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) as well as the diaspora.
The exhibition demonstrates how currents in Arabic and Persian graphic design are of equal relevance, providing mutual inspiration and contributing significantly to the global design discourse.

The springboard for the show is the idea that the 28 Arabic characters and the 32 Persian letters derived from them form an inner structure that ties them together as related scripts. At the same time, they follow an external rhythm that is shaped by music, poetry, cultural dynamics and the force of political movements. Despite religious, linguistic, ethnic, political and social differences in the SWANA region, the Arabic and Persian writing systems serve as unifying elements across national borders.

The tension between structure and rhythm unfolds in four design themes. Contrasting current graphics with classical Islamic calligraphy, which adheres to strict rules, the theme Beyond calligraphy looks at works that probe the limits of Arabic and Persian script by devising unconventional lettering. While rooted in local aesthetics and traditions, these designs are also inspired by typography, abstraction, spatial illusion and minimalism. Lara Assouad, for example, develops modular characters that draw on geometry and early Arabic calligraphy. Graphic and type designer Tawfiq Dawi (Hey Porter!) is likewise renegotiating the relationship between calligraphy and typography as part of his “1000 Poster Project” (2017–20). His work displays an innovative mix of calligraphy, typography and imagery.

Another focus of the exhibition is on Poetry and music. Visualising rhythm, an aspect that is valued highly in Arab and Persian cultures. The analogy between script and rhythm is exemplified in the work of the renowned graphic designer Reza Abedini, who has left an indelible mark on the Iranian graphic design scene in recent decades – for example with his Callidrawing series. For the 2019 exhibition Jazz and Ink at Salon Beirut, curated by Yara Khoury and Khajag Apelian, music was translated directly into graphic design. Posters by 13 artists and graphic designers each illustrated a classic jazz song using Arabic characters arranged in playful rhythms.

Innovations in recent decades are closely linked to the prominence of Arabic and Persian lettering as a medium of political protest. World renowned graphic designer Bahia Shehab, for instance, deploys unusual letter shapes in her murals to create seemingly universal, politically motivated messages such as “I will dream”. Designer Jana Traboulsi develops culturally and politically inspired graphics by taking up elements of traditional book design from manuscripts. She adapts typical features of manuscript design for her own works, such as lines written diagonally as marginal notes, thus reinterpreting them for the present day.

The theme Design for culture and art introduces designers and studios that are helping to shape the vibrant arts and culture scene in the SWANA region. Works such as posters and books by Studio Kargah in Tehran, Studio Safar in Beirut and Kemistry Design in Dubai serve in the global design discourse as visual ambassadors of the local scene.

The exhibition also offers a reading room with magazines and reference books, inviting visitors to delve into the relevant research on the history of Arab and Persian graphic design.

Designers: Mohammadreza Abdolali, Iran; Reza Abedini, Iran; Mariem Abutaleb, Egypt; Yusef Alahmad, Saudi Arabia / United States; Azza Alameddine, Lebanon / Spain; Khajag Apelian, Lebanon / Netherlands; Lara Assouad, Lebanon / United Arab Emirates; Naïma Ben Ayed, France; Acil Benamara, France; Nadine Chahine, Lebanon / United Kingdom; Omaima Dajani, Palestine; Hey Porter! (Tawfiq Dawi), Jordan; Homa Delvaray, Iran; Naji El Mir, Lebanon / France; Farhad Fozouni, Iran; Ayman Hassan, Lebanon / Netherlands; Karim Farah, Lebanon; Amir Karimian, Iran; Golnar Kat Rahmani, Iran / Germany; Kemistry Design (Hani Charaf), Syria / United Arab Emirates; Yara Khoury Nammour, Lebanon; Hussein Nassereddine, Lebanon / France; Wael Morcos, Lebanon / United States; Muiz, United Kingdom / SWANA; Hamid Mirza Qorbanpour, Iran; Iman Raad, Iran / United States; Kristyan Sarkis, Lebanon / Netherlands; Nisrine Sarkis, Lebanon; Bahia Shehab, Lebanon / Egypt; Studio Akakir (Walid Bouchouchi), Algeria / France; Studio Kargah (Aria Kasaei & Peyman Pourhosein), Iran; Studio Safar (Maya Moumneh & Hatem Imam), Lebanon; Jana Traboulsi, Lebanon.

The exhibition was curated by Dr. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, graphic designer, researcher and founding director of the Khatt Foundation. Founded in Amsterdam in 2004, the Khatt Foundation is a non-profit cultural institution that promotes contemporary graphic design and acts as a network and platform for designers from South-West Asia and North Africa. Other aims of the foundation include funding design research, interdisciplinary collaboration and the establishment of a centre for expert knowledge in contemporary design.